Addendum
* The initial report submitted by the Government of Iraq concerning rights covered by articles 13 to 15 of the Covenant (E/1982/3/Add.26) was considered by the Sessional Working Group of Governmental Experts at its 1985 session (see E/1985/WG.1/SR.3-4).
The second periodic report of Iraq on the application of articles 13, 14 and 15 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights during the period from 1987 to 1991
Introduction
1. The question of human rights in any country, including Iraq, is inevitably affected by its political climate and socio-economic circumstances, in addition to the evident manner in which the situation is influenced by the factors of time and place. Under wartime conditions, human rights cannot be discussed in the same spirit and with the same degree of objectivity as in times of peace. A country with a long-standing democratic tradition cannot be compared with a developing country that is making diligent efforts to attain both democracy and economic prosperity. Every country has its own particularities and indigenous values which cannot be set aside in any discussion on the subject of human rights.
2. The positive changes that have taken place in regard to human rights in Iraq have been evident since 1968. From that time until the start of the war with Iran in 1980, no serious violations of human rights were reported in Iraq. However, the above-mentioned war, as well as the economic embargo which began in August 1990 and the Gulf War in 1991, inevitably had an impact on the human rights situation in the country. Human rights cannot flourish in time of war and respect for these rights increases when peace and tranquillity prevail. This was exactly what happened in Iraq after the cessation of military operations in August 1988. During this short period, the current Constitution was reviewed and a new draft Constitution was discussed. Several emergency laws and decrees that had been issued during that war were also re-examined and many of them were abrogated. The beginning of a new era was proclaimed, which would be characterized by political pluralism, freedom of the press, abrogation of the emergency laws and regulations that had curtailed the freedom of citizens, and lifting of the restrictions on private ownership of mimeograph, photocopying and printing machines.
3. This new era soon started to wane as a result of the Gulf War and the economic embargo on the Iraqi people, which has had an adverse impact on the life and dignity of the people and, consequently, on human rights in the economic, social and cultural spheres. Everyone is aware that the insecurity, price rises and scarcity of basic foodstuffs and medicines resulting from the abnormal circumstances experienced in the country have all had a direct impact on the enjoyment of human rights by citizens and on the State's ability to promote them. The situation was aggravated by the total destruction of the country's infrastructure in the communication, health, educational and industrial sectors due to the bombing raids which the Coalition States launched against Iraq.
4. In spite of all the above-mentioned circumstances, Iraq firmly believes in human rights and in the need to respect and promote them as a contemporary humanitarian foundation on which the internal structure of society is based. In the light of this belief and perception, Iraq has ratified numerous international instruments concerning human rights and is currently making a very thorough study of those which it has not yet ratified with a view to adopting a clear and objective position thereon. Iraq has participated, and will continue to participate, in the conferences, seminars and committees concerned with human rights at the national, regional and international levels. Furthermore, Iraq is fulfilling all its obligations in regard to the submission of periodic reports on the evolution of human rights in Iraq and is replying to all the questions addressed to it by relevant international bodies and non-governmental organizations.
5. After achieving its national independence, Iraq made numerous attempts to overcome the problem of illiteracy but these attempts did not succeed in attaining their objectives because the methods employed were not broad enough in their scope. However, following the revolution of 17-30 July 1968, a new approach was adopted towards this problem and the country advanced from the stage of attempts to reduce illiteracy to the stage of its eradication through a compulsory country-wide campaign implemented by the State and popular and professional organizations.
6. The Baghdad Conference on the Eradication of Illiteracy, which was held in 1976, heralded the beginning of a new stage in which a radical review was undertaken, leading to the launching of a country-wide campaign for the compulsory eradication of illiteracy. During this new stage, which began in 1978, Act No. 92 was promulgated under which "illiterate" was defined as any person between the ages of 15 and 45 who is unable to read and write. Under the terms of that Act, 2,212,630 citizens (1,535,937 females and 676,693 males) in the 15-45 age group were enrolled at centres for the eradication of illiteracy.
7. The aim of the campaign was to enrol 50 per cent of the males during the first two years and 25 per cent of the females over a four-year period. Priority was accorded to persons working in the socialist, mixed and private sectors, particularly in urban areas, although endeavours were made to extend the campaign to rural areas wherever possible. During the first phase, students were enrolled for a 14-month period (seven months for the basic course and a further seven months for the supplementary course) from which they graduated at an educational level equivalent to completion of the fourth primary grade. The second phase was implemented at adult education schools, which were designed to prevent any relapse into illiteracy and to take the students to a level equivalent to completion of the primary level. Special programmes were also formulated to monitor the progress of persons in the 36-45 age group. Some of the educational programmes were recorded on audio cassettes in a pioneering experiment to teach special social categories whose work or place of residence made it difficult for them to enrol at regular classes during the campaign. English language classes were also opened for graduates of the adult education schools so that they could enrol at intermediate schools and subsequently continue their studies at the secondary and university levels. It is noteworthy that this campaign was preceded by numerous preparatory measures including, in particular, various
activities to begin the eradication of illiteracy, to make citizens aware of all the dimensions of this campaign, to prepare and train the requisite teaching staff, to formulate the necessary educational curricula and to meet the other requirements for the campaign's success.
8. A special conference was held to formulate a qualitatively and quantitatively integrated strategy to provide the requisite administrative and technical support, strengthen the role of popular and professional organizations and lay down guidelines for supervision and monitoring. The conference made recommendations concerning the organizational structure of the campaign, including the establishment of the Higher Council as the supreme body endowed with corporate personality and administrative and financial autonomy which reported to the Council of Ministers and comprised representatives of popular and professional organizations, as well as official State institutions. The Higher Council defined the objectives of the country-wide campaign, formulated plans and approved the budget, the educational curricula and the supervisory and monitoring arrangements needed for the campaign. It was linked to an executive organ comprising a number of administrative and technical sections.
9. At the local level, a local council for the eradication of illiteracy was established at the administrative centre of each governorate. These councils, in turn, comprised representatives of sub-councils responsible for implementing the campaign at the district and sub-district levels.
10. It was inevitable that a campaign on this scale designed to cover broad sections of society would encounter some obstacles and difficulties necessitating periodic reviews of the progress made in order to enhance the positive and mitigate the negative aspects. Accordingly, the Higher Council for the country-wide campaign, acting in collaboration with the Arab Agency for the Eradication of Illiteracy and Adult Education, showed special concern for the campaign and made every endeavour to identify its problems. Numerous conferences and symposia were held on this subject and many studies and surveys were undertaken from which valuable experience and data were
obtained.
11. Arab and international testimonies and appraisals indicate that Iraq's experience in the field of the eradication of illiteracy is of an exemplary nature. Moreover, the award to Iraq of the Krupskaya Prize and three other UNESCO prizes, as a token of that organization's esteem, are also indicative of the pioneering nature of that campaign and its special achievements.
