In
order to further organize efforts related to the preparation of the draft
“Anti-Discrimination Law in the Kurdistan Region” within the framework of the
“Justice Resilience Initiative in the KRI,” supported by the German Federal
Foreign Office’s fund by IFA (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen), Funding
Programme Zivik, a fruitful focus group discussion (FGD) was held on June 13,
2024, in the presence of a group of judges and legal experts. The aim was to
gather comments and suggestions to make the draft law more effective in filling
the legal gaps within the region’s judicial system on anti-discrimination and
enforcing justice. At the onset of the FGD, the participants discussed issues
of discrimination and its types in the Kurdistan Region. At the beginning of
the meeting, the preparers of the draft law presented a broad overview of the
mechanisms used in drafting the writing plan and legal provisions. Then,
through a working group model, the participants focused their comments and
opinions on the sections as stipulated in this drafted law, including
introduction and definitions of concepts, general provisions, and legitimate
distinctions. Moreover, the KCIL team recorded the notes and inputs according
to each section to further enrich the content of the law. So far, they have
outlined the next steps in the matters pertaining to the coordination process
and submit it to the Kurdistan Parliament, aiming for its future activation to
counter any existing discrimination types in the KRI. On the margins of this
FGD, participants, the KCIL team together celebrated the third anniversary of
the establishment of the KCIL. The FGD concluded with a narration of the KCIL’s
establishment and challenges over the past years, and participants extended
their wishes for the KCIL’s future productivity in its projects and activities.