Thank you Mr President. Asma Najm – Representative from the Al-Hakim Foundation International agreements, treaties, and declarations have been put in place to ensure the rights of minorities. Particularly to protect the material and spiritual existence of minorities, to ensure that they do not experience discrimination, to strengthen their identities, as well as by the adoption of legislative measures appropriate to these minorities – via consultation with them and their participation – as well as to ensure the respect of their religious identities, languages, and rights. Ladies and gentlemen, minorities in Iraq have suffered the greatest crimes in the history of humankind, perpetrated by Daesh terrorist groups. These crimes have included the rape, kidnapping, and sale into slavery of Yazidi, Turkmen, and Shabak women. The situation escalated to the rape, murder, and burning of Turkmen, and Shabak women. This was in addition to seizing the monies and possessions of minority groups, leaving thousands living in camps to date. The civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights of these groups were violated on the basis of racism, discrimination, and exclusion, and due to the ethnic, religious, national, or racial characteristics of minority victims. These crimes amount to genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. Ladies and gentlemen, today we are all facing a historic and humanitarian responsibility to protect and reinforce the rights of minorities through policies, practices, legislation, and dialogue. We must take advantage of the opportunity to remind the international community to support the plight of minorities in Iraq, and to cooperate with the Iraqi government to pursue the issue of kidnapped minorities, the reconstruction of minority areas, reparation of minority rights, intensifying efforts to bring Daesh criminals to justice, as well as ensuring the voluntary return of displaced minorities to their areas. We further call on the international community to establish the World Minority Council to serve as the international vessel for policy formulation and for monitoring the extent to which states adhere to strengthening the political, civil, economic, social, and cultural rights of minorities. Ammar Al-Hakim Secretary-General of the Al-Hakim Foundation