UNAMI – Baghdad, 29 August 2011: Over the past few years the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq and the High Commissioner for Human Rights have been closely monitoring the situation in Camp Ashraf, exploring possible assistance in reaching a resolution that is consistent with Iraq’s sovereignty rights and international law.
UNAMI’s mandate includes the promotion of human rights in Iraq and the Mission’s Human Rights Office regularly assesses the situation in and around camp Ashraf from a purely human rights and humanitarian perspective. The UN continues to advocate that Camp Ashraf residents be protected from forcible deportation, expulsion or repatriation contrary to the non-refoulement principle.
UNAMI will continue to assist the GoI in search of a peaceful and lasting solution to the issues of Camp Ashraf in line with international humanitarian and human rights law and seeks the support of the international community in these efforts.
This position has been consistently reiterated by UNAMI leadership, including during the meeting Special Representative of the Secretary-General Ad Melkert had with Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki on 28 August as part of his farewell calls on Iraqi Government officials at the end of his assignment in Iraq.