12. The country-wide campaign for the eradication of illiteracy achieved significant results since, on the conclusion of the campaign, only 324,899 illiterates (73,439 males and 251,460 females) had not enrolled at classes for various reasons. Accordingly, the proportion of illiterates not covered by the campaign amounted to only 10.85 per cent in the case of males and 16.37 per cent in the case of females. The campaign therefore achieved the aims for which it was designed and had far-reaching social consequences through the development of new mentalities and the cultural eradication of illiteracy.
13. In 1987, a comprehensive study was made of the requirements for an extension of the scope of compulsory education in the country to the intermediate level. This study, which was undertaken by a working group, covered all the governorates and prepared the way for an extension of compulsory education to the intermediate level under the slogan "The policy of open doors for student enrolment". This level of education was made compulsory in the administrative centres of 12 governorates (Nineveh, Najaf, Wasit, Anbar, Muthanna, Basra, Qadisiya, Dhi Qar, Salahuddin, Karbala, Diyala and Misan) in addition to the governorate of Baghdad. In the governorates of Ta'mim and Babil, it became compulsory in some educational institutions in the administrative centres of those two governorates.
14. All economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to education, are enjoyed in a manner consistent with the principle of non-discrimination, as stipulated in the Iraqi Constitution. The imperative constitutional provision in this regard is contained in article 19, which stipulates that: "All citizens are equal before the law, without any discrimination on grounds of sex, race, language, social origin or religion". The same article also stipulates that: "Equality of opportunity is guaranteed for all citizens within the limits of the law". Accordingly, the Government is fulfilling its obligation to make all levels of education free and accessible to all members of society, as required in Revolution Command Council Decision No. 102 of 1974.
15. Equal opportunities are granted for all members of society to obtain education, without discrimination, and a balance has been achieved between the theoretical, practical, academic and vocational aspects of education and also between rural and urban areas and between males and females within the context of overall socio-economic and cultural development. In Iraq, therefore, no population groups are deprived of education since educational institutions play a very important role in the promotion of social development and progress. The State caters for the welfare, education and upbringing of all its citizens in all parts of Iraq from the age of four when they enter kindergarten and, from the age of six, they are obliged to enrol at primary schools in accordance with Act No. 118 of 1976, as amended.
16. The legislation governing education in Iraq, at all levels from kindergarten to higher university studies, does not discriminate between males and females. For example, the above-mentioned Compulsory Education Act makes education compulsory for children of both sexes from 6 to 10 years of age.
The Free Education Decree also makes education free of charge for all students of both sexes. Under the terms of the Country-Wide Campaign for the Compulsory Eradication of Illiteracy Act No. 93 of 1978, all illiterate male and female citizens between the ages of 15 and 45 were compelled to enrol at centres for the eradication of illiteracy.
17. The State has adopted a policy of non-discrimination between the sexes in regard to enrolment in the various branches and specialized fields of higher education at all levels. It should be borne in mind that eligibility for admission to educational institutions is determined on the basis of application forms that are processed by a computer which establishes the eligibility of male and female students alike.
18. The State has also adopted a policy of non-discrimination between the sexes in regard to eligibility for higher studies, studies abroad and academic scholarships. The scientific principles applied in this connection are reviewed in the statistical tables annexed to this report.
19. Reference must be made to the fact that Iraq has acceded to the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education, which it is applying fully. All educational services are made available to all citizens and Arab residents without any discrimination based on ethnic origin, sex, language or religion.
20. In Iraq, education is free for all students at all academic levels in accordance with Revolution Command Council Decision No. 102 of 1974, which affirms the principle of free education enshrined in article 2 of the Statutes of the Ministry of Education. The above-mentioned decision was not promulgated simply in order to reaffirm that principle; it made it clearer, expanded its scope to include the university level and explicitly stipulated that no charge would be levied on students in respect of the expenses of their academic requisites and activities.
21. The State supplies all academic requisites in such a way as to ensure the achievement of educational objectives. In the academic year 1990/91, a number of universities and institutes began to open and maintain residential accommodation for male and female students. These facilities were distributed as follows:
(a) Baghdad University - Seven residential blocks;
(b) Mosul University - Nine dormitories;
(c) Kufa and Mustansiriya Universities - One dormitory each.
This accommodation is distinguished by the fact that it is available either on campus or at locations near to the colleges in order to make it easily accessible at minimum cost. The State also awards grants to the students living in these boarding facilities.
(i) Kindergartens
22. During the last 20 years, the number of kindergarten schools in Iraq increased considerably, rising by 212 per cent during the period from 1970/71 to 1980/81 and by 66.9 per cent during the period from 1980/81 to 1990/91.
The following table shows the progress made in this field during the period from 1987 to 1991:
kindergartens
teachers
23. The number of students at the primary educational level rose by 133.2 per cent and the number of teachers rose by 89.5 per cent during the period from 1970/71 to 1980/81. The corresponding increases during the period from 1980/81 to 1990/91 amounted to 27.7 per cent and 38.5 per cent respectively. The following table shows the progress made in this connection during the period from 1987 to 1991:
24. During the period from 1980/81 to 1990/91, the number of students at the secondary educational level increased by 11.0 per cent and the number of teachers rose by 6.3 per cent. The following table shows the progress made in this connection during the period from 1987 to 1991:
25. During the periods 1968/69-1978/79 and 1979/80-1990/91, the number of vocational education schools rose by 186.4 per cent and the number of their students rose by 409.7 per cent. The following table shows the progress made in this connection during the period from 1987 to 1991:
26. During the period 1979/80-1990/91, the number of students and teachers rose by 36.0 per cent and 79.5 per cent respectively. The following table shows the progress made in this connection during the period from 1987 to 1991:
27. During the period 1978/79-1990/91, the number of students and teachers at universities and colleges rose by 95.8 per cent and 102.6 per cent respectively. The following table shows the progress made in this connection during the period from 1987 to 1991:
28. During the period 1979/80-1989/90, the number of students enrolled for higher education rose by 35.7 per cent. The following table shows the progress made in this connection during the period from 1987 to 1991:
29. The evolution of the ratio of teachers' incomes in relation to the incomes of other civil servants during the period from 1987 to 1991 can be seen from the following table:
incomes in
dinars
servants'
servants
30. Teachers are paid the following allowances:
(a) 70,000 dinars in teaching allowances.
(b) 50,000 dinars for the headmaster of a secondary school.
(c) 30,000 dinars for the deputy headmaster of a secondary school.
(d) 30,000 dinars for the headmaster of a primary school.
(e) 20,000 dinars for the deputy headmaster of a primary school.
During the period from 1987 to 1991, the allowances and incentives paid to teachers amounted to 202,253,000 dinars.
31. Special endeavours have been made to improve the terms of employment of members of the teaching staff at universities in Iraq in order to ensure that material considerations do not prevent them from devoting their efforts to research, study and writing. Their salaries and allowances have been increased several times, the most recent increase being 55 per cent i.e. more than the increase granted to other civil servants. Their minimum salaries and allowances have also been increased and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research is currently studying a proposal to abolish the maximum ceiling on the salaries of university professors.
