EDITORIAL Issue 129 – September 25, 2008

Seventeen countries agree recommendations to control private military and security companies

17-09-2008

Geneva (ICRC) – State experts representing 17 countries have agreed on a new set of recommendations to enhance State

GHT control over private military and security companies. I L They have also reaffirmed the obligations of States to ensure that these private contractors abide by international humanitarian H law.

G

I The document was finalized today by governmental and other experts who had been meeting since 15 September in Montreux, Switzerland, at the invitation of the Swiss government. This was H the fourth intergovernmental meeting under the initiative on

Y private military and security companies launched by the Swiss

L foreign ministry in early 2006. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been associated with the initiative since K the beginning. E

E “The Montreux document will enhance the protection of people affected by armed conflict,” said Philip Spoerri, the ICRC’s director for international law. “The document clearly reaffirms the

W fact that military and security contractors dispatched to war I zones must comply with international law, and that States have a particular responsibility for ensuring compliance,” Mr Spoerri added. “It is now very important that States take concrete measures to prevent violations from occurring and to hold contractors to account for unlawful behaviour”. NCC The Montreux document, which is not legally binding, outlines for the first time ever detailed and practical measures to help States enhance compliance with international humanitarian law and ensure respect for human rights. The measures are relevant when a State hires a private military/security company, when these companies are operating in its territory, or when a company is

based in the territory of a State and provides military and security services abroad.

The recommendations contained in the Montreux document include introducing appropriate regulation and licensing regimes to control private military and security companies and enhance their accountability. The document underlines that it is essential to have a staff vetting procedure, to train personnel in humanitarian and human rights law, to draw up standard operating procedures and rules of engagement that comply with the law and to set up internal procedures to discipline personnel who break the law. If serious violations of the law occur, the State concerned has an obligation to prosecute those responsible.

The 17 countries that participated in the initiative are Afghanistan, Angola, Australia, Austria, Canada, China, France, Germany, , Poland, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the USA.

International Committee of the Red Cross

------Sallaam, NCCI Team

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NCCI Weekly Highlight 2 Issue 129- 25/09/2008

______Iraq Context

JInternationalJ

embarrassment to both Baghdad and ﺑﻴﺎن ﺑﻤﻨﺎﺳﺒﺔ اﻟﻴﻮم اﻟﺪوﻟﻲ ﻟﻠﺴﻼم Message on the International Day Washington," Al-Maliki warned during his of Peace meeting with anchors of local satellite TV channels here. "Negotiators of both sides Source: UN Document: Article have probed the latest blueprint of the Date: September 21, 2008 deal and then the U.S. negotiators asked Access: Open for a 10-day period to discuss our .suggestions on the document with U.S وﻓﻲ هﺬﻩ اﻟﺴﻨﺔ ﻧﺤﺘﻔﻞ أﻳﻀﺎ ﺑﺎﻟﺬآﺮى اﻟﺴﻨﻮﻳﺔ اﻟﺴﺘﻴﻦ .administration in Washington ﻻﻋﺘﻤﺎد اﻹﻋﻼن اﻟﻌﺎﻟﻤﻲ ﻟﺤﻘﻮق اﻹﻧﺴﺎن. وﻧﺤﻦ ﻧﺪرك

أن ﺣﻘﻮق اﻹﻧﺴﺎن أﺳﺎﺳﻴﺔ ﻟﻠﺴﻼم. وﻣﻊ ذﻟﻚ ﻻ ﻳﺰال هﻨﺎك Agreement With Iraq Over Troops Is أﻧﺎس آﺜﻴﺮون ﻓﻲ هﺬا اﻟﻌﺎﻟﻢ ﺗﻨﺘﻬﻚ ﺣﻘﻮﻗﻬﻢ - وﺧﺎﺻﺔ at Risk Source : NYT أﺛﻨﺎء اﻟﻨﺰاﻋﺎت اﻟﻤﺴﻠﺤﺔ وﺑﻌﺪهﺎ. وﻟﻬﺬا اﻟﺴﺒﺐ، ﻳﺘﻮﺟﺐ Document: Article ﻋﻠﻴﻨﺎ أن ﻧﻜﻔﻞ أن ﺗﻜﻮن اﻟﺤﻘﻮق اﻟﻮاردة ﻓﻲ اﻹﻋﻼن Date: September 18 , 2008 واﻗﻌﺎ ﻣﻠﻤﻮﺳﺎ أن ﻳﻌﺮﻓﻬﺎ آﻞ ﻓﺮد، ﻓﻲ آﻞ ﻣﻜﺎن وأن Access: Open ﻳﻔﻬﻤﻬﺎ وﻳﺘﻤﺘﻊ ﺑﻬﺎ. ﻓﻐﺎﻟﺒﺎ ﻣﺎ ﻳﻜﻮن أآﺜﺮ اﻟﻨﺎس ﺣﺎﺟﺔ إﻟﻰ An agreement to extend the American أن ﺗﺤﻤﻰ ﺣﻘﻮﻗﻬﻢ، ﺑﺤﺎﺟﺔ أﻳﻀﺎ إﻟﻰ ﻣﻦ ﻳﻌﻤﻠﻬﻢ ﺑﺄن military mandate in Iraq beyond this year .اﻹﻋﻼن ﻣﻮﺟﻮد - وأﻧﻪ ﻣﻮﺟﻮد ﻣﻦ أﺟﻠﻬﻢ. — near completion only a month ago — This year, the International Day of Peace has stalled over objections by Iraqi leaders takes on special meaning. This is the year and could be in danger of falling apart, we also mark the sixtieth anniversary of the according to Iraqi and Bush administration adoption of the Universal Declaration of officials. The disagreements threaten a Human Rights. We know that human rights capstone of President Bush’s Iraq policy are essential to peace. Yet too many during his remaining months in office. Mr. people around the world still have their Bush has already offered significant rights violated -- especially during and concessions to the government of Prime after armed conflict. That is why we must Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki in the ensure that the rights in the Declaration negotiations, including his willingness to are a living reality -- that they are known, accept a specific date for withdrawing understood and enjoyed by everyone, everywhere. It is often those who most American forces: the end of 2011. need their human rights protected, who also need to be informed that the S.Korea to withdraw all remaining Declaration exists -- and that it exists for troops from Iraq them. Source : GN (AP) Document: Article US has yet to respond to Iraqi Date: Septmeber 20 , 2008 Access: Open suggestions on security pact - PM South Korea will completely withdraw its Source : KUNA remaining troops from Iraq by December, Document: Article ending five years of military deployment Date: September 17, 2008 Access: Open aimed at helping to rebuild the war-torn Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki said on country, an official said Friday. Since 2003, Wednesday the had not South Korea has stationed troops in Iraq for responded to Iraqi suggestions on the a reconstruction mission at the request of bilateral long-term security agreement." the United States, its key ally. Troops levels Failure to iron out the remaining points and once reached 3,600, but Seoul gradually pass the deal could cause a great has pulled out soldiers amid opposition to

