Consensus democracy under scrutiny

Diyala University analyses constitutional protection of human rights in Iraq
On the occasion of International Human Rights Day, the Faculty of Basic Education at Diyala University, in collaboration with the Human Rights Unit, the Continuing Education Division and the Media and Government Communications Division, held a specialised scientific symposium entitled: ‘Consensus Democracy and Constitutional Protection of Human Rights: An Analytical View of the Iraqi Experience.’ A number of faculty members, students, and researchers interested in political and legal issues participated in the seminar.
The seminar, presented by Assistant Professor Ahmed Sadiq Al-Mandalawi, head of the Human Rights Unit at the college, aimed to analyse the dialectical relationship between the model of consensual democracy applied in Iraq and the effectiveness of constitutional protection of human rights under it. The seminar sought to evaluate the Iraqi experience in this field and reveal the legal and political challenges facing the application of the human rights principles enshrined in the constitution.
The symposium included a discussion of several key themes: The first theme presented the theoretical framework of consensual democracy and its global models, and how it can be applied in diverse social contexts such as Iraqi society. The second theme presented an analytical reading of Iraqi constitutional texts relating to human rights and fundamental freedoms. The third topic highlighted the most prominent practical challenges facing the constitutional protection of human rights in light of political agreements and quota mechanisms.