History
The Investigative Team concluded its mandate on 17 September 2024 pursuant to Security Council resolution 2697 (2023), and is no longer operational. This website captures its work and overall achievements. It is not updated.
Between 2014 and 2017, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) (Da’esh) captured, controlled and operated with impunity over large parts of territory in Iraq, committing crimes against civilians and communities in these areas. The subsequent liberation of this territory exposed the magnitude of these crimes, including torture, amputations, enslavement, rape, and mass killings, all of which were authorized, promoted, and celebrated by the group. Against this horrific backdrop, on 9 August 2017, the Government of Iraq called on the international community to provide assistance in ensuring that members of ISIL (Da’esh) were held accountable for their crimes in Iraq (S/2017/710).
In response, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2379 (2017), and requested the United Nations Secretary-General to establish an Investigative Team, led by a Special Adviser. Accordingly, the Investigative Team, also known as UNITAD, was established, mandated to support domestic efforts to hold ISIL (Da’esh) accountable by collecting, preserving and storing evidence of its crimes in Iraq that may amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. During its six years in Iraq, UNITAD operated pursuant to its Terms of Reference (S/2018/118, Annex), as accepted by the Government of Iraq and approved by the Security Council on 13 February 2018 (S/2018/119), as well as its own internal standard operating procedures.
Security Council resolution 2697 (2023) extended the mandate of the Investigative Team until 17 September 2024 only, based on a request from the Government of Iraq. The Report of the Secretary General of 15 January 2024 (S/2024/20) was issued as one of the follow-on actions requested by the Security Council to assist in implementing this resolution. The final report of the Special Adviser was submitted to the Security Council on 24 May 2024 (S/2024/408), and the final briefing to the Security Council by the Special Adviser was delivered on 5 June 2024. The Team concluded its mandate on 17 September 2024.
Two Special Advisers (Mr. Karim A. A. Khan; Mr. Christian Ritscher) and an Acting Special Adviser (Ms. Ana Peyró Llopis) were appointed to lead the Investigative Team over the course of its mandate. The Team was headquartered in Baghdad with satellite offices in Erbil, Dohuk and New York.