NCCI Weekly Highlight 3 Issue 129- 25/09/2008 the deployment at home. About 520 South Iraq Crisis Report (IraqHAR) Korean army engineers and medics are Source: Centre of Excellence on Disaster now stationed in Iraq, and 130 other Management and Humanitarian Assistance support personnel — mostly airmen — are Document: Weekly report in Kuwait. Defense Ministry spokesman Date: September 24, 2008 Won Tae-jae told reporters Friday that all Access: Open 650 soldiers will return home by the end of On September 17, the US Senate this year. The South Korean government approved a US$612.5 billion defense pledged last year to withdraw troops but spending bill for fiscal 2009, including decided to extend the deployment by US$70 billion for operations in Iraq and another year at Washington's request. Afghanistan. This spending bill shifts more of the costs of Iraq’s reconstruction U.S. negotiators to return to Iraq for onto Baghdad. In addition, it would put further restrictions on contractors working security talks in Iraq, including prohibitions on Source: Reuters interrogations and performance of Document: Weekly report Date: September 22, 2008 “inherently governmental Access: Open functions.†The Senate bill would allow U.S. negotiators will return to Baghdad the Pentagon to spend US$70 billion in Iraq soon for more talks with Iraq on a security and Afghanistan in the fiscal year that deal that has bogged down over the issue begins on October 1 and authorize a 3.9 of immunity for U.S. troops. Critically for percent pay raise for military personnel. both sides, a U.N. mandate that governs (Reuters, September-18) Seven US soldiers the presence of American forces in Iraq were killed on Thursday (September 18) expires at the end of the year. The "clock is when their Chinook transport helicopter ticking", said one official. A U.S. embassy crashed about 60 miles (100 km) west of spokeswoman in Baghdad said on the main southern port city of Basrah. The Monday that David Satterfield, the State helicopter was on a routine supply mission Department's coordinator on Iraq, and that had just left Kuwait and was headed Brett McGurk, an official at the National to Balad US military air base in Iraq. Security Council, would arrive soon in According to the Associated Press (AP), Baghdad. She declined to be more military officials suspect a mechanical specific. problem was to blame after ruling out hostile fire. An investigation continues to War-hit nations head corruption list find out what caused this accident. The Source: BBC British military is saying it is the worst Document: Article helicopter crash in Iraq in over a year. (AP, Date: September 23, 2008 Reuters, September-18) Access: Open Iraq has been ranked by Transparency Juan Cole’s informed comment’s International(TI) as one of the world's most excerpt corrupt countries, just above Somalia as Source: Informed Comment – Juan Cole’s Web the "least clean" state. The index is based Blog. on perceptions of public sector corruption Document: Selection of daily comments in 180 countries and territories. The high Date: September 19-24, 2008 levels of corruption amount to a Access: Open humanitarian disaster said Huguette Juan Cole is a Professor of Modern Middle Labelle, chair of the watchdog. At the East and South Asian History at the bottom of the transparency table, along University of Michigan. As such he brings with Somalia and Iraq, are Burma, Haiti, daily much needed expertise and Afghanistan and Sudan. historical perspective to issues surrounding Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East. Good reading to have a weekly review of the Iraq daily situation.

NCCI Weekly Highlight 4 Issue 129- 25/09/2008

JNationalJ

Iraq deal over province elections I am not forecasting a further drawdown Source: BBC of capability in Anbar." Document: Article Date: September 24, 2008 Kirkuk: The city branded by its Access: Open The Iraqi parliament has passed a law eternal fire (ar/en/ku) Source: pOOpss which paves the way for provincial Document: Survey elections. The decision brings to an end Date: September 18, 2008 months of debate over how the law would Access: Open be applied to the oil-rich city of Kirkuk. The A survey of 1000 people in Kirkuk on their law was passed unanimously but must thoughts about the city and problems now go before the country's three-man facing it in the future. presidency council, headed by President Jalal Talabani. Agreement over the drafting of the laws has been seen as a To avoid an ethno-sectarian civil key part of political reform in war Iraq.Correspondents say provincial Source: JT elections are part of an American-backed Document: Article Date: September 18, 2008 plan to reconcile rival groups, particularly Access: Open the Sunnis, who boycotted the last round By trumpeting to the world that the “end of provincial elections in 2005. game” is now under way and that the new US commander in Iraq inherited a Iraq to begin paying Sunni “mission in transition”, US Defence volunteers next month Secretary Robert Gates is trying to project Source: Yahoo (AP) the illusion of “victory” in Iraq. There is no Document: Article better way to create this false impression Date: September 22, 2008 than to pull out some troops in order to Access: Open boost the US deployment to Afghanistan The Iraqi government will begin paying the where Washington and its allies are losing salaries of about 54,000 of the mostly Sunni the war. But there is no “victory” in Iraq, fighters in Baghdad Province who joined because the war launched by the ouster the fight against al-Qaida, the No. 2 U.S. of the Baathist government continues. This commander there said Monday. While the hard fact of life is recognised by outgoing transfer next month will mark more US commander in Iraq, General David progress in Iraq, Lt. Gen. Lloyd Austin said Petraeus who discarded failed US that despite significant declines in strategies in favour of engagement and violence in the Anbar Province, the U.S. reconciliation with Sunnis involved in the military is not likely to further reduce troop insurgency. Petraeus, quite rightly, levels there in the near future.Austin told understood that the US “cannot kill [its] reporters the decision to divert one Marine way to victory”. He also repeatedly said battalion to Afghanistan later this year, that the situation in Iraq is “fragile” and rather than to Iraq as initially planned, will “reversible”. His words were echoed by his not be followed quickly by additional successor, General Raymond Odierno, drawdowns. The U.S. transferred control of Petraeus’ number two. Anbar to the Iraqis three weeks ago, a move that military leaders would not have thought possible a year ago. Though Anbar "continues to maintain a very low level of violence even after the transfer," Austin said that "for the foreseeable future,