All teachers at universities and colleges are paid fixed allowances, in addition to their salaries, depending on their academic rank. These allowances are as follows:
(a) A monthly allowance of 400 dinars for a professor.
(b) A monthly allowance of 250 dinars for an assistant professor.
(c) A monthly allowance of 100 dinars for a teacher.
The ceiling on the salaries of all members of the teaching staff has been raised. Moreover, under the terms of the recent Revolution Command Council Decision No. 214 of 19 August 1992, every member of the university teaching staff holding the rank of professor is entitled to receive a pension
equivalent to the last salary and allowances received during his period of service when he retires at 65 years of age or in the event of death or total disability.
32. Four colleges have so far been opened ("Heritage", "Rafidain", "Mansour" and "Teachers' Union") to which students are admitted on a competitive basis in accordance with the grades achieved by the applicants. These colleges are endowed with legal personality and organizational autonomy, since they were established in accordance with Revolution Command Council Decision No. 814 of 14 October 1987, and are regarded as private institutions of public benefit. The fields of specialization that are taught therein are in conformity with the master plan for university and higher education in Iraq.
33. Persons wishing to establish private universities in Iraq do not encounter difficulties, provided that they meet the staffing, material and academic requirements. They merely have to submit applications to a Higher Committee that has been formed to consider and approve such applications. Committees have also been formed to monitor and evaluate academic performance at these colleges and to remedy any shortcomings therein.
(g) Proportional enrolment of preparatory school graduates at universities and colleges; regulations governing their admission to the universities; and harmonization between the number of graduates in various fields of specialization and labour market requirements
34. A balance has been achieved between the output from the secondary education system and the intake into higher education. Admission to universities and colleges is normally on a competitive basis and depends on the grades of the applicants, since students are nominated by category in
accordance with their listed preferences. The planned intake into higher education usually absorbs all the graduates from the secondary education system.
35. It should be noted that the factors governing admission and distribution plans at universities and technical colleges are the requirements and needs of the labour market. Accordingly, there is coordination and consultation between the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Ministry of Planning in order to determine the job placement potential of graduates and identify the fields of specialization required by the labour market so that they can be taken into consideration when planning the rate of admission to universities and colleges.
(h) Educational facilities enjoyed by teachers and university professors, such as recreation, development and research centres, seminars and cultural publications
36. In order to meet the needs of members of the teaching profession, the Ministry of Education has endeavoured to increase and develop the scope of their knowledge by organizing training courses and providing lecture halls equipped with modern technological teaching aids in order to make tuition more effective. Teachers are enrolled for further education courses in order to keep abreast of the latest developments in educational fields so that they can benefit therefrom and improve their standard of performance. The Ministry organizes a number of seminars and symposia at which the educational process can be discussed with a view to identifying and remedying its shortcomings. The Ministry also publishes a number of specialized educational bulletins and magazines for distribution to persons working in the education section.
37. With regard to university education, professors discharge their educational duties through research, studies, writing, translation and the provision of academic support in accordance with the directives, rules and regulations governing these activities. Universities within and outside the country organize beneficial exchange visits in which lecturers are invited to take part in university seminars and discussion groups. This process is further promoted by the periodic scientific magazines and bulletins which the universities publish.
38. There are a number of cultural institutions and centres which are preserving, maintaining and promoting the scientific, cultural and literary heritage, in all its forms and aspects, through the organization of exhibitions and seminars to make teachers and university professors more aware of its importance and the need to safeguard it. The Regional Centre for the Preservation of Cultural Property, which Iraq is hosting, is one of the principal institutions in this field.
39. The Iraqi Government, being eager to ensure the continuance of scientific and technological progress, is endeavouring to transfer and adapt technologies for the benefit of national development. The institutions concerned publish a number of scientific and literary magazines and periodicals and exchange such publications with several countries with a view to furthering scientific cooperation and obtaining information about recent progress in all scientific and technological fields so that benefit can be derived therefrom at the Arab, regional and international levels. The State spares no effort to develop educational and scientific institutions, modern laboratories and experimental research centres and creates an appropriate working environment and material conditions conducive to the welfare of persons working in these fields so that they can devote themselves more fully to their research and development activities.
40. The State is taking appropriate measures to attract skilled personnel, who can make an important contribution to social progress. The emigration of some of these skilled personnel constitutes a drain on the country's resources, which the State is endeavouring to retain. The State is also diligently attempting to provide opportunities to encourage these skilled personnel to return to the country, by ensuring an appropriate standard of living for them, so that they can contribute to the national reconstruction and development process.
41. The vast majority of Iraqi citizens are taught in their Arabic mother tongue, although there are some minorities which are taught in local languages such as Kurdish, Turkoman and Syriac. With regard to the Kurdish language, article 7 of the Provisional Constitution of the Republic of Iraq stipulates that: "Kurdish shall be an official language, in addition to Arabic, in the Kurdish region".
42. The Kurdish language is not taught solely in the Kurdish-speaking areas; it is also taught in non-Kurdish areas. For example, the fourth-grade syllabus at most schools outside the Autonomous Region includes two Kurdish language lessons every week. In the Autonomous Region, all subjects (with the exception of the Arabic language) are taught in Kurdish and the same applies to schools outside the Autonomous Region if the majority of their students are Kurds. The General Directorate of Kurdish Schools translates all the textbooks published by the General Directorate for Educational Curricula and Aids from Arabic into Kurdish.
43. The Kurdish language is taught in accordance with special syllabuses at Arab schools in the Autonomous Region from the fourth primary grade onwards and the Arabic language is also taught at Kurdish schools in the Autonomous Region in accordance with special syllabuses from the fourth primary grade onwards. School libraries in the Autonomous Region are supplied with a variety of educational and cultural books in Kurdish as well as Arabic.
44. A total of 107 school textbooks in Kurdish have been compiled for all educational levels from the primary to the preparatory grades and 1,132,000 copies of these books are printed every year. A number of special books have also been written to teach the Kurdish language and 18 books, of
which a total of 5 million copies have been distributed, have also been prepared for the purposes of the country-wide campaign for the compulsory eradication of illiteracy in the Autonomous Region. Three books in Kurdish have been compiled for use at teacher training colleges.
45. In view of the concern that has been shown for students at schools in the Autonomous Region of Kurdistan, 76 books have been translated into Kurdish and the budgetary appropriations for the persons engaged in such translation work have been increased by an additional 85,000 dinars over and above the amounts appropriated for the development of all the scientific, technical and educational aspects of the books written in Kurdish. Additional warehouses have been opened to store these 50,000 books for the Kurdish primary, intermediate and preparatory schools so that they can be distributed to students in 1992.
46. Kurdish scientific terminology on all academic subjects has been compiled in collaboration with Kurdish academics in the Iraqi scientific community and a number of model lessons in Kurdish have been recorded for educational television programmes.
47. In view of the importance of the Kurdish language, committees have been formed to undertake the major project of compiling school dictionaries. In fact, 10,000 copies of an English-Kurdish dictionary have already been printed and other Kurdish-English, Arabic-Kurdish and Kurdish-Arabic dictionaries are currently being compiled.
