7th Annual
Commemoration of The Yazidi Genocide
Towards a Sustainable Future for Yazidis & Minorities in Iraq & KRI
The Seventh Annual Commemoration of the Yazidi Genocide was hosted by Yazda with The Zovighian Partnership, under the patronage of His Excellency Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi. Our convening was dedicated to deeply-needed blunt and action-focused keynotes, plenaries, and panels, bringing together the enormity and complexities of the Yazidi Cause.
We welcomed members of our communities and survivors, government officials, foreign representatives and diplomatic emissaries in Baghdad and Erbil, local and international civil society representatives, as well as leaders of religious communities on August 2-3, 2021.
We have carefully documented all speeches and words of solidarity to the Yazidi Cause during this seventh-year milestone.
To view the transcripts of all speeches, plenaries, and panels:
To view the Commemoration Programme of 2021:
Day 1 | Acknowledging the barriers to genocide response
August 2, 2021 | 16:00-19:30 Iraq time / 9:00-12:30 Eastern time
We will examine the challenges and obstacles curtailing efforts to respond to and end the Yazidi Genocide incited by Da’esh since 2014.
Opening keynote speakers
Mr. Haider Elias
Co-founder & President, Yazda Organization
In every year, we remind the world with what happened to the Yazidi community in 2014: enslavement of women and children, mass killings, forced displacement of an entire community, and destruction of their homes, religious temples and houses of worship.
H.E. Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi
Prime Minister, Republic of Iraq
It is now for all Iraqi ministries and institutions to jointly coordinate on Sinjar. Therefore, we tasked our office [The Prime Minister’s Office] to supervise the coordination effort between relevant Iraqi ministries and institutions in all matters […]
Sayyed Ammar Al-Hakim
Head, The National Wisdom Movement
The Islamic world, with all its religious, social, cultural, & political affiliations, must ensure concerted efforts to segregate and sort out these deviants [non-Islamic acts], & put an end to their destructive roles & their repulsive sinister agendas.
Ms. Salwa Saido
Member, Yazda Yazidi Survivors Network
Finally, I would like to remind you that I am today a displaced, and I live in a camp away from my mother. I lost my studies and my parents. But I hold out hope that the international community will compensate me and compensate the remaining victims […]
H.E. Ambassador Matthew H. Tueller
Ambassador of the United States to the Republic of Iraq
The United States Agency for International Development continues to support the Sinjar General Hospital, so that it can expand its services, as well the rehabilitation of key irrigation wells, the provision of psycho-social support to victims of ISIS […]
Minister of Justice, Republic of Iraq
[…] we are responsible for bringing the criminals against Yazidis to justice after securing sufficient evidence as a result of cooperation between the Iraqi courts & the international investigation team who proved that the crimes […] are genocide crimes.
First Plenary | Prioritizing Inclusion: The Challenges to Equitability for Minorities in the IDP Camps
In our first plenary, we will examine and debate the decision-making process and priorities for re-locating and provisioning services to displaced families in Sinjar. Our speakers will address current efforts and pertinent threats to ensuring a safe environment for all internally displaced communities.
Mr. Karim Al-Nouri
Deputy Minister of Displacement & Migration, Republic of Iraq
[...] the role of the Ministry of Migration and Displacement is to deliver relief and shelter and to provide support for the displaced. However, the security checks and what is related to the diagnosis of the security situation is out of our hands […]
Mr. Mirza Dinnayi
2019 Aurora Prize Laureate for Awakening Humanity & Head, Luftbrücke Irak (Air Bridge Iraq)
You need a strong international engagement, you need a strong … maybe an international fund. I am calling from this, the international community to establish an international fund to rebuild Sinjar in order to facilitate the returning back of the Yazidis.
First Panel | Humanizing Security: The Urgent Need for Bold Political Will and Action
Our first panel brings together diverse perspectives on key matters of security, including public administration, the women peace and security agenda, and accountability. Our speakers will highlight the imperative for agile cooperation to achieve the stability and sustained existence of minorities in Iraq and KRI.
