On Sunday April 30, the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs, in collaboration with the Erbil Provincial Council and Didar Organization, organised a conference titled 'Protection of Culture and the Role of Law No. (5) of 2015 in Protecting Culture of Communities in the Kurdistan Region'.

The conference was attended by Dr. Pashtiwan Sadiq, Minister of Endowments and Religious Affairs and Aydin Maaroof, Minister of Communities Affairs.

Dindar Zebari, Coordinator of International Recommendations in the Kurdistan Regional Government delivered a speech highlighting the situation of religious and ethnic communities in the Kurdistan Region and the role of the Kurdistan Regional Government in protecting their rights.

In his speech, Zebari said “The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is paying close attention to several issues to protect and strengthen the rights of communities. Of particular importance are the preservation of existence, preservation of identity, non-discrimination and equality of active participation in the political process. These are the main principles of the KRG and several laws have been passed in this regard, including the Declaration on the Rights of Nations, Religions and Religious Sects, the Law on Official Languages, the Law on the Protection of the Rights of Communities, and the Recognition of Communities' Holidays and Occasions.”

“In addition to these laws, the Kurdistan Regional Government has taken many steps, including changing the name of the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs to the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs and paying attention to the educational and cultural aspects of communities.”

“As for political participation, the system of communities is followed in parliament and they each have their own representatives. There is a Minister for Communities in the Kurdistan Regional Government, the Secretary of Parliament is a Turkman, and there is a Representation of Religious Affairs and Coexistence in the Ministry of Endowments. The Kurdistan Regional Government has also taken many steps to welcome refugees and rescue the Yazidi hostages.”

At the end of the conference the Coordinator of International Recommendations highlighted the Kurdistan Regional Government's Human Rights Plan and said: “Fourteen out of nineteen international recommendations on the rights of communities have been implemented and the rest are being worked on.”