With regard to Turkoman speakers
48. Revolution Command Council Decision No. 89 of 24 November 1970 stipulated that: "The Turkoman language shall be taught at the primary educational level and the requisite teaching aids in the Turkoman language shall be made available at all schools in which this language is taught. A Directorate of Turkoman Studies shall be established at the Ministry of Education and Turkoman poets and writers shall be permitted to establish their own federation and shall be provided with assistance to enable them to print their works and develop their linguistic aptitudes. A Directorate of Turkoman Culture shall also be established".
49. With regard to Syriac speakers
Revolution Command Council Decision No. 251 of 16 April 1973 recognized the cultural rights of Syriac-speaking citizens (Assyrians, Chaldeans and members of the East Syrian Church) as follows:
(a) Syriac shall be the language of tuition at all primary schools in which the majority of pupils speak that language. The Arabic language shall be taught, as a compulsory subject, at those schools.
(b) Syriac shall be taught at intermediate schools in which the majority of pupils speak that language.
(c) Syriac shall be taught, as a classical language, at the Faculty of Arts of Baghdad University.
(d) Special programmes in Syriac shall be broadcast on Kirkuk radio and television.
50. It is noteworthy that Iraq has numerous religious education centres of various types ranging from seminaries in the form of small buildings supervised by religious groups to small and large classrooms and schools that are either independent or attached to mosques. These centres are distributed throughout the various governorates. The holy city of Najaf has 24 schools, Karbala has 10, Kirkuk, Arbil, Dohuk and Sulaimaniya have two each and Mosul, Aqra and Tell Afar have one each.
51. Directive No. 36 of 1992, based on the provisions of article 47, paragraph 2, of the Statutes of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (Act No. 40 of 1988) specifies the requirements for academic promotion at universities. Article 1 stipulates that one of the following conditions must be met in order to obtain the rank of lecturer:
(a) The candidate must hold a doctorate, an equivalent academic degree or the highest diploma awarded in fields of specialization in which neither doctorates nor equivalent degrees are awarded. However, the period of study for such qualifications must not be less than three years following the award of the first university degree.
(b) The candidate must have held the rank of assistant lecturer at an Iraqi university or college for a period of not less than three years during which he must have obtained a minimum performance evaluation rating of 70 per cent and must have published at least two reputable scientific research papers, one of which must represent the results solely of his own work.
52. Article 2 stipulates that a person who is promoted to the rank of assistant professor must have held the rank of lecturer at an Iraqi university or college for a period of not less than four years, during which he must have obtained a minimum performance evaluation rating of 70 per cent and must have
published at least three research papers, one of which must represent the results solely of his own work. Article 3 stipulates that a person who is promoted to the rank of professor must have held the rank of assistant professor for a period of not less than six years during which he must have obtained a minimum rating of 80 per cent and must have published at least three scientific research papers, one of which must represent the results solely of his own work.
53. Article 5 stipulates that the research papers and original works submitted for purposes of promotion must exhibit the following characteristics:
(a) They must be in the candidate's specific or general field of specialization.
(b) They must already have been published or accepted for publication.
(c) They must not be derived from a higher diploma, master's degree or doctoral thesis previously presented by the candidate.
(d) The number of persons participating in each research paper or original work must not exceed three.
(e) The competent expert shall determine the number of research papers equivalent to each original work published by the candidate.
54. Article 11 of Directive No. 36 of 1992 issued by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research specifies the following promotion procedures:
An academic promotion panel shall be formed at each college. It shall be chaired by a member of the teaching staff holding the rank of professor or assistant professor and shall comprise four other members of the teaching staff holding the rank of professor or assistant professor in various fields of specialization. Membership of the panel shall be for a renewable period of three years.
Article 12 stipulates that a member of the teaching staff may submit a written application for promotion 90 days before the date on which he completes the period of service required for promotion.
Article 14 stipulates that the president of a university must form a central academic promotion panel consisting of a minimum of 7 and a maximum of 11 members of the teaching staff holding the rank of professor in various fields of specialization. Membership of the panel is for a period of three years, renewable once only. In the absence of the requisite fields of specialization or eligible members, the president of the university may seek assistance from other universities.
Promotion is effective from the date on which the member of the teaching staff submits the application for promotion or completes the period of service required for promotion. If the application for promotion is rejected or deferred, the president of the university or the university council, acting in their respective official capacities, notify the college dean of the decision, as well as the reasons therefor, and the dean then informs the applicant within seven days of the date on which the decision was taken.
It should be borne in mind that article 18 grants an applicant for promotion the right to lodge a protest with a central appeal board at the university against a decision to reject his application. Such protest must be lodged within 30 days from the date on which the applicant is informed of the rejection.
55. The Social Welfare Act No. 126 of 1980 regulates the admission and rehabilitation of handicapped persons, in accordance with the nature of their handicap, at institutes run by the following centres:
(a) The Centre for the Welfare of the Physically Handicapped.
(b) The Centre for the Welfare of the Mentally and Psychologically Handicapped.
(c) The Centre for the Welfare of the Blind.
(d) The Centre for the Welfare of the Totally Disabled.
(e) The Centre for the Welfare of the Totally Handicapped.
The above-mentioned centres provide handicapped students with training in occupations consistent with their physical and mental capabilities, such as typing, electrical engineering, welding, electronics, tailoring, ceramics, leatherworking and carpentry.
56. In addition to vocational training, they also provide welfare services such as the following:
(a) Health care: a physician working for the Ministry of Health visits each institute to examine the students and provide them with medical treatment on a periodic basis.
(b) Nutrition: each student is provided with a full meal.
(c) Means of transport: the institutes provide facilities to transport students to and from their homes throughout their period of training.
(d) Recreational trips and visits are organized for the handicapped.
57. The following table shows the number of rehabilitation and training institutes by governorate, during the period 1987-1991.
tutesStudentsInsti-
tutesStudents
Note: The vocational rehabilitation institutes train all handicapped persons, including the
mentally handicapped.
58. The following table show the number of mentally handicapped children who benefited from social services, by governorate, during the period 1987-1991.
Note: There are 18 educational institutes for the mentally handicapped in the various governorates, including six in the governorate of Baghdad.
59. The attacks which the Coalition States launched against Iraq, as well as the subsequent disturbances and the ongoing economic embargo on the Iraqi people had an adverse effect on the rehabilitation of the disabled, since seven rehabilitation institutes were damaged in the attacks and their functional capabilities were affected by the theft of their rehabilitation and training equipment. The impact of the economic embargo can be seen in the inability to import the machinery and equipment needed for training purposes, in addition to the lack of spare parts and raw materials which are fundamental requirements for the training process. The embargo has also affected the transport of handicapped persons to and from the institutes due to the lack of spare parts for the vehicles, as a result of which there have been some cases of absenteeism among the handicapped.