NCCI Weekly Highlight 5 Issue 129- 25/09/2008

Ayad Allawi: Reconciliation in Iraq Sadr City slowly comes back to life Source: Carnegie Endowment Source: BBC Document: Interview Transcription Document: Article Date: July 25, 2008 Date: September 14 , 2008 Access: Open Access: Open Dr. Ayad Allawi, Former Prime Minister of The streets of Sadr City are slowly coming Iraq and current member of the back to life. Within minutes of getting out parliament held a discussion on Iraqi of a heavily armoured vehicle, we are politics. The discussion was hosted in surrounded by laughing children. Some conjunction with American Friends Service are playing table football on the Committee on July 25, 2008. Allawi pavement. Others are trying to jump into stressed the importance of reconciliation, every shot we film for our television report. including reaching an agreement on Iraqi A public swimming pool has just re- refugees, the internally displaced, and the opened - the first in this neighbourhood of disarmament of militias. Equally vital is the Iraqi capital. It is for boys only, but at upholding security through a non- least they get the chance to cool off. sectarian army and police. While the surge Screaming with delight, they dive, jump has temporarily improved the security and splash into the water. This is a side of situation in Iraq, it is necessary to transform Baghdad you rarely get to see. Violence the surge’s military gains into political ones has left its scars all over Sadr City. On the as Iraq remains fragile. In addition, the main streets, there are bullet holes and debaathification law should not be burnt-out buildings everywhere. Security politicized thereby allowing the has, though, improved dramatically in prosecution of non-criminals, but it should recent months. hold those who committed crimes against the Iraqi people accountable for their Iraq sends convicted prisoners actions. back to Saudi Source: Yahoo (AFP) Iraq oil minister blames for Document: Article delay in oil law Date: September 21, 2008 Source: MET Access: Open Document: Article Baghdad has sent back to Saudi Arabia Date: September 19, 2008 eight of its citizens jailed in Iraq ahead of a Access: Open new extradition treaty between the two A series of contracts awarded by Kurdish countries, a spokesman for the Saudi leaders is blocking the passage of a interior ministry said on Sunday. The official national oil law, prompting Baghdad to SPA news agency quoted the spokesman use Saddam Hussein era rules for new as saying that under the accord, the Saudi deals, Oil Minister Hussein al-Shahristani authorities were preparing to send back said. In an interview with AFP, Shahristani 16 Iraqis jailed in the kingdom. It called the said a majority of parliament's 275 exchange of convicts part of "common members were hesitating to pass the new efforts by the Saudi kingdom and brotherly oil law after the northern Kurdish Iraq to consolidate cooperation in security administration signed contracts ahead of matters ahead of an extradition treaty" the national law. "The KRG (Kurdistan being discussed by the two countries. The Regional Government) has gone ahead new treaty stipulates "the exchange of and signed even production sharing convicted prisoners... so that they serve agreements. This has created concern the rest of their sentences close to their among parliamentary blocs," said the families," SPA on September 10 quoted the former nuclear physicist. Shahristani said interior ministry spokesman as saying. some MPs want the new law to be modified in order to "ban production sharing contracts."

NCCI Weekly Highlight 6 Issue 129- 25/09/2008

Al-Anbar Salvation Council to Run Iraq: A Precarious Peace in Parliamentary Elections Source: MET Source: SA Document: Article Document: Article Date: September 19, 2008 Date: September 21, 2008 Access: Open Access: Open In the words of Iraqi Foreign Minister Hamid al-Hayis, chairman of the Al-Anbar Hoshiyar Zebari, we are all aware of the Salvation Council and one of the most painful trajectory Iraq has gone through prominent leaders of the Al-Anbar over the course of the last five years. Awakening Council, has revealed that his Indeed, the people of Iraq had to go group intends on participating in the through a devastating war; a near civil upcoming provincial and parliamentary war; daily terrorist attacks that have elections after forming a political entity claimed thousands of lives; the second- under the name of "The Al-Anbar Salvation largest refugee crisis in the Arab world, Council". Asharq Al-Awsat has obtained after the Palestinians; and the list goes on, document issued in June by the and on. But "the Iraqi people fought back Independent Higher Electoral Commission against crisis after crisis," the foreign addressed to the "Al-Anbar Salvation minister told a small group of journalists, Council" saying: "It has been decided to including the Middle East Times, during a accept you as a political entity under meeting in Geneva last weekend on the Registration No. 638 that is entitled to sidelines of a conference organized by the participate in the upcoming provincial International Institute for Strategic Studies. councils elections as soon as you submit Perhaps they fought back because they the lists of candidates that are qualified simply had no other choice. according to the law". Awakening Councils in hiding as arrests Iraq's Mehdi Army at crossroads as on rise U.S. scales down Source: USA Today Source: Reuters Document: Article Document: Article Date: September 22, 2008 Date: September 22, 2008 Access: Open Access: Open In a mud farmhouse, down a maze of Forced off Iraq's streets and with dusty roads guarded by masked diminished political clout, what anti- teenagers with machine guns, the men American Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr who helped suppress al-Qaeda in Iraq are and his Mehdi Army militia do next will be now hiding. "Our government is after us," crucial if they are to remain relevant. The says their leader, Mullah Shihab al-Safi. rallying cry of the Mehdi Army and Sadr's "We sacrificed hundreds of our sons to political movement since the U.S.-led drive al-Qaeda out. Now the government invasion in 2003 has been to kick American says we are no different than the terrorists." soldiers out of Iraq. With a 2011 deadline Al-Safi is a local leader of a nationwide for a U.S. troop withdrawal possibly in sight, movement known as Awakening Councils. Sadr must find another cause to give his They are former insurgents, mostly Sunni, movement purpose and cohesion. Sadr who turned on al-Qaeda and allied with has largely frozen the Mehdi Army, which the United States in early 2007. Their led two uprisings against U.S. forces in success in fighting al-Qaeda in Iraq 2004, and has shifted to cultivating the earned them popularity in the streets, but cultural wing of his movement. The cleric it also made them a threat to the ruling has huge support among Iraq's Shi'ite Shiite political parties that hold power in poor, and similar movements in the Middle Baghdad and many of the provinces, East have traditionally replaced or including here in Diyala province north of bolstered armed struggle with cultural and Baghdad. Since Iraq launched a military charitable works that have fed into votes operation in Diyala in July to restore at the ballot box. security, the government has started

NCCI Weekly Highlight 7 Issue 129- 25/09/2008 arresting Awakening Council leaders and flung open to the world. Two years ago, other political rivals as well as legitimate when I last stayed in Baghdad, Karada militants, says Maj. Tim Hunt, the U.S. Army's Mariam was like the whole of the city: liaison to the provincial government. shuttered, shattered, broken and dead.

