Chapter One/ Definition

Article (1):

The Iraqi Minorities Council is one of the civil society organizations. It is concerned with historically and culturally-recognized minority groups of the Iraqi society in order to defend their national, cultural, political, religious and social rights in the coming permanent constitution and the laws that govern the rights and duties of the Iraqi society including all official and semi-official institutions in Iraq. It also endeavors to inflict human rights laws and disseminate the values and principles of equality before the law, regardless of discrimination in sex, race, language, nationality, religion or sect.

The Council works on the basis of absolute loyalty to the country and that all the people cooperate in building a democratic, federal and pluralist Iraq. It is also based on publicizing religious and national tolerance, and resolving social conflicts peacefully.

Iraqi Minorities Council is a peace-loving organization and it firmly stands against repression, injustice, violence and terrorism under any pretext, and it struggles for the freedom of people everywhere.

Article (2):

Paragraph (A): The Minorities Council consists of the following:

1- Representatives of the Iraqi ethnic and religious minorities.

2- Personalities from these minorities.

Paragraph B: The Iraqi minorities included in this council are:

First: Religious minorities:

A- Christians (all factions)

B- Sabian Mandaeans.

C- Yezidis.

Second: Ethnic Minorities:

A- Feili Kurds

B- Turkmen

C- Assyrian Chaldean

D- Shabak

E- Armenian

Paragraph (C): It is permissible to add other historically and culturally-recognized Iraqi ethnic and religious minorities to the Council with the approval of two thirds of the members’ votes.

Paragraph (D): The Headquarters of the Council shall be in Baghdad and it has the right to open branches in other Iraqi cities.

 

Chapter Two: Objectives:

Article (3): Boosting Iraqi national unity and sovereignty to build a free, independent, pluralist and democratic Iraq where all people enjoy equal rights regardless of their racial, religious and political background in accordance with the international laws of human rights.

Article (4): Defending the minorities’ national, cultural, political, religious and social rights in the permanent constitution and the laws that govern the Iraqi people’s rights and duties including all components and official and semi-official institutions in Iraq.

Article (5): Working on enlisting all the names of minorities in the permanent constitution through the coming amendment projects and not to marginalize any one of them.

Article (6): Working on strengthening the Council’s relations with the influential national and political currents especially those supporting the minorities’ expectations.

Article (7): Working on nominating the Council’s technocratic persons to take up important official and semi-official prominent positions in the Government, depending on their qualifications.

Article (8): Setting up the right of electoral representation for the representatives of Iraqi minorities and allocating a fixed percentage (quota) of the seats of the elected constitutional commissions for Iraq as a whole and for the governorates where the minorities are residing.

Article (9): Appointing a representative from the Council to be a constitutional observer in the elected constitutional commissions and constitutional federal and regional courts.

Article (10): Ensuring the rights of women in the human rights laws.

Article (11): Working on abolishing all laws, systems and regulations which snatched personal and public rights from the minority people including the rights of immigrants and the displaced and affected people.

Article (12): Developing and enriching the minority groups culturally, socially and economically, as well as boosting relationships among them.

Chapter Three: The Structure

Article (13): The Structure of the Council

Paragraph A: The Council: The Iraqi Minorities Council consists of the following:

First: Central Committee members

Second: Secretary of the Iraqi Minorities Parliament.

Third: Rapporteur of Iraqi Minorities Parliament.

Fourth: Elected representatives from the Iraqi Minorities Parliament with one person from each minority group (religious or ethnic or others).

Fifth: Representatives of the organizations which are included in the Council.

Sixth: Parliament committees’ trustees.

Paragraph B: The Central Committee: It consists of the following:

First: President of the Minorities Council

Second: First Vice-President of the Minorities Council.

Third: Second Vice-President of the Minorities Council.

Fourth: Official Spokesperson of the Minorities Council.

Fifth: Council Founding Members on 18.04.2005.

Sixth: Five elected members from the Council.

Paragraph C: The Parliament: The Iraqi Minorities Parliament consists of the following:

First: Members of the Council and Central Committee.

Second: Ten representatives from each of the minority groups included in the Council.

Third: Representatives of the Organizations which are included in the Council.

Fourth: Associate members from the supporters of the Iraqi minorities from other Iraqi sects.

Article (14): Membership:

Paragraph (A): Any male or female citizen at the age of 20 and who is from the religious or ethnic minorities mentioned in this statute can become a member in the General Board after filling in a special form. The followings conditions should be available:

1- Should have at least a certified high school degree or an equivalent.

2- Should be recommended by two members in the Central Committee.

3- Should comply with all the Council's decisions and be ready to participate in the Council's activities.

4- Should respect and abide by the statute and attend the regular meetings.

