Witness Protection and Support

Through its dedicated witness protection and support unit, the Team ensured that witness interviews followed a systematic and deliberate planning process, in a manner limiting potential exposure to identified threats, in line with paragraph 44 (f) of the Terms of Reference (S/2018/118, Annex). Facilities to accommodate interviews by investigators were built at its premises in Baghdad, Erbil and Dohuk as part of this process, allowing for these interviews to be undertaken in a secure and managed environment. This was complemented by an in-house psychosocial support capacity that was established to support the most vulnerable witnesses interviewed by the Team, including women and children, reducing the risk of further traumatization and offering onward referrals to health services within its network. Two hundred and seventy (270) vulnerable witnesses benefited from appropriate support and assistance.

In addition to supporting the investigative efforts of the Team, experts within this unit also helped the Iraqi authorities strengthen their capacity to protect and support witnesses. Since 2020, and at the request of the Government of Iraq, the Team assisted the implementation of domestic witness protection legislation by working with the Ministry of Interior in the development of its specialized unit. This included the initial delivery of week-long training-the-trainer course by experts from the Team; the development of internal procedures; a suggested organigramme and bespoke training to managers and practitioners on best practices; and a needs assessment that identified areas for further development.

Capacity-building activities in this area included the enhancement of mental health and protection practitioner skills nationally, which significantly bolstered the ability of the Iraqi authorities and other stakeholders to manage the psychosocial needs of survivors and witnesses. To this end, more than a hundred and fifty (150) training sessions were delivered to a diverse range of approximately eighteen hundred (1800) participants  – psychologists, social workers, humanitarian workers and religious leaders among others – during the mandate. To ensure this capacity would be sustained after the mandate, twelve (12) training courses, spanning thirty-one (31) days and reaching a hundred and fifty-five (155) participants were conducted in the final seven months. This all ensured that eighteen (18) different counterparts were equipped to provide essential services to survivors and witnesses.