From 2014 to 2017 the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) perpetrated crimes against humanity and genocide against minority populations in Iraq, including the Yazidi people. In response to these atrocities, the Global Centre has engaged in concerted advocacy efforts since 2016 to mobilize the international community toward accountability for victims and survivors, calling for an international and independent investigation into ISIL’s crimes.

Amplifying voices of Yazidi activists: Ensuring documentation and preservation of evidence

A key aspect of the Global Centre’s advocacy has been its collaboration with Yazda, a Yazidi survivors’ organization, and Amal Clooney, a prominent barrister who represented Yazidi genocide survivors.

In September 2017 the UN Security Council (UNSC), with support from the Iraqi government, established the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL (UNITAD). This landmark decision marked a crucial first step toward ensuring accountability for atrocities in Iraq. UNITAD was mandated to collect critical evidence of ISIL crimes for use in future criminal trials. This included gathering witness testimonies, exhuming dozens of mass graves and providing psychosocial support to survivor communities, among other areas of work.

After years of critical investigative work, the government of Iraq requested that the UNSC not renew the mandate of UNITAD beyond September 2024. The decision came as a shock to the victims and survivors who had relied on UNITAD’s efforts, particularly since the decision was made without consultation with survivor communities. In response to this abrupt move, survivors, through a network called the Coalition for Just Reparations, produced a report outlining their concerns and recommendations. The Global Centre worked closely with the Coalition, Yazda and other Iraqi partners and survivor communities to circulate the report among UNSC members and advocate for a survivor-centered approach to UNITAD’s closure.

The Global Centre also coordinated bilateral advocacy between UNSC members and Iraqi partners and engaged in consultations with the UN Secretariat to ensure that the closure of UNITAD did not undermine the pursuit of justice for the victims. Together with victim and survivor communities, the Global Centre engaged in targeted advocacy with member states and the European Union to ensure that follow-up procedures for the evidence collected by UNITAD were conducted safely and received proper funding.

Following the closure of UNITAD, the Global Centre has remained committed to supporting victims and survivor communities. The Global Centre continues to advocate alongside them for the Iraqi government to revitalize efforts for accountability and to develop a long-term vision for justice for the atrocities committed by ISIL.