1. Percentages of students, by governorate, during the period 1987/88-1990/91.
2. Percentages of students, by sex, during the period 1987/88-1990/91.
3. Number of schools, by governorate and educational level.
4. Number of teachers and lecturers in the country and ratio of females to males during the period 1987/88-1990/91.
5. Number of vocational schools and their students in the country during the same period.
6. Number of universities, by governorate, and number of students by sex in the academic year 1991/92.
7. Number of students enrolled for higher studies during the period 1986/87-1990/91.
60. On the subject of free education, reference can be made to article 13, paragraph (c), of this report.
61. With regard to the assistance that Iraq has received from international and Arab organizations, it can be said that the value of the international assistance has been relatively low, most of it being provided by UNESCO, and even this was withheld due to the boycott when 30 States began their aggression against Iraq. During the period from 1987 to 1992, international and Arab organizations provided various amounts of financial assistance, such as academic grants and fellowships to enable senior members of the teaching profession to enhance their capabilities and develop the educational process.
62. The workshops, courses and social, educational and technical seminars held by those organizations were attended by 118 senior and lower-ranking delegates from the education sector. For example:
(a) During the above-mentioned period, UNESCO sent two experts (Mr. Ya'qoub and Mr. Farouq al-Farra) from its Regional Office of Education in the Arab States to conduct surveys of new developments in education in Iraq, as part of the Arab group, with a view to the further enhancement of those developments.
(b) UNESCO provided an amount of US$ 1,500 in financial assistance for the preparation of a country survey of the current situation in regard to primary education, eradication of illiteracy and further education in order to assess the achievements that had been made and determine the measures that should be taken to achieve the desired objectives.
(c) The United Nations Development Programme is currently contributing to the Educational Industries Project for the production of the teaching materials and aids used in the educational process. However, although UNDP had appropriated an amount of US$ 350,000 for the project start-up, it has since suspended its activities in this regard due to the economic embargo.
(d) UNESCO provides dollar-denominated coupons in exchange for amounts of local currency (Iraqi dinars) in order to facilitate the purchase of educational requisites and meet educational needs. The beneficiaries are normally various government departments and, in particular, university professors so that they can obtain educational books and reference works and participate in educational and scientific conferences. The value of the coupons received by Iraq in the academic year 1987/88 amounted to US$ 100,000, which was distributed among the beneficiary educational and scientific bodies. However, after 1988 UNESCO ceased to provide Iraq with the amounts that it had allocated for this purpose.
(e) During the above-mentioned period, international and Arab organizations provided financial assistance for the holding of educational seminars and courses at Baghdad. Those organizations met the expenses of the participants, as well as the cost of printing reports and other documents for circulation. Three such events were organized with assistance from UNESCO and the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States:
Effects of the economic embargo on the education and cultural sectors
63. Security Council resolution 661 of 6 August 1990, which imposed comprehensive economic sanctions on the Republic of Iraq, had adverse repercussions on human rights, particularly the right to food, medicine and a decent standard of living. In view of the close interrelationship between economic, social and cultural rights and civil and political rights, all these rights were adversely affected by those sanctions, which were still in force at the time of preparation of this report even though they could no longer be justified in view of Iraq's implementation of the Security Council resolutions.
64. The subsequent war launched on 17 January 1991 by the Coalition States hostile to Iraq caused extensive damage, hitherto unprecedented in any State, to the infrastructure of all the country's economic and cultural sectors. That war was followed by foreign-instigated internal disturbances which led to the destruction and pillage of public and private property, government departments and educational, cultural, health and other institutions, as a result of which the Government was obliged to assume its responsibilities towards its citizens by recovering its national sovereignty and restoring order.
65. In the education sector, institutions suffered varying degrees of damage due to the war of aggression and the disturbances. This damage, which affected buildings, furniture, school equipment, laboratories, educational aids, school books, libraries, machines, apparatus and projects that were being implemented, was estimated at a value of 61,818,162 dinars at current prices in the case of the war damage and 998,630,137 dinars in the case of the damage caused by the disturbances.
66. Educational institutions (schools and education departments) also suffered damage. This damage affected 5,087 schools and education departments, including kindergartens, primary, secondary, preparatory and vocational schools, teacher training colleges and the premises of general directorates of education and their branches in the governorates. Educational institutions were also affected by the economic embargo which rendered some of them fully inoperative, as in the case of the production lines at industrial schools and the welding and metalworking sections of the workshops in the governorates of Basra and Nineveh, as well as the school canteens. The value of the damage caused during the period from 1 March 1991 to 31 December 1991 has been estimated at 1,189,094 dinars.
67. The activities of some institutions were partially suspended, as in the case of the Ministry printing presses and some training and production projects at the industrial schools where the damage was evaluated at 198,111 dinars. The embargo also led to a considerable increase in operating costs, such as the costs of printing school books and obtaining spare parts for production workshops where the damage was evaluated at 1,055,876 dinars.
68. In the field of higher education, the damage suffered by Iraqi universities during the first quarter of 1992 as a result of the imposition of the economic embargo is shown in the following table:
The amounts shown in the above table represent the damage resulting from the delayed construction of laboratories, the increased cost of production requisites, wage differentials, higher operating costs, delays in equipping the principal laboratories and the lack of replacement equipment and spare parts, etc.
69. The losses in respect of fixed assets of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research have been evaluated at 25,172,239 dinars during the period of the war of aggression against Iraq from 17 January to 1 May 1991 and 56,711,509 dinars during the disturbances. The replacement and repair costs have been evaluated at 693,050 dinars in respect of the war of aggression and 1,268,906 dinars in respect of the disturbances.
70. The value of the damage caused at warehouses of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has been estimated at 73,942 dinars in respect of the war of aggression and 2,283,355 dinars in respect of the disturbances.
71. Iraq recognizes the right of every individual to take part in cultural life. In this regard, there are no discriminatory restrictions on the right of Iraqi citizens to join cultural and literary associations, nor are there any restrictions on authors, the press, radio and television or the right to publish books and magazines. This is evident from the statutes of the Federation of Iraqi writers and other cultural organizations such as the Women's Federation, the National Federation of Iraqi Students, the Teachers' Union and the Associations of Journalists and Jurists, etc.
72. Iraq also recognizes the right of every individual to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications, as stipulated in the Provisional Constitution and the legislation promulgated pursuant thereto.
73. The right to benefit from the protection of material interests resulting from the production of cultural works is guaranteed under the terms of the Copyright Protection Act, the Patent Act and the Promotion of Creativity Act. In addition, all written works and translations that are published in Iraq are rewarded. As a member of UNESCO, Iraq recognizes the importance of international cooperation in educational, scientific and artistic fields and has concluded bilateral and multilateral agreements with a number of States. It has announced its accession to a multilateral agreement on the avoidance of double taxation on copyright royalties, with additional protocol, under the terms of Act No. 52 of 1981.
74. The Ministry of Culture and Information in Iraq is fostering and encouraging intellectual, artistic, literary and cultural talents and activities in the two basic sectors with which it is concerned, namely culture and information.
The Ministry's Information Division consists of:
(a) The Radio and Television Department.
(b) The Iraqi News Agency.
(c) The Information Department.
(d) The Dar al-Jamahir press agency.
