Midterm Review of

ProtectionSector

22 – 23 June 2009, Baghdad

UN AgenciesUNHCR, UNICEF, UNAMI HRO, UNAMI, OCHA, UNOPS, UNFPA, UNDP-Mine Action, UN-HABITAT, UNIFEM, WFP, WHO

NGOs (National/ International)IOM, ICRC, IRC, DRC, ACTED, ICS, IMC, Intersos, Mercy Corps, Mercy Hands, NCA, NCCI, UPP, IRD, TDH, AL Mesallah, Iraqi Youth League, Marsad Iraq

Chaired by UNHCR

Line MinistriesMinistry of Planning and Development Cooperation Ministry of Displacement and MigrationMinistry of Ministry of Labour and Social AffairsMinistry of EnvironmentMinistry of Human Rights

Partnerships and Coordination

National priority or goals (NDS 2007- 2010) Strengthening Good Governance and Improving

Security9.3.1 Establish a comprehensive human rights

regime country-wide.9.3.2 Establish and implement effective rule of law

institutions and policies.

ICI Benchmarks3.3 Uphold and protect human rights, establish rule of

law, and overcome the legacy of the recent and distant past.

3.3.2 Establish and implement effective rule of law institutions and policies.

UN Assistance StrategyTo contribute to the achievement of the goals defined in the National Development Strategy (NDS), International Compact with Iraq (ICI) benchmarks, and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

Protection Sector

Millennium Development Goals

The Protection Sector strategy focuses on the Millennium Declaration which calls on democracy and human rights in the achievement of goals and contributes to

MDG 1 - Eradicate extreme poverty and hungerMDG 3 - Promote gender equality and empower women MDG 7 - Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases MDG 8 - Develop a global partnership for development

UN Assistance Strategy (cont.)

Legislations, Policies and Codes developed/reviewed• National Policy on Displacement launched. • 3,830 mobile team visits to villages, settlements, public

buildings, collective centres, camps and communities to assess needs and to pre-identify potential projects.

Increased knowledge of human rights and international

humanitarian law • 71 workshops, 41 briefings, 22 trainings, 51 information

campaigns, 12 meetings and media interviews were conducted on gender-based violence, human rights and protection of vulnerable women and children.

• Two national conference held for 500 participants on prevention of violence against women.

Sectoral Achievements & Contributions

Vulnerable groups have increased access to protection (legal and

social) Services

• 30,348 individuals (of which 38% were women) benefited from Protection Assistance Centers (PAC) legal assistance services 900 protection monitoring assessments informed UNHCR interventions and referrals, and around 17,000 beneficiaries received protection assistance.

• Advocacy on the application of the Amnesty Law led to the release of 1639 children from MNF-I and Government of Iraq detention centres.

• 90% newly arrived Internal Displaced Populations (IDPs) were registered, 100% of newborns were issued birth certificates.

• 2266 individuals (1100 females and 1166 males) were submitted for resettlement.

• 51,197 (31,606 m &19.592f) children and young people have received protection services ranging from psychosocial support in schools, to Mine Risk Education and release from detention.

Sectoral Achievements & Contributions (cont.)

Consolidated systems for monitoring and reporting on protection

issues set up• Support on capacity building on Committee on the Elimination of

Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) reporting: Workshop, training and study tours were conducted for enabling Iraq to fulfil its treaty commitment on CEDAW.

• Mechanism for Monitoring and reporting (MRM) on grave child rights violations established and 60 UN and NGO staff trained on the MRM.

Mine action policy, strategy and regulatory mechanism developed,

Iraqi Mine Action operational capacity strengthened and awareness raised• Approximately 15.6 sq kilometres of contaminated land by land

mines and explosive remnants of war has been cleared in Basra.

• 109,812 men, 27,453 women, 73,966 boys and 65,427 girls and 850 teachers in 1,500 landmine and Explosive Remnants of War affected communities received mine risk education.

Sectoral Achievements & Contributions (cont.)

• Building on greater result-oriented exchange of knowledge and experience within the Protection Sector has proven valuable for meaningful interventions

• The revised UN Coordination system and the creation of a separate Protection Sector has created opportunity for stronger coordination, collaboration and response to protection concerns

• Continuous reinforcement of capacities of stakeholders is vital in the development of appropriate protection policy framework and strategies and in the implementation of protection services

• The Protection Sector has became the forum to exchange knowledge and experience on protection risks and factors and so informs protection policy and programme development.

Lessons Learned

• Security issues restrict staff mobility and delay implementation of programme activities.

• Remote management and ongoing access to communities of concern is a main challenge. Creative ways have been identified (i.e. project contracted employees in relevant ministries, and Protection Assistance Centers and mobile teams).

Key Challenges

Protection Sector results matrix updated to allow for improved monitoring and reporting against results, new indicators introduced at outcome and output levels.

Continue ensuring coordination and consistency in planning and implementation of programs.

Planning processes within the humanitarian community and government to be integrated.

Closer coordination with authorities by moving the Protection Sector to Baghdad to assure presence of Line Ministries at all discussions.

Training and capacity building initiatives of the different programs should be consolidated in to an integrated national protection capacity building strategy.

Key Recommendations