See this interesting report of a meeting to discuss the position of Christians in the Kurdistan Region in Iraq.
Foreign Office Forum on Iraq
See here for details of the FCO Forum on Human Rights in Iraq which took place this week and was attended by LFIQ.
Women in Iraq
With parliamentary elections approaching, Iraqi women are looking for ways to ensure that their voices and concerns are not excluded from the political debate. For the past several years, the ability of Iraqi women to contribute to policy debates has been constrained by security concerns, political instability and corruption. Though Iraqi women are slowly increasing their involvement in government, political parties and civil society organizations, they are still largely absent from decision-making positions within those bodies.
The National Democratic Institute examines the issue.
Union leader murdered in Iraq
Unionbook reports the murder of a leader of the Iraqi trade union movement.
LFIQ sends its condolences to his family and comrades and urges a renewed effort to carry on his work of building free trade unions in Iraq.
Gary Kent
Director LFIQ
Latest on the Iraqi elections
It looks increasingly likely that the parliamentary elections scheduled for 21 January will be delayed until possibly 15 February.
Ranj Alaaldin examines the state of play
Appeal to help child victims in Iraq
Medicins Sans Frontieres and the Sunday Times have teamed up to run this vital appeal to help children in Iraq who have suffered horrific injuries, in roadside bombings, suicide attacks on market places and mortar fire on their homes.
Greening Iraq
See here
Guardian highlights media freedom issues in Iraq
Please see these reports to which LFIQ has responded.
LFIQ lobbies Iraqi PM on union rights
Dave Anderson MP has writen the following letter to Mr Al Maliki, the Iraqi Prime Minister and aims to see the Foreign Office Minister Ivan Lewis about the issue in the near future.
Defending the Iraqi trade union movement and helping it to play a positive role in Iraq is one of the key aims of LFIQ.
Gary Kent
Director
Dear Prime Minister
I enclose a statement from the General Federation of Iraqi Workers (GFIW) with which I entirely agree, as a long-term supporter of theirs. (see the posting for 15th October)
You may remember that myself and Gary Kent raised this issue with you when we met last year in Baghdad as part of the valued political dialogue between LFIQ and the Islamic Dawa Party.
Labour Friends of Iraq strongly believes that the Iraqi Government should move to full compliance with ILO norms and work with the trade unions which are keen to help build a vibrant civil society and bolster the political process.
I respectfully ask that this interference be halted and that you initiate discussions with the GFIW.
Yours sincerely
Dave Anderson MP
For Labour Friends of Iraq
Full steam ahead for Iraqi elections in January
Ranj Alaaldin writes that the vote will go ahead with the full support and confidence of the vast majority of Iraqis and sets the stage for what promises to be a tantalising democratic affair that for once may pit truly cross-sectarian alliances against one another.