Its Cultural Division consists of:
(a) The Antiquities and Heritage Department.
(b) The Dar al-Ma'moun Translation and Publishing House.
(c) The Cinema and Theatre Department.
(d) The Cultural Affairs Institute.
(e) The Children's Cultural Institute.
(f) The Kurdish Cultural and Publishing House.
(g) The Books and Documents Institute.
(h) The Department of Musical Arts.
(i) The Iraqi Fashion House.
Composition of the infrastructure established to implement the policy of promoting public participation in culture
(a) The role of the press in the dissemination of culture and the propagation of knowledge
75. Since the revolution of 17-30 July, the press in Iraq has developed considerably through the introduction of the latest printing techniques, an increase in the number of publications and diversification of the press services rendered to readers. The principal Iraqi newspapers are:
(i) The Al-Thawra newspaper:
This is a political newspaper, expressing the views of the Arab Baath Socialist Party, which is published by the Al-Thawra Press and Publishing House. It was founded on 17 August 1968 and began to issue an international edition in London. It is distributed in America and Europe and had a circulation of 150,000 copies.
(ii) The Al-Jumhuriya newspaper:
This was founded in 1967 and has since been considerably expanded and developed. In 1988, it had a daily circulation of about 150,000 copies.
(iii) The Baghdad Observer newspaper:
This is a daily political newspaper founded in 1967 and published in English by the Dar al-Ma'moun Translation and Publishing House.
(iv) The Qadisiya newspaper:
This is a daily political and military newspaper founded in 1980 and published by the Department of Moral Guidance at the Ministry of Defence. It focuses on military and ideological matters.
(v) The Al-Iraq newspaper:
This is a daily political newspaper founded in 1978 and published by Dar al-Iraq. It expresses the views of the Kurdish parties in the National Progressive Front and focuses on affairs in the Autonomous Region.
(vi) The Babil newspaper:
This newspaper, founded in 1990, deals with political, cultural and social affairs.
(vii) The Hawkari newspaper:
This weekly newspaper is published in Kurdish by the Kurdish Cultural and Publishing House.
(viii) The Yurd newspaper:
This weekly newspaper is published in the Turkoman language by the Directorate of Turkoman Culture.
(ix) The Al-Rased newspaper:
This is an independent general weekly newspaper.
(x) The Al-Hukm al-Dhati (Autonomy) magazine:
This is a monthly general cultural magazine published in Arabic and Kurdish by the Secretariat for Culture and Youth in the Autonomous Region.
(xi) The Bagdad magazine:
This is a monthly general political magazine founded in 1975 and published in French.
(xii) The Hurras al-Watan magazine:
This is a monthly general political magazine published by the Department of Moral Guidance.
(xiii) The Al-Rafidain magazine:
This is a political, cultural and social magazine.
(xiv) Trade-union newspapers and magazines:
The Iraqi trade unions and professional associations publish newspapers dealing with matters of concern to their members, in addition to general political and cultural affairs. These publications include the Al-Mar'a (Woman) weekly magazine, the Sawt al-Fallah (Farmer's Voice) magazine, the Sawt at-Talaba wash-Shabab (Voice of Students and Youth) magazine, the Wa'y al-Ummal (Workers' Awareness) magazine and the Al-Ittihad newspaper.
(xv) Sports newspapers and magazines:
Sports institutions in Iraq publish a number of sports-oriented newspapers and magazines, including the Al-Baath ar-Riyadhi daily newspaper, the Al-Rashid monthly magazine, the Al-Riyadhi weekly newspaper and the Kurdish Varzesh Karavan weekly sports newspaper.
(xvi) Scientific newspapers and magazines:
These include the monthly magazine Ulum, the magazine Al-Jadid fil Ulum wat-Teknolojiya and the magazine Tibb wa Ulum. The Iraqi universities also publish a large number of specialized periodicals on academic studies.
(xvii) Children's magazines:
Two children's magazines are published in Iraq. These are Majallati, which is published by the Children's Cultural Institute, and Al-Rajul al-Khariq, which is published by the Ahliya Publishing House.
76. The Cultural Affairs Institute publishes the works of Iraqi authors and writers on various ideological, political and cultural subjects. The number of its publications during the period from 1990 to July 1992 can be seen from the following table:
77. The number of works published on scientific and academic subjects can be seen from the following table:
78. This institution, which was founded in 1980, specializes in all forms of translation and also publishes a large number of foreign works, thereby constituting a cultural bridge between Iraq and the outside world. It has translated 490 books on political, cultural and literary subjects from Arabic into foreign languages and publishes Iraqi newspapers and magazines in foreign languages (the English-language Baghdad Observer newspaper, the French-language magazine Bagdad and the English-language cultural magazine Gilgamesh).
79. Dar al-Ma'moun also translates and publishes international cultural works in Arabic. It has so far published 100 books, including 44 novels, 7 collections of short stories, 6 theatrical plays, 2 theatrical studies, 10 linguistic, literary and critical studies, 9 artistic and architectural studies, 7 historical and archaeological studies, 8 dictionaries and encyclopaedias, 2 ideological studies and 5 poetical anthologies.
80. It also publishes the official Yearbook of the Republic of Iraq, of which two editions have so far been issued (the 1988 Yearbook in Arabic and the 1990 Yearbook in English) containing geographical and historical information on Iraq, as well as its political system, administrative divisions, economic activities and other documented details.
81. This institution is an information, cultural and artistic centre which organizes exhibitions of traditional fashions in and outside Iraq in such a way as to reflect the aesthetic and cultural values of Iraq's heritage in a manner that reconciles traditional and modern taste. It has its own exhibition hall, which meets modern technological standards, as well as a permanent museum in which traditional Iraqi fashions and local textiles are exhibited. Dar al-Ma'moun is visited by numerous foreign and Arab delegations, as well as students from technical colleges and universities.
82. Before the Coalition States launched their war of aggression against Iraq, the Conference Centre hosted 224 conferences and other activities during the period up to 21 January 1991. It helped to host five poetry festivals, including the Marbid festival and some other Arab festivals. It also hosted a number of popular Islamic conferences and the World Peace Conference.
83. The Department of Arts promotes public participation in modern plastic arts and traditional handicrafts at its artistic museums and exhibition halls in which exhibitions of the works of individual artists are organized. The Department also provides artists with material and moral support by allowing them to exhibit their works free of charge and printing exhibition guidebooks and tickets at its expense. It also purchases their artistic works in order to add them to its collection for exhibition at arts centres. Through the Directorate of the People's Heritage, the Department also promotes and encourages participation in popular arts and crafts, such as textiles, carpets, copper and woodworking and pottery. It holds an annual "people's heritage festival". The above-mentioned crafts are studied at a special institute in which citizens are trained in various skills. There is also a special museum devoted to the heritage of the Iraqi people, at which examples of handicrafts from all parts of Iraq are exhibited.
84. The above-mentioned museum contains examples of the plastic arts produced by Iraqi citizens, without any discrimination between them. They are given an opportunity to participate on an equal footing, regardless of their ethnic, religious and linguistic affiliations. There are also cultural and artistic associations of Iraqi Kurds, Turkomans and other minorities, since Iraqi legislation recognizes the cultural rights of all the country's minorities.