Iraqi Trade Officials Ousted in ﺗﻜﺮﻳﺖ ﺗﺸﻬﺪ اﻟﻴﻮم ﺗﺴﻠّﻢ ﻣﻠﻔﻬﺎ اﻷﻣﻨﻲ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻘﻮات Corruption Sweep اﻷﻣﻴﺮآﻴﺔ Tikrit to take over security Source: NYT command from US Document: Article Date: September 23, 2008 Source: Al Sumaria Access: Open Document: Article Date: September 23, 2008 With frustration running high about the Access: Open lack of basic services and a widespread sense that corruption is one of the chief آﺸﻒ ﻣﺪﻳﺮ ﺷﺮﻃﺔ ﻧﺠﺪة ﻣﺪﻳﻨﺔ ﺗﻜﺮﻳﺖ اﻟﻌﻤﻴﺪ ﻣﺤﻤﺪ causes, the Iraqi cabinet announced ﻧﺠﻴﺐ اﻟﺨﺸﻤﺎﻧﻲ، ان اﻟﻤﺪﻳﻨﺔ ﺳﺘﺸﻬﺪ اﻟﻴﻮم اﻟﺜﻼﺛﺎء ﺗﺴﻠّﻢ Tuesday that it had forced out three high- ranking officials of the Ministry of Trade as وﻓﻲ .ﻣﻠﻔﻬﺎ اﻷﻣﻨﻲ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻘﻮات اﻷﻣﻴﺮآﻴﺔ -part an anticorruption plan. Three lower اتاآّﺪ اﻟﺨﺸﻤﺎﻧﻲ أن إﻣﻜﺎﻧﻲ "ﻧﻴﻮزﻣﺎﺗﻴﻚ"ﺣﺪﻳﺚ ﻟـ ranking ministry officials were also ﻣﺪﻳﺮﻳﺘﻪ ﺟﻴﺪة، ﻣﺸﻴﺮا إﻟﻰ أن ﻣﻨﺘﺴﺒﻲ dismissed. The Trade Ministry controls some اﻟﺸﺮﻃﺔ ﻗﺎدرون ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻘﻴﺎم ﺑﻮاﺟﺒﺎﺗﻬﻢ ﻣﻦ ,of the most visible commodities in Iraq دون ﻣﺴﺎﻋﺪة اﻟﻘﻮات اﻷﻣﻴﺮآﻴﺔ، وأن ﻟﺪﻳﻬﻢ operates the $5.3 billion program to اﻟﻘﺪرة ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﺤﻔﺎظ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻣﻦ اﻟﻤﺪﻳﻨﺔ وإﻟﻘﺎء provide monthly ration baskets for all Iraqis اﻟﻘﺒﺾ ﻋﻠﻰ أي ﺷﺨﺺ ﻳﻌﻤﻞ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻹﺧﻼل .and supervises the importing of new cars .ﻓﻲ اﻷﻣﻦ It also oversees the importing of grain, Tikrit rescue police chief, Major seeds and construction materials. The Mohammed Najib Al Khishmani, revealed directors general of the state company for that it will take over today security cars and machinery, the legal department command from US Forces. In an interview and the private sector directorate were all with the Newsmatic, Al Khishmani asserted forced into early retirement, while lower- that Tikrit police capacities are high noting ranking officials were pushed out of the that police recruits are capable of grain importation department and the assuming their duties without the help of division in charge of importing US Forces while they enjoy the ability to construction materials. ascertain security of their city and arrest any suspect. Sadr won't run on party ticket Source: UPI Back in Iraq, Jarred by the Calm Document: Article Source: NYT Date: September 23, 2008 Document: Article Access: Open Date: September 20, 2008 Firebrand Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr Access: Open announced Tuesday he will not run for At first, I didn’t recognize the place. On political office under his own party, opting Karada Mariam, a street that runs over the instead for an independent slate. The Tigris River toward the Green Zone, the move could leave his party, the Sadrist Serwan and the Zamboor, two kebab Movement, with little political influence as places blown up by suicide bombers in Iraq prepares for provincial and national 2006, were crammed with customers. elections. As an independent, however, it Farther up the street was Pizza Napoli, the would leave Sadr with an active voice in Italian place shut down in 2006; it, too, was the Iraqi political system without lending open for business. And I’d forgotten credibility to a U.S.-backed system of altogether about Abu Nashwan’s Wine government, the Iraqi satellite channel al- Shop, boarded up when the black-suited Sumaria reported. Sadr spokesman Saleh militiamen of the Mahdi Army had al-Obeidi said the Sadrist Movement was threatened to kill its owners. There it was,

NCCI Weekly Highlight 8 Issue 129- 25/09/2008 waiting for U.S. forces to end their including what Iraqi officials call the occupation of Iraq before preparing for a inappropriate expenditure of more than significant role in Baghdad. $1 million on Washington lobbying firms in an unsuccessful effort to win U.S. funding. Iraqi Red Crescent Paralyzed by The group's former president, Said I. Hakki, Allegations an Iraqi American urologist recruited by Source: WP Bush administration officials to Document: Survey resuscitate Iraq's health-care system, left Date: September 25, 2008 the country this summer after the issuance Access: Open of arrest warrants for him and his deputies. The Iraqi Red Crescent, the country's He and his aides deny the allegations and leading humanitarian organization, has call them politically motivated. been crippled by allegations of embezzlement and mismanagement,

JViolence and Security IssuesJ

Baghdad, and the nearby city of Mosul اﻻﻧﺘﺤﺎرﻳﺎت ﻣﻦ اﻟﻴﺄس إﻟﻰ ﻏﺴﻴﻞ اﻟﺪﻣﺎغ Source: NIW have been the target of numerous attacks Document: Article by suspected al Qaeda militants in recent Date: September 20, 2008 months. Earlier on Saturday, a bomb blast Access: Open outside Iraq's national journalists' union in Baghdad wounded the union's head and ﺳﻨﺎء زوﺟﺔ وام ﻟﻄﻔﻠﻴﻦ ﻟﻢ ﺗﻜﻦ ﺳﻌﻴﺪة ﻻن اﻟﻘﻠﻖ ﻳﻜﺎد ﻻ .three others ﻳﻐﺎدر ﺑﺎﻟﻬﺎ واﻟﺴﺒﺐ زوﺟﻬﺎ اﻟﺬي اﺳﺘﻘﻄﺐ ﺗﻨﻈﻴﻢ اﻟﻘﺎﻋﺪة اﻻرهﺎﺑﻲ ﻟﺨﺒﺮﺗﻪ اﻟﻌﺴﻜﺮﻳﺔ اﻟﺴﺎﺑﻘﺔ ﻓﻬﻮ ﻋﻀﻮ Bomb outside Iraq's journalist union ﻓﻲ ﺗﻨﻈﻴﻤﺎت (ﻓﺪاﺋﻴﻮ ﺻﺪام) وﺷﺎرك ﻓﻲ ﻣﺨﺘﻠﻒ اﻻﻋﻤﺎل wounds boss اﻟﻌﺴﻜﺮﻳﺔ ﻣﺜﻞ زرع اﻟﻌﺒﻮات اﻟﻨﺎﺳﻔﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻄﺮق Source: Alertnet اﻟﺨﺎرﺟﻴﺔ واﻟﻬﺠﻮم اﻟﻤﺴﻠﺢ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻻرﺗﺎل اﻟﻌﺴﻜﺮﻳﺔ Document: Article ﻟﻠﻘﻮات اﻟﻌﺮاﻗﻴﺔ واﻟﻤﺘﻌﺪدة اﻟﺠﻨﺴﻴﺔ ،واﻟﻤﺒﺎﻟﻎ اﻟﺘﻲ آﺎن Date: September 20, 2008 Access: Open ﻳﺤﺼﻞ ﻋﻠﻴﻬﺎ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻘﺎﻋﺪة ﻣﻘﺎﺑﻞ ذﻟﻚ آﺎﻧﺖ ﺗﺠﻌﻠﻬﻢ A bomb blast outside Iraq's national ﻳﻌﻴﺸﻮن ﻓﻲ ﻣﺴﺘﻮى اﻗﺘﺼﺎدي ﺟﻴﺪ وﻟﻜﻦ اﻟﻘﺪر آﺎن journalists' union in central Baghdad اﻗﻮى ﻣﻦ ﺳﻨﺎء ﻋﻨﺪﻣﺎ وﻗﻊ اﻻﺧﺘﻴﺎر ﻋﻠﻴﻬﺎ ﻟﺤﻤﻞ ﺣﺰام wounded the union's head and three ﻧﺎﺳﻒ ﻳﺰن ارﺑﻌﻴﻦ آﻴﻠﻮ ﻏ ﺮ ا ﻣ ﺎً ﻋﻨﺪﻣﺎ ﻃﻠﺐ اﻻﻣﻴﺮ .others on Saturday, an eyewitness said اﻟﻤﺴﺆول ﻋﻦ ﻣﺠﻤﻮﻋﺔ زوﺟﻬﺎ ﺑﺎﺳﺘﻘﻄﺎب ﻧﺴﺎء The explosion apparently targeting Muaid (اﻻرهﺎﺑﻴﻴﻦ) اﻟﻰ اﻟﻌﻤﻞ(اﻻرهﺎﺑﻲ) ﻻن اﻟﻘﻮات اﻻﻣﻨﻴﺔ 'al-Lami, head of the Iraqi Journalists اﻟﻌﺮاﻗﻴﺔ اﻻن اﺻﺒﺤﺖ ﻗﺎدرة وﻓﻲ ﺣﺎﻟﺔ ﺗﺄهﺐ ﻻآﺘﺸﺎف Syndicate, caused no deaths. "Some

