Iraqi Women Diplomats-in-Training
Hosted by The Humpty Dumpty Institute, The Mission of Iraq to the United Nations & The Iraqi Women's Democracy Initiative
October 2005
Executive Summary
The Humpty Dumpty Institute (HDI) sponsored two days of briefings at the United Nations on October 27th & 28th for a delegation of nine women diplomats-in-training from the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Baghdad. HDI's program was part of a broader, two-week initiative coordinated by the Mission of Iraq to the United Nations and the Iraqi Women's Democracy Initiative at the U.S. Department of State.
The specific intent of HDI's program was to promote greater understanding among the Iraqi diplomats for the work of the United Nations and its Member-States. The broader aim was to emphasize democratic principles, promote human rights, women's rights, and advance women's political and economic participation in Iraq.
The delegation was comprised of women diplomats-in-training from the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs with portfolios ranging from international law to human rights to multilateral cooperation.
The two-day event focused on a variety of timely topics including: U.N. Reform, the U.N.'s Role in Humanitarian Assistance Worldwide, Treaties and International Law, Human Development in the Arab World, the U.N.'s Role in Peace and Security, Achieving Gender Equality in Democratic Governance, the U.N.'s Role in Iraq and Achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The meetings, held in an informal and off-the-record environment, afforded both the Iraqi diplomats and U.N. Staff an opportunity to have an open discussion on these issues.
Following the New York segment of the program, the diplomats headed to Washington D.C., where they attended a series of high-level briefings and informal classroom sessions with senior government officials at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service.
HDI would like to thank the Permanent Representatives of Iraq to the UN, Ambassador Samir Shakir Mahmood Sumaida'ie, the Permanent Mission of Iraq to the United Nations, and the U.S. State Department's Iraqi Women's Democracy Initiative for the unique opportunity to host the working sessions at U.N. Headquarters for this Delegation.