85. The Department of Arts provides extensive facilities for artists, who are exempted from entrance fees to museums and exhibition halls. Halls are booked, free of charge, for exhibitions of their personal works and financial support is granted for artistic projects, exhibition pamphlets, opening ceremonies and advertising. However, the imposition of the economic embargo on the people of Iraq has had adverse consequences by preventing the holding of numerous international arts festivals which help to strengthen relations with other artists throughout the world and also promote the principles of brotherhood and peace (such as the biennial Baghdad World Festival of Plastic Arts, which is attended by artists from all parts of the world and during which international gold and silver medals are awarded for the best exhibits, and the Baghdad World Festival of Arabic Calligraphy and Islamic ornamentation).
86. This comprises the following institutions:
(i) The Music and Ballet School.
(ii) The Institute of Musical Studies.
(iii) The Rabat Hall for Musical Performances.
(iv) The International Centre for Musical Studies.
(v) The Dar al-Salam Institute for the Teaching of Music.
(vi) The Iraqi Beit al-Maqam.
(vii) The "Flags and Rhythms" folklore troupe.
87. There are no restrictions on the propagation of music and musical culture in Iraq, since music does not require local languages. The above-mentioned Department endeavours to organize intellectual and cultural seminars in the field of music, in which all interested persons are invited to participate. Its activities are well documented.
88. Every governorate in Iraq has an average of 1-6 cinema halls, with the exception of the capital, Baghdad, which has 26 such halls, of which 7 are ranked as first-class. There are 10 theatres at Baghdad and the universities, popular organizations and youth centres have their own theatres. The various governorates have an average of 1-3 theatres each at which performances are presented in Arabic in all parts of Iraq, with the exception of the Autonomous Region where they are presented in Kurdish. These facilities are supervised by the Cinema and Theatre Department, which has its own annual budgetary appropriations.
89. Iraq also has private-sector cinema and television production companies and numerous theatrical troupes. The popular arts activities of the Cinema and Theatre Department are shown in the following table:
spectators
No. of spectatorsFestivals
(i) Radio and Television
91. The Iraqi television station broadcasts programmes in Arabic throughout the country, in addition to programmes in Kurdish and Turkoman for the minorities. There are also daily radio broadcasts in Kurdish, Turkoman and Syriac (an average of 19 hours in Kurdish, 3.5 hours in Turkoman and 2.5 hours in Syriac).
92. The Radio and Television Department of the Ministry of Culture and Information prepares special programmes in collaboration with individuals and institutions. For example, it cooperates with the Ministry of Health on the preparation of health programmes. It also produces programmes covering social, educational and sports activities and cooperates with the Ministry of Education to present televised educational programmes and lessons for students throughout the year. These educational lessons are broadcast more frequently during examination periods.
93. The average monthly time devoted to radio programmes, by production source, in 1990 was as follows:
94. The average monthly time devoted to television programmes, by production source, in 1990 is shown in the following table:
95. Iraq is regarded as the cradle of human civilization, which has made an incomparable contribution to the history of human creativity. Human activity in Mesopotamia can be traced back to around 60-100,000 BC. This ancient civilization has endowed Iraq with antiquities at Ur, Babylon, Assyria and Nineveh. In the capital, archaeological sites can still be seen, such as the ancient wall of Baghdad, the Murjaniya School, Khan Murjan and the Mustansiriya School, in addition to ancient mosques, churches, markets and monuments, etc.
96. Baghdad also has many museums, the most important of which is the Iraqi Museum containing relics from Iraq's most ancient historical periods, the Baghdad Museum containing various exhibits of traditional folklore, handicrafts, sculptures and examples of the people's heritage, the Museum of National Costumes and Folklore, the War Museum containing examples of ancient military equipment and weaponry, the National Museum of Modern Art containing many examples of plastic arts by various artists, and the Museum of Iraqi Art Pioneers containing examples of the work of 22 artists during the period 1900-1949. Other museums are distributed among the various governorates in the manner shown in the following table:
97. The number of archaeological finds recorded at the Iraqi museum is as follows:
98. All Iraqi citizens belonging to ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities enjoy all the rights recognized in article 19 of the Constitution, which stipulates that all citizens are equal before the law, without discrimination on grounds of sex, race, language, social origin or religion. This forms a firm basis for the elimination of racial discrimination in all parts of the country. Iraq has also emphasized the important role that culture and information play in combating racism. Having prohibited all forms of racist practices, which are regarded as punishable offences, Iraq has shown great concern for education, culture and information in the campaign to eliminate racism. With regard to education, Iraq has acceded to the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education, which it is applying in letter and spirit. Pursuant to that Convention, the educational syllabuses, particularly for the subjects of national education, history and geography, are based on the avoidance of any racial discrimination or prejudice in the presentation of the study material with a view to training a generation free from all vestiges of the colonial and racist eras. This is in keeping with the provisions of paragraph 16 of the Programme of Action adopted by the Second World Conference to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination held in August 1983.
99. Iraq regards the UNESCO Declaration on Fundamental Principles concerning the Contribution of the Mass Media to Strengthening Peace and International Understanding, to the Promotion of Human Rights and to Countering Racialism, Apartheid and Incitement to War proclaimed on 28 November 1978 as guidelines for the information media, as stipulated in the Statutes of the Ministry of Culture and Information (Act No. 94 of 1981), section B of which calls for endeavours to combat colonialist, Zionist and racist tendencies in all cultural and artistic fields. Pursuant to this policy, all books with a racist content or advocating racist practices are banned in Iraq. This is in keeping with the provisions of paragraph 22 of the Programme of Action adopted at the Second World Conference to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, held in August 1983, concerning the role of the mass media in combating racism.
100. The Government of Iraq has endeavoured to promote the culture of the Turkoman minority by applying Revolution Command Council Decision No. 89 of 24 January 1970, which recognized the cultural rights of the Turkomans. That decision is being applied in letter and in spirit, as can be seen from the following:
(a) A newspaper (Yurd) has been published in the Turkoman language since 1970;
(b) There is a Turkoman Cultural Department which publishes literary and cultural books written by Turkoman authors and rewards them for their work;
(c) The Cultural Office of the Writers' Federation publishes a periodical magazine in Arabic and Turkoman. Unfortunately, it has been forced to cease publication due to the circumstances brought about by the economic embargo. However, publication of the magazine is expected to resume within the next few months;
(d) With assistance from the Ministry of Culture and Information, the Turkoman Cultural Office allocates monthly subsidies to a number of Turkoman writers and authors in accordance with their age and their financial circumstances;
(e) The Broadcasting Authority of the Republic of Iraq has a Turkoman language section which broadcasts political, cultural and artistic programmes for an average of four hours a day. The Iraqi television station also broadcasts programmes in Turkoman for an average of 3.5 hours a day;
(f) The cultural, social and artistic activities of the Turkoman community are covered by the information media whenever they celebrate private Turkoman or public national events.