vehicles outside caught fire and it اﻻﻧﺘﺤﺎرﻳﻴﻦ shattered all the glass in the building," Car bomb kills 3, wounds 23 in union member Hassan al-Aboudi, who was N.Iraq -police in the building at the time, told Reuters. Source: Alertnet Police said six people had been wounded Document: Article in the blast. Aboudi said the bomb went Date: September 20, 2008 off as the Lami was saying goodbye to Access: Open guests at the entrance to the union. He A suicide car bomber killed three people was evacuated for treatment along with and wounded 23 others in an attack next one guest and two of his body guards. to a sports ground in the northern Iraqi town of Tal Afar on Saturday, police said. The three dead were two off-duty policemen and one off-duty soldier. Tal Afar, 420 km (260 miles) northwest of

NCCI Weekly Highlight 9 Issue 129- 25/09/2008

Despite gains, Iraq still dotted by Iraq blast kills five children resistance Source: MET (AFP) Source: Statesman (AP) Document: Article Document: Article Date: September 22 , 2008 Date: September 21, 2008 Access: Open Access: Open A bomb blast near the main northern Iraqi The signs were ominous, the humor dark. city of Mosul killed five children and Iraqis who live in the neighborhood had wounded three as they were playing near suddenly vanished, often an indication their homes on Monday, police and a that an attack is imminent. "No way is doctor told AFP. The bombers struck at anything going to happen," joked Staff around 6:30 pm (1530 GMT) in the town of Sgt. Angel Perez, a Humvee commander, Hammam al-Ali, 20 kilometres (12 miles) as he watched an convoy south of Mosul, police officer Mohammed drive near the outpost of the platoon from Sadeeq said. Doctor Munthar Abdel the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. "That Jabbar said the bodies of five children convoy is definitely not going to get hit." had been received at his clinic in the Seconds later, a roadside bomb town. He said two of the wounded were in detonated just ahead of the convoy. critical condition and had been sent to Nobody was hurt, but the explosion shook Mosul for specialist treatment. A three-year the walls of the barracks and sent the men old girl was also killed on Monday when running for weapons and roaring out of Iraqi soldiers opened fire after they were the gate in Humvees. Although security in hit by a roadside bomb near Baquba, the Iraq has improved, it remains uncertain. capital of Diyala province north of Nowhere is the uncertainty more clear Baghdad, witnesses said. than in Mosul, 225 miles northwest of Baghdad. Sunni Arab insurgents, routed or Friction Infiltrates Sunni Patrols on weakened in Baghdad and other urban centers since last year, are making a stand Safer Iraqi Streets Source: NYT in this former bastion of support for Document: Article Saddam Hussein. Date: September 22, 2008 Access: Open Becalmed Baghdad counts war’s In Adhamiya, a neighborhood that only a cost year ago was among the most dangerous Source: BBC in Baghdad, the violence last week Document: Article seemed almost negligible. A shootout Date: September 19, 2008 near a checkpoint left two people dead Access: Open on Sunday. Another man was killed on There have been dozens of bombings in Monday by a small bomb placed under a the Karrada district of Baghdad. But there car. Some residents hardly noticed. But the is one date Ali Hameed will never forget - deaths quickly drew the attention of the 26 July 2007. At six pm, a massive truck American officers stationed in the bomb exploded near his fish shop. Five neighborhood. Both outbursts involved members of his family were killed. "We members of the Awakening Councils, the thought it was an earthquake because of citizen patrols paid by the United States to the power of the explosion," he told me. Ali fight the insurgency. And both were seen spent several minutes helping the as a worrisome sign of the tension and wounded in the street. Only later did he infighting that have rippled through the realise that his home nearby had been Sunni-dominated Awakening groups in destroyed. The whole apartment block recent weeks, just as the American military was flattened. In total, more than 60 plans to transfer control of about half the people were killed. Ali pulled the bodies of councils to the Shiite-led government. The his daughter and his brother from the American military credits the councils — rubble. whose 99,000 members are mostly Sunni Muslims, many of them former insurgents

NCCI Weekly Highlight 10 Issue 129- 25/09/2008

— with helping to greatly reduce violence around the country. Several killed in Iraq ambush Source: AJ Iraqi insurgents forced Document: Article Date: September 25, 2008 underground Access: Open Source: CS Monitor Gunmen have ambushed and killed at Document: Article Date: September 23, 2008 least 20 people in a village northeast of Access: Open Baghdad. The deaths on Wednesday in al- When the caught Abdul al- Dulaimat in Diyala province included 12 Wasit, a mid-level operative for Al Qaeda policemen and members of the US- in Iraq (AQI), he was working undercover backed Sunni patrol groups, police said. as a shepherd in a rural area. It was a far The attack occurred at about 3.30pm cry from his earlier days in a village 65 (12:30GMT) when the victims gathered for miles south, where he used to extort locals a raid in the Sunni village, which is and openly execute rivals. The once surrounded by an al-Qaeda stronghold. seemingly untouchable insurgent had The assailants had apparently been been reduced to hiding on the fringes of tipped off about the raid and were society. Many of his fellow operatives had waiting for the forces to arrive. Ahmed joined him, and they continued to plan Faud, a doctor at the main hospital in operations while supposedly trading Baquba, the provincial capital, confirmed sheep. Facing a local population that has he had received 20 dead bodies. "The grown intolerant of AQI's indiscriminate bodies are riddled with bullets," he said. He acts of violence, many operatives like Mr. said that the dead policemen included Wasit have gone underground – some three officers - a colonel, a lieutenant have even formed sleeper cells in the Iraqi colonel and a captain. security forces.

