ASSYRIAN UNIVERSAL ALLIANCE Member, Unrepresented Nations & Peoples Organization (UNPO) United Nations Forum on Minority Issues November 27-28, 2012 Jennifer Babaie Committee on International Organizations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities: identifying positive practices and opportunities. Consideration of future opportunities and initiatives for raising awareness of the Declaration and ensuring its practical implementation Madam Chair, distinguished delegates: The current situation of the Assyrians in Iraq is a testament to the need of a particularized focus on security measures in post-conflict situations that pay special attention to the risks facing minority populations. The Assyrians, an ethnic, linguistic, and religious minority, indigenous to the Middle East, once represented a strong Christian population in the region, however decades of sectarian conflict and war have caused the population to dwindle to a mere fraction of its original size. As a result, the once diverse population of countries such as Iraq has become more homogenous, giving rise to a distinct fear in the Assyrian community to express their cultural and religious identity, and reinforcing the perception of assimilation as the key to peaceful living. The community is forced to choose between cultural expression and safety, a decision which hinders any effective expression of a collective identity for our people. The Declaration could have given voice to important rights for the Assyrians and important responsibilities for the new government of Iraq, however this did not occur, and the example is now one of a missed opportunity. Our hope is that the current challenges faced by minorities in that country can serve as a learning experience for the international communtiy, so that in the future, minorities trapped in post-conflict situations will not be robbed of the chance to secure their rights. Our recommendations concerning post-conflict security of minority groups are as follows: 1. To Support the recommendation made earlier to have a UN conference hosted among the MENA countries to reinforce the values of the Declaration, with special attentiont to Articles 5 and 6. 2. To Develop a mechanism for including the Declaration as an essential drafting tool in all future constitutional draftings that would allow the Independent Expert to utilize her mandate to formally consult with government ministries and minority groups on the relevancy of the Declaration whenever new constitutions are being proposed post-conflict. The creation of a more methodical approach to the use of the Declaration will assist in taking the rights contained in the document beyond merely ‘soft’ international law by allowings its values to become ingrained in the municipal laws of member states, thus giving minority groups direct access to future claims and reperations for potential violations and abuses of their rights. 3. To Include in Paragraph 23 of the Recommendations specific language regarding the right of minorities to be free from the impunity of those who violate their basic rights by inciting or participating in acts of violence. 307 Orchard City Dr., Suite 202, Campbell, CA AUA.net