5- Should be active in the Iraqi political, social and cultural fields.

6- Should pay the due subscription fees.

Paragraph (B) Other organizations, commissions, gatherings, or persons who are interested in protecting the rights of minorities, can join the Council. The organizations nominate the persons who would like to work in the Council and register as members in the Council. Accordingly, they will have the same rights and duties.

Paragraph (C): More than one organization or person from other sects of the Iraqi society, who are interested in and work on protecting the rights of minorities, can be accepted as an associate member in the Minorities Council.

Article (15): The Council

Paragraph (A): The Council is considered the principal leadership of the Council’s policy. Decisions are taken by the majority votes. If the votes of two sides are equal, the President’s side will win.

Paragraph (B): The Council holds regular monthly meetings when the quorum is complete. When the quorum is not complete, the regular meeting is held one week later and the quorum then is regarded complete provided that all members are notified about the new date. The Central Committee has the right to call for an urgent meeting, if necessary.

Paragraph (C): In order to follow up the objectives of the Council, a central committee is established from the Council's members.

Article (16): The Council undertakes the following duties:

1- Approving the Council's internal statute. It has the right to make amendments if requested by five of its members and by the consensus of two thirds of the members during a regular meeting.

2- Putting short and long-term strategies to accomplish the Council’s objectives.

3- Discussing and approving work plans which are prepared by the competent committees.

4- Discussing the report of the Central Committee and asking the members about any issue related to the Council’s policy in a transparent and objective way.

5- Putting a work program to enhance the Council’s relations with international powers and organizations.

6- Putting a program to boost the Council’s relations with other influential national and political parties especially those supporting the interests of the minority groups in order to enhance the status of the Council and put it in the appropriate place.

7- Working on nominating the Council’s technocratic persons to take up prominent official and semi-official posts in the government.

8- Preparing the Council’s annual budget in order to be submitted to the Parliament.

9- Accepting “associate members” from outside the Council as a gratitude to those who are known of their distinguished support to the Council, after being recommended by two persons from the Central Committee. Those members have the right to attend the Parliament meetings and participate in all activities. However, they are not allowed to vote or to be nominated.

10- Issuing the Council’s main leaflet.

11- Preparing a report to the Parliament and discussing the Parliament’s report and benefit from its recommendations.

12- Accepting new members to the Council.

Article (17): The Central Committee:

Paragraph (A): The Central Committee consists of the Council’s founding members on 18.04.2005, and five elected members from the Council.

Paragraph (B): The President, his two deputies and spokesperson are elected by the Central Committee in a direct and secret voting. The election term lasts for one year.

Paragraph (C): The Committee holds the meetings on a weekly basis. Each of the members has the right to call for holding an urgent meeting if necessary. Decisions are taken by majority voting. If two sides have equal votes, the President’s side will win.

Paragraph (D): The Central Committee undertakes the following tasks:

1- Managing meetings and writing minutes of all the Council’s commissions.

2- Holding the responsibility of the Council’s registers and correspondence.

3- Following up the activities of the Council and committees, and implementing the decisions and recommendations.

4- Preparing the regular report about the Council’s work and activities.

Article (18): Iraqi Minorities Parliament:

Paragraph (A): The Parliament shall elect, from amongst its members, a Secretary, Rapporteur and Trustees of Committees through a direct and secret ballot by the simple majority. The election term lasts for two years.

Paragraph (B): The Parliament meets every three months after the Secretary and Rapporteur prepare the meeting agenda in order to discuss the Council's report, listen to the Parliament's members, discuss their suggestions and raise their recommendations to the Council.

Paragraph (C): The Parliament elects one person from each of the minority groups to be members of the Council in a direct and secret ballot. The election term lasts for two years.

Paragraph (D): A Parliament meeting can be held after a request from a representative of one of the minorities in necessary and urgent situations.

Paragraph (E): The Parliament establishes, from amongst its members, competent committees to work and activate the Council's activities.

Article (19): Rights and Duties of Parliament Member:

Paragraph (A): Rights:

1- Participation in mapping the Council's policy.

2- Participation in the discussions inside the Parliament. The member has the right to express his/her objective criticism to any commission, committee or member inside the meetings, and to defend his/her viewpoints in an objective way.

3- Has the right to nominate himself/herself for the post of Secretary, Rapporteur or committee member.

4- Working unreservedly in committees.

5- The associate member has the right to participate in the Council's activities but has not right to candidacy or voting.

Paragraph (B): Duties

1- Protecting the Council's unity and defending it through commitment to its statute.

2- Implementing the decisions and recommendations of the Council's leadership and Parliament.

3- Working for the interests of the Council and boost its relations with his/her ethnic or religious ingredients, and conveying to them the Council's recommendations and information on activities.