______-----__ Iraq Humanitarian Environment and Space

JIDPs and RefugeesJ

More Iraqi refugees to leave Syria air, the source said. Iraq's government has for home also said it will compensate Iraqis who lost Source: DPA their homes and properties in the invasion Document: Article or as a result of the sectarian strife that Date: September 18, 2008 followed. Syria says it took in about a Access: Open million Iraqi refugees since the war. The Hundreds of Iraqi refugees in Syria will United Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) return home on October 4 in the latest of estimated the number of displaced Iraqis a series of repatriations as violence to be 4.4 million as a result of the 2003 declines in Iraq, an Iraqi embassy source invasion. said Thursday. Iraq's government, which will fund the trip, has encouraged Iraqis UNHCR urges reinforced EU who fled after the US-led invasion to commitment to protection of Iraqi return. It is funding air tickets and giving each refugee 500 US dollars, the source refugees Source: UNHCR said. Hundreds of Iraqi refugees already Document: Article left Syria by land a couple of months ago. Date: September 23, 2008 October's repatriation will be the first by Access: Open

NCCI Weekly Highlight 11 Issue 129- 25/09/2008

UNHCR urges the European Union Ministers Voter Apathy Among Iraq of Justice and Home Affairs, at their Displaced meeting in Brussels on 25 September, to Source: IWPR reaffirm their commitment to the Document: Article protection of Iraqi refugees and to agree Date: September 24, 2008 on the establishment of an EU resettlement Access: Open programme. In 2007, a total of 38,500 Iraqis Few of the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis applied for asylum in the 27 EU member forced to flee their homes have registered states. The number of applications during to vote in upcoming ballot. Internal the first seven months of 2008 was refugees in Iraq are showing little interest in approximately 16,000. The main receiving taking part in the country’s delayed countries during those seven months were provincial elections despite extensive Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and campaigns to increase voter registration. the United Kingdom. Elsewhere in Europe, Iraq’s electoral commission has registered Turkey and Norway received significant 72,000 displaced voters, just 2.6 per cent of numbers. An estimated 2 million uprooted the total figure for those uprooted by the Iraqis remain in Syria, Jordan and other conflict. Internally displaced persons, IDPs, countries in the region. are required to register on a special list in order to vote in the upcoming provincial From Exile to Peril at Home council elections. They will be able to vote Source: HRW in ballots either in places where they now Document: Article live or came from. Iraqis living outside the Date: September 22, 2008 country will not be allowed to take part in Access: Open the poll. In the last months of 2007, tens of thousands of Iraqi refugees left Syria to Parliament demands financial help return to their country. Whether they returned in Iraqi government-sponsored for IDPs, refugees Source: IRIN bus convoys or on individual journeys, Document: Article some in Baghdad and Washington touted Date: September 25, 2008 their move as a sign of success in bringing Access: Open order to Baghdad and a vote of A parliamentary committee on confidence by the returnees in Iraq’s displacement and migration demanded safety and stability. Elsewhere, the Iraqi government allot US$4 billion in governments like Jordan and Sweden that next year's budget to meet the needs of had provided sanctuary to Iraqi refugees more than four million internally displaced may have seen in the returns a signal that persons (IDPs) and refugees. "We asked the time had come to begin compelling the government last year to allocate 3 to 5 Iraqis to return, rather than providing them percent of the oil revenues in the 2008 with asylum and assistance. Yet in nearly budget to cover the needs of IDPs and all cases, the Iraqis who returned from refugees as they represent a big segment Syria were, in effect, fleeing for a second of the Iraqi people and are going through time: this time from pressure that their harsh conditions," Abdul-Khaliq Zankana, a reluctant host country brought to bear by lawmaker and head of parliament's tightening residence requirements, and displacement and migration committee, under the burden of supporting told IRIN on 24 September. "But themselves in Syria with little chance of unfortunately this call was ignored," employment and dwindling savings. Zankana said.

NCCI Weekly Highlight 12 Issue 129- 25/09/2008

JGender and Cross-Cutting IssuesJ

Greater accountability needed to boost women’s rights, UN Agency says. Source : UN Document: Article Date: September 18, 2008 Access: Open Stronger accountability measures are needed to track progress governments and multilateral organizations have made in implementing their commitments to enhancing women’s rights, according to a new report by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM).The publication – “Progress of the World’s Women 2008/2009, Who Answers to Women? Gender and Accountability” – says that there is a long way to go to ensuring that pledges to women’s rights are translated into changes in their lives. “Without accountability, Governments will not allocate resources fairly, which will hit the poor hardest,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today at the report’s launch.

JFood security and livelihoodsJ

اﻟﻨﺠﻒ: ﻣﻦ اﻟﻤﻘﺎﺑﺮ إﻟﻰ اﻟﻔﻨﺎدق Iraqi VP Presents Study on Tackling Unemployment Cemeteries to hotels Source: Asharq Source: Niqash Document: Article Document: Article Date: September 21, 2008 Date: September 23, 2008 Access: Open Access: Open ﻣﺎ أن ﺗﻄﺄ ﻗﺪﻣﻚ اﻟﻴﻮم أرض ﻣﺪﻳﻨﺔ اﻟﻨﺠﻒ، ﺣﺘﻰ ﺗﺠﺘﺬﺑﻚ Now that the problem of unemployment ﻻﻓﺘﺎت آﺒﻴﺮة ﺑﺄﺳﻤﺎء ﻓﻨﺎدق ﻳﺠﺎور ﺑﻌﻀﻬﺎ ﺑﻌﻀﺎً، ﻣﺨﺘﻠﻔﺔ and the difficulties associated with it have اﻟﻤﺴﺎﺣﺎت، واﻷﻟﻮان، واﻟﻮاﺟﻬﺎت. اﻟﺒﻌﺾ اﻟﻘﻠﻴﻞ ﻣﻨﻬﺎ grown worse, and because ﻣﺘﺂآﻞ اﻟﻮﺟﻮﻩ ﺑﻔﻌﻞ ﺗﻘﺎدم اﻟﺰﻣﻦ، واﻟﺒﻌﺾ اﻟﻜﺜﻴﺮ ﻣﻨﻬﺎ unemployment is considered the main ﻳﺰهﻮ ﺑﺄﻟﻮان ﺑﺮاﻗﺔ، ﻟﺤﺪاﺛﺔ ﺗﺸﻴﻴﺪﻩ، وهﺪف اﻻﺛﻨﻴﻦ واﺣﺪ : reason behind the acts of violence from which the country is suffering, the Iraqi اﻟﺰاﺋﺮون. Executive Council has tasked one of its Setting foot in Najaf city today, you will members, namely, Iraqi Vice President immediately be distracted by large signs, Tariq al-Hashimi, to prepare a paper or varied in colour and design, of the many study that includes solutions to this hotels crowding the city. Some are worn problem. In fact, Al-Hashimi, who is the by time, others are bright and new, but secretary-general of the Iraqi Islamic Party, together they target the many visitors that has submitted such a paper to the head to Najaf each year. Executive Council. Asharq Al-Awsat interviewed Al-Hashimi to learn more about the main suggestions included in Australia to strengthen Iraqi the paper. Al-Hashimi explained: "The agricultural sector government's legal position is extremely Source: GOA weak. According to the Constitution, the Document: Article government is obliged to pay each Iraqi Date: September 24, 2008 citizen his/her share of the oil and gas Access: Open At the United Nations in New York this revenues, because these belong to all the week I discussed with Iraqi Foreign Minister Iraqi people. Zebari Australia’s commitment to

