A/HRC/34/53/Add.1 63. The true number of those murdered by ISIL because of their ethnicity or religion remains unclear. The Special Rapporteur was informed about more than 20 alleged mass graves, many of which remain within territory controlled by ISIL. The Government and the international community must take all possible steps to protect and preserve these sites so that forensic research can be conducted at the earliest opportunity. This will allow victims to be identified and serve as essential evidence for future criminal proceedings. 64. Iraq has not yet acceded to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and the Special Rapporteur urges it to do so at the earliest opportunity. Iraq could request ad hoc jurisdiction over the claims of mass atrocity crimes. The Court should give consideration to opening preliminary investigations. In the meantime, the Court should initiate proceedings against those who are nationals of States that are parties to the Rome Statute. It is vital to maintain documentation and evidence must be protected from damage or destruction. The efforts of the Kurdistan Regional Government in this regard through the establishment of specialized committees are welcome and must be supported. VI. Essential steps for rebuilding a future for ethnic and religious communities A. Return and rehabilitation 65. The return of displaced ethnic and religious communities to their historic homelands and territories in a safe, voluntary and supported manner is an essential element of a guaranteed future in Iraq. Those communities have deep and long-standing attachments to their homelands, established over generations. Any political, infrastructural, security, economic or other barriers to the safe and dignified return of communities to their home regions must be addressed so that return can take place at the earliest opportunity. The involuntary relocation or resettlement of such communities in alternative locations could constitute another setback to their continuing sense of belonging in Iraq and should be considered as a last resort for those who choose not to return to their home areas. 66. Return to their places of origin alone, however, does not constitute an appropriate and durable solution for those communities. That can be achieved only with long-term support, investment and development initiatives to assist communities to rebuild homes, infrastructure and cultural heritage sites, re-establish livelihoods and return to normal functioning following the trauma of displacement. Development initiatives by the Government and national and international development partners should be targeted at affected ethnic and minority communities. 67. Where communities have suffered violence, including by neighbouring communities, they will also require long-term and dedicated security and community reconciliation programmes. Voicing concerns over the lack of security, a member of the Yazidi community said: “Even if we return home, Arab villages are 3 km away. We feel vulnerable because when ISIL came our Arab neighbours joined them and attacked us. How can we change the mentality of the people who live near or with us?” B. National reconciliation 68. Strengthening an inclusive sense of Iraqi national identity and confronting sectarianism are essential to future peace, stability and social cohesion, which has been fragmented by conflict and the historic marginalization of some groups. Some minority representatives, including the Yazidis, called for the strengthening of a national 17