101. The Syriac language is taught as a classical language at the Faculty of Arts of Baghdad University. A monthly magazine is published in Syriac and Kirkuk radio and television station also broadcasts programmes in Syriac.
102. An association has been established for Syriac-speaking writers and authors, who also receive financial and moral support to print and publish their cultural and literary works. Syriac-speakers are granted facilities to open cultural and artistic clubs, to form artistic and theatrical troupes and to develop their popular heritage and arts.
103. The cultural rights of Kurdish citizens in the Autonomous Region are recognized on the basis of:
(a) The Provisional Constitution of the Republic of Iraq, which was proclaimed on 16 July 1970;
(b) The Declaration of 11 March 1970, which affirmed the need for measures to remedy the former cultural and educational backwardness with which the Kurdish ethnic group was afflicted;
(c) Revolution Command Council Decision No. 317 of 27 March 1974, under the terms of which the General Directorate of Kurdish Schools was attached to the Ministry of Education.
104. On this basis, academic and information facilities such as the following were established to promote Kurdish culture:
(a) The Salahuddin University in the Autonomous Region;
(b) The Kurdish Cultural and Publishing House, attached to the Ministry of Culture and Information, which is responsible for promoting and developing Kurdish culture. It has a library containing books on all subjects;
(c) The above-mentioned institution also publishes a daily newspaper and three magazines which are constantly striving to develop Kurdish cultural life.
105. The institution is also endeavouring to develop Kurdish literature and the Kurdish heritage through the press and the printing of Kurdish books. The progress that has been achieved in regard to Kurdish publications in Iraq during the last two decades can be seen from the following table:
1980s
1 258
Measures taken to promote the enjoyment of freedom of publication, education and culture
106. Iraq views culture as a means of dialogue among peoples based on the principle of endeavours to combat racism. Accordingly, the Statutes of the Ministry of Culture and Information (Act No. 94 of 1981) stipulate that the objectives of the Ministry include the revival of the Islamic heritage and the dissemination of information on Arab civilization, including its origins, values, achievements and influence on other human civilizations and endeavours to combat colonialist tendencies in cultural fields. Iraq also stresses the importance of reviving the popular heritage of all ethnic and linguist minorities by encouraging the establishment of popular artistic and folklore troupes. All the educational and cultural syllabuses and programmes are based on a sophisticated humanitarian outlook which is opposed to racial discrimination in the presentation of study material with a view to training a generation free from all vestiges of the colonial eras which formerly promoted racist tendencies.
107. Reference has already been made in this report to the exercise by minorities of their rights in regard to education and the teaching of their own languages. This provides further confirmation of the anti-racist policy.
108. The measures taken to promote freedom of publication include:
(a) Adoption of modern technical requirements and specifications in the field of publication;
(b) Classification of branches of knowledge and science and provision of publication facilities so that the results of scientific and academic work can be made available for local, regional and international purposes;
(c) Observance of the provisions of the Iraqi Constitution concerning respect for cultural rights and endeavours to facilitate the publication of classical and original modern works and translations;
(d) Encouragement and remuneration of outstanding works in accordance with objective criteria derived from modern international practices;
(e) Provision of facilities for phased periodic publication by young authors and translators and for the evaluation and enhancement of their work by experts with a view to increasing the volume and scope of their publications.
Effects of the economic embargo, the aggression by the Coalition States against Iraq and the disturbances on the promotion of information and culture in Iraq
109. The unjust economic embargo has had an extremely adverse effect on the dignity and life of the Iraqi people in view of its detrimental impact on their economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights. The situation was further aggravated by the extensive damage inflicted on the country's infrastructure as a result of the aggressive bombing of Iraq by the Coalition States. The state of anarchy and alarm was exacerbated by outlaws who stole and plundered property and assets belonging to the State and its citizens in the regions in which the disturbances occurred.
110. Cultural, information, artistic and social centres and institutions also suffered extensive damage.
111. From the information standpoint, the activities of this institution were curtailed both in and outside Iraq. From the production standpoint, it became impossible to obtain the requisite up-to-date information and raw materials, in addition to the difficulty of receiving the Arab and foreign delegations which customarily paid it a visit.
112. The Conference Centre was struck by four missiles launched by the Coalition States on the night of 12 February 1991, as a result of which it was damaged and became unable to host Arab and international conferences and activities. It also became unable to transmit to the outside world, by satellite, the proceedings of conferences which used to be interpreted into seven languages.
113. The unjust economic embargo has prevented Iraqi artists from participating in international festivals and gatherings outside Iraq, in which they used to play a prominent role. The scarcity of the raw materials needed for paintings, sculptures, ceramics and other artistic works has also impeded progress in the arts.
114. The unjust economic embargo has affected the Department's work due to the difficulty of obtaining musical instruments, equipment and accessories, as well as some types of sheet music and spare parts, which is having a detrimental impact on studies in musical schools and academies.
115. Like other cultural centres, Iraq's museums suffered extensive damage as a result of the aggression by the Coalition States and the subsequent disturbances. The Basra Museum, which is a cultural centre containing numerous archaeological finds reflecting various stages in the development of civilization in Mesopotamia, was severely damaged and lost 919 archaeological exhibits, in addition to the destruction or theft of its fixtures, its library and other papers and documents kept in the museum.
116. Kirkuk Museum, which was also ransacked and robbed during the disturbances, likewise lost 919 archaeological exhibits, in addition to the destruction of its showcases and exhibition galleries. The contents of the adjacent Folklore Museum were also stolen.
117. The Tell el-Lahm archaeological site was damaged during the aggression by the Coalition States against Iraq when it was struck by missiles which caused extensive damage to the archaeological strata and scattered the relics.
118. The Misan Museum was damaged, robbed and burnt during the disturbances. The historic city of Ur was also damaged as a result of the aggression by the Coalition States against Iraq, during which the ziggurat was struck by about 400 machine-gun bullets and American soldiers used bayonets to dig up the site and steal relics. The Kufa Museum was also damaged and robbed, losing 392 archaeological exhibits, as well as the books in its library and exhibits from the museum dedicated to the 1920 revolution.
119. As a result of the economic embargo, most companies stopped supplying television programmes and serials and it became impossible to import the materials and spare parts needed to maintain the transmitting and receiving equipment.
120. The aerial and missile bombardment of Iraq by the Coalition forces caused considerable damage, the estimated value of which is shown in the following table:
on 21 January 1991 and
on 25 January 1991
Basra Television
was bombarded on
30 January 1991
100%
30%
70%
The building and adjacent buildings
The building (television complex)
Equipment
121. The other radio and television stations were also damaged, including the television station at Dhi Qar (50 per cent destroyed), Basra radio station (50 per cent), Babil television station (45 per cent), Misan television station (65 per cent), the electronic broadcasting station at Rutba (75 per cent), the Thawra station at Abu Ghreib (90 per cent), the radio and television complex at Salihiya in the governorate of Baghdad (100 per cent) and Muthanna television station (50 per cent), etc.