From 7 to 11 December 2019, the Office of the International Organization for Migration in the Republic of Croatia (IOM) organized a study visit of the High Representative of the Iraqi Council of Representatives to the Republic of Croatia. The visit was organized as part of the support provided by the IOM to Iraqi institutions in the process of developing and implementing reparations programs for survivors of sexual violence perpetrated by an Islamic State terrorist organization.

The draft law on support for survivors of Yazid and other minority communities proposed by the President of Iraq this April is currently under discussion in the Iraqi Parliament. The purpose of the Act is to provide official recognition and reparation rights to hundreds of women in the Yazid community and other ethnic minorities in Iraq who have survived sexual violence during their captivity.

The goal of the study visit was to share experiences and help them better understand the key aspects of the process of drafting and implementing such a complex and sensitive law.

As the Republic of Croatia is one of the few countries to adopt a special law on the rights of victims of sexual violence and systematic support for them (the Law on the Rights of Victims of Sexual Violence During Armed Aggression against the Republic of Croatia in the Patriotic War, OG 64/15), during his visit the Iraqi delegation held meeting with a Minister of Croatian Veterans Affairs Tomo Medved.  President of the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights Milorad Pupovac welcomed delegation in Croatian Parliament too. Iraqi delegation also met with a representatives of the former Government of the Republic of Croatia who participated in the adoption of the Act, representatives of non-governmental organizations as well as with the other representatives of the Commission for monitoring the implementation of the Law and representative of the Ministry of Foreign and EU Affairs.