Mr. Sa’ad Salloum
Director, Masarat Foundations & Founder, Iraqi Council for Interfaith Dialogue
[…] Maybe there are priorities that are required from every follower of the Yazidi affairs, and Sinjar affairs in particular. However, the security issues, and the issue related to Sinjar’s management, remains the utmost priority. However, we will add […]
Mr. Joey Hood
Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, United States Department of State
We also determined that Da’esh was responsible for crimes against […] ethnic cleansing against those groups and in some cases, against Sunnis, & Kurds, & other members of Iraqi society. So that solidarity, […] to defeat Da’esh, once and for all, remains.
H.E. M.P. Saib Khidir
Member of Parliament, Republic of Iraq
In this situation in general, Sinjar must be surely seen as an exceptional region. The Prime Minister confirmed this on more than one occasion by stating that Sinjar is a sensitive region and a region intervening with sensitive regions such as Syria […]
Ms. Sarab Barakat
Director General for Survivors’ Affairs, Ministry of Labour & Social Affairs, Republic of Iraq
We are grateful for the great support provided by the government and the world, supporting the passage of the Female Survivors’ Law in many ways with no limitation. We look forward to keep on this support for execution of the law in a due and complete […].
Ms. Natia Navrouzov
Legal Advocacy Director, Yazda Organization
Women in Iraq […] are still not part of decision-making processes and still a lot needs to be done to ensure they have a seat at a table. Women, especially Yazidi survivors, also need our support to feel empowered enough to join these processes […]
Second Plenary | Inaction and Destitution: The Limitations of International Diplomacy
Our second plenary will critically examine the response efforts of international actors on the ground. Our speakers will present necessary priorities to fill the gaps in humanitarian aid and opportunities for strategic re-development.
Ms. Nadine Maenza
Chair, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)
We are hoping that there will be additional sanctions on people that are violators of religious freedom, but I did want to also mention that the State Department just announced an additional 155 million in funds to aid the people of Iraq and refugees […]
Mr. Murad Ismael
Co-founder & President, Sinjar Academy
What we need to do in Sinjar, to remove all the interferences, all the regional, mostly regional interferences. Honestly, no one is coming from the West to impose or to create any bases in Sinjar, we have a regional conflict in Sinjar, that was mostly […]
Closing keynote speakers
Ms. Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert
Special Representative of the Secretary General, United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI)
And I can only emphasize our readiness & our commitment to help all stakeholders move towards a normalized, sustainable situation on the ground. Frankly, it is past time to reach consensus on stable governments & security structures, thereby expediting […]
H.E. Ambassador Mark Bryson-Richardson
Ambassador of the United Kingdom to the Republic of Iraq
The UK remains committed to the UN Investigative Team for the Accountability of Da’esh. I welcome UNITAD’s ongoing efforts to support prosecutions in Europe, and to provide closure to thousands of survivors of Da’esh violence by reuniting them […]
Ms. Pramila Patten
Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict & Under Secretary General, United Nations
A comprehensive transitional justice strategy in Iraq requires a safe […] return of the Yazidi community members to their homeland within Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. These returns must ensure the ability of survivors of sexual violence […]
H.E. Ambassador Michel Rentenaar
Ambassador of the Netherlands to the Republic of Iraq
The Netherlands is and will remain committed to the plight of the Yazidi people. This is one of my principal tasks here, as Ambassador in Iraq. But it will be difficult to do my work with the right level of understanding without having had the chance […]
Day 2 | Joining forces with an action plan for Sinjar
August 3, 2021 | 16:00-19:20 Iraq time / 9:00-12:20 Eastern time
We will explore actionable solutions that the Yazidi people, key stakeholders, and friends of the cause can jointly achieve.
