Integrated approaches to service provision—including psychosocial support, medical care, and justice—would also help IDPs overcome physical, bureaucratic and even cultural barriers to realizing rights. Participants recommended the creation of mobile courts or justice centres, and multi-service, one-stop women’s centres.
Some participants noted the importance of careful assessments of the priorities of vulnerable groups, the need to build trust with IDP constituencies, and to document lessons learned at the governorate level.
The dire situation of families who may have been unfairly accused of supporting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) was also highlighted, as well as the increasing risk of revenge attacks. In this context, the potential of transitional justice initiatives was also discussed.
Advisor to the Governor of Salah al-Din on Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Ms. Entisar Khalaf Khadr, reaffirmed the importance of providing legal aid to returning families who suffered from displacement.
“They are facing a lot of legal problems, specifically women, as hundreds of them were not officially married in courts, and their children are not registered. Additionally, a large number of families have lost their male breadwinner to detainment or killing by ISIL. They need urgent legal Aid.”
The Improving Access to Justice consultation was conducted to inform the wider efforts of UNDP’s Rule of Law Programme. This programme supports access to justice for displaced populations in parallel with efforts to strengthen security sector reform.
(Source: UNDP in Iraq)
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