4- Working for the interests and happiness of the Iraqi people and defending the country's unity and prosperity.

5- Practicing criticism and self-criticism continuously in a high transparency and objectivity.

6- Initiating to create the spirit of closeness and intimacy among the Council's members.

Article (20): Competent Committees

Paragraph (A): Each committee is headed by a trustee and he/she should be an elected member in the Parliament. Head of the Committee has the right to choose any Parliament member whoever proved suitable to work with. Head of the Committee is deemed responsible before the Parliament and the Council's leadership.

Paragraph (B): Head of the Committee presents a detailed report about the activities of the committee to the Central Committee in order to be discussed and get recommendations.

Paragraph (C): The Competent Committees are:

1- Public Relations Committee

2- Legal Committee.

3- Information and Culture Committee.

4- Social Development Committee.

5- Financial Committee.

Article (21): Public Relations Committee

This Committee is responsible for the following duties:

1- Making relations and exchanging visits of delegations with the active organizations and institutions which are interested in the field of Iraqi minorities inside and outside Iraq.

2- Making relations and exchanging visits with all Commissions and national parties.

3- Attending and representing the Council in local and international forums, and working on achieving the Council's objectives through these forums.

4- Attending and representing the Council in all official institutions in the Iraqi Government.

Article (22): The Legal Committee.

The Legal Committee is responsible for the following tasks:

1- Preparing the necessary legal and constitutional reports which are important for the work of the Council.

2- Preparing the legal and constitutional proceedings which are demanded by the Council to the constitutional, federal and regional courts and commissions.

3- Monitoring the performance of the elected constitutional commissions and government and administrative offices in the country.

4- Monitoring the violations of human rights laws whether they are observed by the Committee or by Iraqi people.

5- Defending the civil rights of the minority people especially the rights of the displaced people and immigrants.

Article (23): Information and Culture Committee

The Committee will be responsible for disseminating the Council's thoughts and activities through all the available mass media:

1- Issuing the necessary publications to achieve the Council's objectives.

2- Participating in the programs broadcasted by the official and public audio and visual mass media. The Council tries to have possession of its own radio and television.

3- Organizing symposiums and exhibitions as well as holding different media and cultural activities.

4- Establishing a publishing house to enhance printing books and research papers in various fields of science, art and different Iraqi languages as well as foreign languages.

5- Participating in supporting and coordinating the efforts exerted by the minority educated people by using all possible means.

Article (24): Social Development Committee:

They undertake the following tasks:

1- Developing the minorities culturally, socially and economically.

2- Organizing necessary social activities to strengthen the relations between the minority people and all the people of other Iraqi sects.

3- Organizing developmental, service, investment and charity programmes to develop the minority people.

Article (25): Financial Committee:

Paragraph (A): Funding sources: In funding its activities, the Council depends on the following sources:

1- Donations from different persons and institutions.

2- Income of the Council's activities.

3- The Council's members' subscription fees.

Paragraph (B): From its members, the Council appoints a treasurer and an accountant.

Paragraph (C): They are responsible for the following:

1- Abiding by the valid legal accounting regulations in Iraq.

2- Holding the responsibility of different accounting registers and warehouses inventory files in order to preserve the Council's assets.

3- Checking the annual budget by a legal accountant.

4- The Committee monthly presents a financial report to the Central Committee.

Paragraph (D): The authorized people to spend money are:

1- The Council's President.

2- The Central Committee.

3- The Council.

Regulations of spending the money by the above mentioned authorized parties shall be decided by the Council in accordance with regulations to be issued later.

 

Chapter Four: General Regulations
 

Article (26): Resignation from the Council:

1- A member has the right to resign from the Council at any time after submitting a written request.

2- Any member is deemed resigned if he/she does not attend the due meetings for three months without an acceptable excuse.

3- The resigned can return back to the Council if he/she presents a written request after the approval of the group that he/she represents. The resigned cannot be returned back to the Council for two times.

Article (27): Commitment Regulations:

Each member will be subject to questioning in the Council's sessions if he/she violates the statute. The Council should take the appropriate procedures with the two thirds majority. These procedures are:

1- Notice.

2- Warning.

3- Dismissal

Article (28):

Paragraph A: Any member loses confidence if he/she misses three consecutive meetings or inconsecutive five meetings without an acceptable excuse.

Paragraph B: Any member from the Central Committee will be dismissed if he/she misses three consecutive meetings or five inconsecutive meetings without an acceptable excuse.

Article (29): The Council's movable and immovable properties:

All the Council's movable and immovable properties are considered a public property for the Iraqi Minorities Council. No person or organization or a religious or ethnic entity has in any way the right to ask for all or part of the property if they want to withdraw from the Council.

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