strengthening agricultural management in

Iraq. Australia will provide $4.7 million for

agricultural research and development

over the next three years to encourage

farmers in northern Iraq to adopt

NCCI Weekly Highlight 13 Issue 129- 25/09/2008 conservation cropping methods in dryland introduction of new crop varieties and agriculture. Australia, a world leader in machinery for Iraqi farmers.This initiative agricultural practices such as conservation will also build on the longer-term capacity cropping, will provide expertise to help of Iraq’s scientific community for develop low-cost, high-yield farm agricultural research and innovation. This management systems that decrease soil capacity-building began in 2005 with erosion while contributing to greater yields. linkages between Iraqi scientists and The project will also include the international crop science in Australia.

JEnergyJ

Wind, hydropower on order for Iraq's Kurds Source : UPI Document: Article Date: August 24, 2008 Access: Open Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government is looking to wind and hydropower to meet its electricity needs. The KRG Electricity Ministry wants wind farm feasibility studies in all three of its northern Iraq provinces and three hydropower plant feasibility studies. It announced the invitation to tender on its Web site Tuesday, with an Oct. 20 deadline for bidders. The KRG is fast developing its oil and gas resources with controversial contracts that Baghdad criticizes. The central and regional governments are at odds as to the rights to develop hydrocarbons resources. Most of the oil and gas produced will be exported, if an agreement can be reached.

JEducationJ

Iraqi children hope for normal school year Source : Yahoo (AP) Document: Article Date: September 21, 2008 Access: Open Boys and girls in navy blue and white uniforms giggled and held hands Sunday as they filed into dusty and often rundown classrooms for the first day of school in Iraq. Parents and their children were hopeful that recent security gains would allow them to focus on studies after years of violence that has forced education to the sidelines. "I'm happy that classes are starting today and pray to God that everything will be fine this year," said 10-year-old Haider Mustafa, wearing a backpack as his dad dropped him off at a school in Baghdad's mainly Shiite neighborhood of Karradah. "I hope that we have security this year that will let us study normally."

JWater and HealthcareJ

Cholera outbreak in Maysan Source: NCCI OCHA Situation Report on Cholera Document: Report Source: OCHA Date: September, 2008 Document: Report Access: Open Date: August 7 - September 16, 2008 A collection of reports and articles about Access: Open the “cholera outbreak” in Maysan; A report on diarrhea and cholera in Iraq updated regularly. between the 7/8 and 16/9 2008.

NCCI Weekly Highlight 14 Issue 129- 25/09/2008

Cholera cases reach 172, health Ministry of Health Iraq/WHO ministry says Cholera Situation Report Source: IRIN Source: WHO Document: Article Document: Report Date: September 21, 2008 Date: September 23, 2008 Access: Open Access: Open A cholera outbreak is continuing to spread MoH/WHO cholera situation report. in central and southern Iraq with 65 new cases registered over the past week, MHPSS Meeting bringing the total number of confirmed Source: UNICEF cases to 172, a health ministry spokesman Document: MoM said on 20 September. "We have Date: September 18, 2007 registered so far 172 confirmed cases of Access: Members cholera in eight provinces: Babil 104 cases, Minutes of the MHPSS meeting Baghdad 42 cases, Karbala 17 cases, Basra three cases, Najaf two cases, Anbar More cholera cases found in two cases, Diyala one case and Maysan southern Iraq one case," said Ihsan Jaafar, director- Source: DPA general of the public health directorate Document: Article and spokesman for the ministry's cholera Date: September 18, 2008 control unit. Dozens of suspected cases Access: Open are being tested, Jaafar added. "We are The health department has registered still fighting the disease in the affected three new cholera cases in the southern areas. We have no problem with the Iraqi province of Karbala, the general [availability of] medicines and the director of the department said Thursday. movement of our medical teams but we Alaa Hamoudi told the Voices of Iraq can't say that we will put an end to this (VOI) news agency that the three cases, disease as it is endemic in Iraq and the two women and a child, were in stable reasons behind it are still around," he told condition and getting the needed IRIN. medicaments. Last Tuesday nine children ﺛﻼﺛﻤﺎﺋﺔ إﺻﺎﺑﺔ ﺑﺎﻟﻜﻮﻟﻴﺮا ﻓﻲ اﻟﻌﺮاق had left hospitals after they were cured of Source: AJ the cholera in the Shiite holy city, Hamoudi Document: Article said. Iraqi Minister of Health Saleh al- Date: September 24, 2008 Hisnawi said last week that five people Access: Open ﺻﺮح ﻣﺼﺪر ﻓﻲ وزارة اﻟﺼﺤﺔ اﻟﻌﺮاﻗﻴﺔ اﻟﻴﻮم اﻷرﺑﻌﺎء had died of the disease and that there أن ﻋﺪد اﻹﺻﺎﺑﺎت اﻟﻤﺆآﺪة ﺑﻮﺑﺎء اﻟﻜﻮﻟﻴﺮا ﻓﻲ اﻟﻌﺮاق were more than 85 other unconfirmed ارﺗﻔﻊ إﻟﻰ ﺛﻼﺛﻤﺎﺋﺔ ﺷﺨﺺ.وأوﺿﺢ اﻟﻤﺼﺪر أن .cases of cholera

