UN hails Iraq’s response to demonstrators demands

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com – The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Iraq , Ed Melkart, has highly hailed the response by the Iraqi government and the Parliament for the demands of Iraqis, expressing the UN’s anxiety towards the incidents, which he described as “violations for human rights.”   “The Iraqi Parliament and government’s decision to open a dialogue with the civil society organizations in Iraq, aimed at responding to the demands raised by the Iraqi people, along with the support granted by all Iraqi parties for the improvement of basic services, are encouraging steps, that must be followed by radical changes to create an environment of stability and trust,” Melkart said in a statement on Wednesday.   He said that “The United Nations is calling on all Iraqi authorities to admit the right of the whole Iraqi people to share in building a State, enjoying prosperity, stability and democracy, in order to boost the progress that was achieved recently.”   “The United Nations is looking with anxiety towards reports that pointed out to several incidents, reflecting human rights violations, that took place against demonstrators, where the Iraqi security forces had used force, thing that caused the killing of several citizens and wounding others, along with the measures taken against freedom of the mass media and the exposure of some media organizations for attacks and the detention of citizens and journalists,” he added.   In conclusion, the UN Official pointed out to what he described as “the United Nation’s anxiety towards the exposure of children and teenagers for dangers, calling on the Iraqi government, civil society, families and other citizens to secure protection for all children, adding that “the United Nations expresses its sorrow for the human losses, demanding the Iraqi Parliament and government to secure the legitimate demands of the people, and to take legal measures against all those, who violated human rights.”   ST / SKH 465