crises, preferably before they happen, but definitely at the onset of a crisis. I am hopeful that the Rights up Front Policy will assist the UN in better coordinating its early mechanisms, but this needs to be matched by complete adherence to the Responsibility to Protect doctrine by the international community. Action once a crisis occurs is paramount, but action to prevent the crisis in the first place, and to save lives and spare men women and children from resulting misery and suffering, is critical. Another lesson is the fact that there has never been a sustained programme of transitional justice or community reconciliation involving the grass roots of the Iraqi people. Previous Governments had attempted to address some of the issues – but they were never in a coherent or holistic manner. Many programmes run by the international community merely addressed the symptoms of what was happening, without really addressing the root causes. The sense of victimisation that many individuals and communities feel has not been addressed. Hence it is clear how important in the context of Iraq it was, and it remains, to address the relationships between the various ethnic and religious communities and to ensure the implementation of programmes and policies that promote their full and equal participation in the political, social and economic life of the country. Ensuring representation at all levels of political and policy decision-making, access to basic services, reforming the education curricula to promote tolerance and understanding between communities, representation in the media, and improving access to justice are just some of the many areas that need to be addressed. This is something that the UN and the international community can meaningfully support the Government and people of Iraq to achieve. I thank you. END