The ISU meets with the DMA in Baghdad
On 20 March 2023, the Implementation Support Unit (ISU) of the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) took the opportunity of being in Baghdad, Iraq, to meet with several members of the Iraq Directorate of Mine Action (DMA) including Mr. Nibras Fakhir Matrood, Director of the Southern Regional Mine Action Centre (RMAC-South), and Mr. Haitham Al-Qanas, Director of Operation of RMAC-South. The objective of the meeting was to discuss Iraq’s detailed survey, clearance, risk education and resource mobilization plans for the extension period requested of 1 November 2023 to 1 November 2028. Representatives of Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), a major operator in Iraq, were also present at the meeting.
Iraq currently has almost 200 square kilometres of land known to be contaminated with cluster munitions. It submitted a request for a five-year extension on 16 November 2022 and the request will be considered at the 11th Meeting of States Parties (11MSP) in September 2023.
After the meeting, the ISU team met with the Deputy Director General of the DMA, Mr. Bakr Sahib Ahmed, and the Director General of the Iraqi Kurdistan Mine Action Agency (IKMAA), Mr. Jalal Jaafar Abdalla Barznja. Also present was Mr. Raed Jabbar, Head of International Cooperation of the DMA. During the meeting, the DMA reiterated its commitment to the work of the CCM and presented tokens of appreciation to the ISU for all its support and cooperation.
