The national conference marking the conclusion of the “Addict is a Patient, not a Criminal” initiative was held as the final and most significant milestone of the campaign, which spanned across 17 Iraqi provinces. The event served as a platform to present the initiative’s outcomes and to foster a national dialogue on advancing a humane, rights-based approach to addressing addiction. The conference brought together a diverse range of stakeholders, including members of the Parliamentary Health Committee and the Human Rights Committee, as well as representatives from the Ministries of Interior, Health, Labor, and Social Affairs, and numerous civil society organizations.
Keynote speeches were delivered by the Advisor to the High Commission for Human Rights, the United Nations representative Dr. Ali Al-Yasiri, the President of the Public Aid Organization (PAO), and a representative from the Ministry of Interior. The speakers underscored the importance of shifting public and institutional perception of addiction from a criminal issue to a health and social one—while emphasizing the need for coordinated national responses. A dedicated panel discussion followed, featuring representatives from the Ministry of Health, MP Nisan Zayer from the Human Rights Committee, the Directorate for Combating Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, the Baghdad Office of the High Commission for Human Rights, and civil society stakeholders. The session explored challenges, lessons learned, and practical policy recommendations.
The conference concluded with a set of proposals and recommendations to be submitted to relevant authorities, aiming to strengthen national policies on addiction prevention, treatment, and reintegration, while promoting a collaborative framework between government bodies and civil society.
