UN Security Council extends the mandate of UNITAD
Shafaq News/ The United Nations Security Council on Thursday extended the mandate of the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL (UNITAD).
"Resolution 2651 renewed UNITAD’s mandate until 17 September 2023, first established by resolution 2379 (2017) upon the request of the Government of Iraq," an official press release said.
Special Adviser and Head of UNITAD Christian Ritscher welcomed the renewal of the Team’s mandate as testament to the international community’s commitment to the mission of UNITAD, adding that “the Team will continue its work, in cooperation with the Government of Iraq and Member States, to serve our common goal of advancing justice for victims and survivors of ISIL’s international crimes.”
He said, “Iraq as well as all members of the Security Council showed again their unwavering support to UNITAD and its investigations, as a leading entity in the quest for accountability for ISIL heinous acts, which may amount for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.”
Special Adviser Ritscher will continue to report the developments and progress of the Team’s investigations to the Security Council every 180 days. In the 8th report (June 2022), the Special Adviser highlighted the progress made in multiple investigations and the strong partnership between the Team and the Government of Iraq.
Outlining future priority areas for the work of the Team, the Special Adviser explained that UNITAD is expanding its investigations into a number of key areas, including investigations of crimes committed in Mosul as the capital of the socalled “caliphate” in Iraq, as well as ISIL’s destruction of cultural heritage and its use of chemical weapons.
On 9 August 2017, the Government of Iraq called upon the international community to assist in ensuring that ISIL members are held accountable for their crimes in Iraq. The international community responded to this call with one voice, with the Security Council unanimously adopting resolution 2379 (2017), by which it requested the Secretary-General to establish an investigative team, headed by a Special Adviser, to support domestic efforts to hold ISIL accountable by collecting, preserving and storing evidence in Iraq of acts that might amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed in Iraq.
Pursuant to this resolution, the Secretary-General established the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL (UNITAD), and appointed the first Special Adviser and Head of the Team effective 31 May 2018. Currently, the Team is headed by Special Adviser Christian Ritscher.
