The Right to Life Human Rights Centre (R2L), Sri Lanka has joined 41 international and national organizations in signing a Joint Statement marking five years since the enactment of Iraq’s Yazidi Survivors Law (YSL), adopted on 1 March 2021.
The statement reflects on the significance of the YSL as a landmark survivor-centred reparation framework addressing atrocities committed by the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) against Yazidi, Turkmen, Christian, and Shabak communities.
The Yazidi Survivors Law established an administrative reparations programme providing monthly compensation, medical and psychological care, land and housing support, educational opportunities, and public sector employment quotas for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, mass killings, and abductions. Importantly, the law also recognizes that ISIL committed genocide and crimes against humanity, mandates memorialization initiatives, and calls for accountability for perpetrators.
Five years on, progress has been made. As of January 2026, more than 2,200 survivors have received monthly compensation payments, contributing to improved financial stability, social recognition, and dignity. According to findings by the Coalition for Just Reparations (C4JR), a significant majority of beneficiaries report enhanced integration into society and improved treatment within their families and communities.
However, the Joint Statement also highlights persistent challenges. Survivors continue to face barriers in accessing reparative services due to procedural obstacles, including heightened evidentiary standards and the absence of transparent appeal mechanisms. Comprehensive, state-sponsored rehabilitation services remain limited, and education programmes lack trauma-responsive approaches. In addition, Iraq has yet to incorporate genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes into its domestic legislation, limiting avenues for full accountability.
Through this joint action, R2L stands in solidarity with survivors and civil society partners globally, reaffirming its commitment to justice, accountability, and survivor-centred reparations. R2L emphasizes that meaningful reparations must go beyond financial compensation and include holistic rehabilitation, social reintegration, and structural guarantees of non-recurrence.
The signatory organizations call upon:
The Government of Iraq to:
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Ensure fair, transparent, and accessible application and appeal processes under the YSL;
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Deliver all reparative measures guaranteed under the law, including compensation, rehabilitation, trauma-responsive education, land, and housing;
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Enact legislation incorporating genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes into national law and prosecute ISIL members accordingly, in compliance with international human rights standards.
The International Community to:
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Establish a UN-managed repository to preserve and share evidence collected by UNITAD for prosecutorial purposes;
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Provide technical support to strengthen survivor-centred reparations and rehabilitation systems in Iraq.
By endorsing this Joint Statement, the Right to Life Human Rights Centre reiterates its ongoing commitment to supporting survivors of torture, conflict-related violence, and grave human rights violations worldwide, and to advancing global standards on reparations and accountability.
📜 Full Statement – Joint Statement