اﻹﺻﺎﺑﺎت ﺗﺮآﺰت وﺳﻂ وﺟﻨﻮﺑﻲ اﻟﻌﺮاق دون أن ﻳﺸﻴﺮ إﻟﻰ ﻋﺪد اﻟﻮﻓﻴﺎت اﻟﻨﺎﺟﻤﺔ ﻋﻦ هﺬﻩ اﻹﺻﺎﺑﺎت .وﺷﻜﻞ اﻟﻴﻮم ﻣﺠﻠﺲ ﻣﺤﺎﻓﻈﺔ ﺑﻐﺪاد ﻏﺮﻓﺔ ﻋﻤﻠﻴﺎت ﺑﺎﻟﺘﻨﺴﻴﻖ ﻣﻊ وزارة اﻟﺼﺤﺔ ﻟﻠﺤﺪ ﻣﻦ اﻧﺘﺸﺎر اﻟﻜﻮﻟﻴﺮا ﻓﻲ اﻟﻌﺎﺻﻤﺔ اﻟﻌﺮاﻗﻴﺔ وﺗﻮﻋﻴﺔ اﻟﺴﻜﺎن ﺑﻜﻴﻔﻴﺔ اﻟﻮﻗﺎﻳﺔ ﻣﻨﻪ.وآﺎن وﻓﺪ ﺑﺮﻟﻤﺎﻧﻲ ﻋﺮاﻗﻲ ﻳﻀﻢ ﻧﻮاﺑﺎ ﻣﻦ ﻟﺠﻨﺘﻲ اﻟﻌﻤﻞ واﻟﺨﺪﻣﺎت واﻟﺼﺤﺔ واﻟﺒﻴﺌﺔ ﺑﻤﺠﻠﺲ اﻟﻨﻮاب ﻗﺪ ﺗﻮﺟﻪ أﻣﺲ إﻟﻰ ﻣﺤﺎﻓﻈﺔ ﺑﺎﺑﻞ (ﻣﺎﺋﺔ آﻴﻠﻮﻣﺘﺮ ﺟﻨﻮﺑﻲ ﺑﻐﺪاد) ﻟﺘﻘﺼﻲ أﺳﺒﺎب ﺗﻔﺸﻲ ﻣﺮض

اﻟﻜﻮﻟﻴﺮا ﻓﻲ اﻟﻤﺤﺎﻓﻈﺔ.

JCoordinationJ

NCCI Weekly Highlight 15 Issue 129- 25/09/2008

NCCI Coordination Meeting Update on emerging issues and Source: NCCI UNICEF activities Document: MoM Source: UNICEF Date: September 10, 2008 Document: Report Access: Open Date: September 25, 2008 Minutes of the NCCI Coordination Meeting Access: Members (Baghdad). An update of UNICEF’s activitiesin July and August 08 and a table of UNICEF’s OCHA Coordination Meeting assistance by sector from January to June Source: OCHA 08. Document: MoM Date: September 4, 2008 Iraqi National Development Access: Members Minutes of the OCHA Coordination Strategy 2007-2010 Source: GOI Meeting (Baghdad) and related Document: Strategy Paper documents. Date: March, 2007 Access: Open The National Development Strategy of Iraq for the period 2007-2010.

JFinance and FundingJ

CAP 2009 Timeline and Guidelines CAP 2009 Consultative Meeting: Source: OCHA Erbil Document: Report Source: OCHA Date: September 7, 2008 Document: MoM Access: Open Date: September 24, 2008 The timeline and guidelines for the Access: Open Consolidated Appeals Process 2009 Minutes of the CAP 2009 consultative meeting, held in Erbil.

JHumanitarian SpaceJ

Focus on Operationality (Ar/En) Date: July, 2008 Source: NCCI Access: Members Document: Briefing Papers New Jordanian NGO Law (in Arabic) and Date: January, 2008 minutes of a seminar conducted on the Access: Open law. Series of Briefing Papers on NGOs’ and others’ humanitarian operational Montreux Document modalities in Iraq. Hard copies in English Source: ICRC are available at the NCCI office in Document: Article Amman. Copies in Arabic will be available Date: September 17, 2008 soon Access: Open Guidelines for state control of private Jordan NGO Law military and security companies during Source: LegalAid armed conflict. Document: Document

NCCI Weekly Highlight 16 Issue 129- 25/09/2008

______Reference Documents

The Code of Conduct for the ICRC International Compact with Iraq and NGOs in Disaster Relief Source: GoI Source: ICRC Document: Compact Document: Code of Conduct Date: 2006 Date: 1994 Access: Open Access: Open The International Compact is the initiative The international code of standards for the of the Government of Iraq for a new ICRC and humanitarian NGOs, working in partnership with the international disaster relief situations. community.

UN SC Resolution 1830 Helsinki II Source: CMI Source: UN Document: Multi-National Agreement Document: SC Resolution Date: July 2008 Date: 2008 Access: Open Access: Open The full text of the Helsinki II agreements The latest UN Security Council resolution regarding Iraq and UNAMI. International Reconstruction Fund UN SC Resolution 1770 for Iraq Source: UN Source: IRFFI Document: SC Resolution Document: Fund Date: 2007 Date: 2004 Access: Open Access: Open The UN Security Council resolution Information about the International regarding Iraq for 2007, including the Reconstruction Fund for Iraq expanded UNAMI mandate Sphere Standards: English/Arabic Source: Sphere Project UN SC Resolution 1546 Document: Code of Practice Source: UN Date: 2004 Document: SC Resolution Access: Open Date: 2003 The Sphere Charter and Minimum Access: Open Standards in Disaster Response. The UN Security Council resolution setting the mandate of UNAMI Iraq’s Political Structure UN SC Resolution 1500 Source: USAID Document: Report Source: UN Date: 2008 Document: SC Resolution Access: Open Date: 2003 Access: Open A description of the political structure of The UN Security Council resolution Iraq. establishing UNAMI Iraqi Legal Database Source: ILD Document: Database (Arabic) Date: September 2008 Access: Open All laws, regulations, constitutions and orders etc. of Iraq from 1917to 2008.

Schedule Updates We encourage you to check regularly our Weekly Schedule on our Website for updates.

Upcoming important dates

th ¾ RamaDHan 27/ September 27 - Qadr Night (Mohammed received the Qoran)

¾ RamaDHan 29/ September 29th – Jesus' Birthday / End of Qadr Night Period

(shia)

th st ¾ Shawwal 1/September 30 or October 1 – Eid Al-Fitr

¾ Shawwal 3 / October 3rd or 4th - Al-Khandaq Battle

Updates & Announcements If you have an announcement, if you are aware of meetings, events, humanitarian update or if you would like to make known some information, please details to [email protected]

¾ NCCI is recruiting a General Administrator. Further information can be found here

¾ Call for nominations of candidates for the 2nd Tri-Cluster training (Health, Nutrition and WASH), to be held 3rd-8th November 2008. Further information can be found here

¾ A conference entitled "Ten years of Guiding Principles on Internal * if an link in the NCCI newsletter is not working anymore, it might be becauseDisplace thement source – Achievements of the documen and Futuret removed Challe thenges", article held from by iDMtheC open will t ake th placeaccess in website.Oslo on t Generally,he 16th and you 17 can Oct findober the 2008. article Further by informatclickingion here can. be found here.

¾ CVs can be uploaded here

¾ CVs can be checked here

¾ Employment opportunities can be examined here