Opening keynote speakers
H.E. Falah Mustafa Bakir
[Representative of H.E. President Nechirvan Barzani] Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to the President, Kurdistan Region
We need the engagement of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, UNAMI, & all the other agencies & donor countries. Cooperation between Erbil and Baghdad, as well as the United Nations and the Coalition, is crucial to address the needs […]
Ms. Zinah Khallat Sulaiman
Member, Yazda Yazidi Survivors Network
The systematic plan implemented by ISIS to destroy the Yazidi community went beyond the limits of the crime itself as they began to take our dignity by kidnapping and enslaving women and choosing them as cheap commodities for sale […]
Mr. David Mandel-Anthony
Acting Director, Office of Global Criminal Justice at the United States Department of State
The United States will continue to support the critical work for the Iraqi government to implement this law [The Yazidi Females Survivors’ Law] & will advocate for the government of Iraq to robustly fund & staff the important mission of the Survivor’s […]
H.E. Administrator Samantha Power
Administrator, United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
The United States has encouraged our partners in the Iraqi government & the Kurdistan Regional Government to create the legal architecture necessary to prosecute and win convictions for crimes of genocide, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity […]
H.E. M.P. Michelle Rempel Garner
Member of Parliament, Canada
Today I think we have to start by first acknowledging that the genocide happened because the governments of Iraq, Kurdistan, and the entire international community failed to protect the Yazidi people. We almost must acknowledge that we have not yet seen […]
Second Panel | Enabling Equitability: Collectively Ensuring Services and Investments for Sinjar
Our second panel recommends potential paths for the rebuilding of Sinjar that will give way to a sustainable future for minorities. Our speakers will present multiple perspectives for collaborative action, including socio-economic development, authentic reconstruction, and rule of law.
Ms. Siobhan Simojoki
Deputy Chief of Mission, International Organization for Migration (IOM)
[…] I had some reservations, because I do think for those of us that have been working in Iraq over the course of the last few years, we recognize that the progress in addressing the demands of affected communities, and particularly Yazidi community […]
Dr. Ali Al Bayati
Member, Iraqi High Commission For Human Rights
Of course, specific attention should be given to the needs and capacities of conflict-affected groups, with particular attention to issues relating to unemployed women. It will help, of course, in sustaining the integration of ex-combatants including […]
Ms. Reine Hanna
Director, Assyrian Policy Institute
The government of Iraq and its international partners have the opportunities to break with the harmful policy framework of the past and to pursue new and informed policies that establish the conditions of real equality for Iraq’s most vulnerable peoples.
H.E. M.P. Rezan Dler Mustafa
Member of Parliament, Republic of Iraq
We need to say as a parliament that we need to characterize those crimes, not by using words, but by establishing a special tribunal within Iraq to prosecute such crimes, to collect evidence in relation to Da’esh crimes, so as to enable Yazidis to file […]
Third Plenary | Housing and Dignity: Building Homes for a Sustainable Future
In our final plenary, we will present a call to action for the ethical and responsible reconstruction of Sinjar. Our speakers will demonstrate the need for urgent humanized planning and action led by community self-determination.
Ms. Zena Haji
Member, Yazda Yazidi Survivors Network
We are now in a state of chaos. We cannot return to our homeland under the current circumstances. And we remain stuck in these camps where we burn in the summer from heat and where we die in the winter from cold. It is not a permanent and suitable […]
Ms. Lynn Zovighian
Co-founder & Managing Director, The Zovighian Partnership
Every zone masterplan will need to be defined and designed with each respective community at the decision-making table. A masterplan will need to include community-led housing designs, but also integrate the key services and spaces for community assets.
Closing keynote speakers
Sheikh Dr. Anas Al-Esawi
Imam & Preacher, Gilani Mosque
It is very important to overpass all the barriers that were erupted between the Iraqi society […] Like the Sufi masters say, it should acknowledge that this […] crime was committed against the Yazidis, all those perpetrators should be held accountable.
H.E. Ambassador Paula Ganly
Ambassador of Australia to the Republic of Iraq
Our support to Yazidis in Iraq has been complimented by resettlement programs. Between 2015 and 2021, another 5,700 Yazidis, pre-dominantly located in Iraq and Turkey, were resettled through Australia Offshore Humanitarian Program. Our program focused […]
H.E. Ambassador Ulric Shannon
Ambassador of Canada to the Republic of Iraq
Canada will continue to clearly denounce the prosecution of Yazidis and other minority communities, because our experience has shown us that protecting and promoting human rights[...]can make societies more resilient and contribute to stability and economic growth.
H.E. Ambassador Bruno Aubert
Ambassador of France to the Republic of Iraq
It is important that the federal authorities and the Kurdistan Regional Authority exercise their responsibilities towards their residents and facilitate their safe return.
Cardinal Louis Raphaël I Sako
Patriarch, Babylon of the Chaldeans
It is up to the government to take the responsibility and to embrace all the Iraqi components, to preserve them, to protect them, to secure their dignity, through a civic democratic state.