Iraq constitution: R.I.P Article 44 and it's human rights protection

amnesty: Amnesty International is concerned that an important human rights provision contained in previous versions of Iraq's new draft Constitution was excised from the final draft, which was handed to the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) in Baghdad this week for printing and distribution.

The removed provision (Article 44) emphasizes Iraqis' right to enjoy guarantees and safeguards enshrined in international human rights treaties ratified by Iraq. These include the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR, ratified in 1976), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR, ratified in 1976), the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD, ratified in 1970), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW, ratified in 1986) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC, ratified in 1994).

Many Iraqi human rights organizations have expressed dismay at the Transitional National Assembly's decision to remove the article. Read more