Iraq

Centering around the two great rivers of the Tigris and Euphrates, Iraq borders Turkey, Iran, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Syria. Nominally a democracy since the overthrow of the previous Ba’ath regime in 2003, Iraq still suffers from widespread sectarian and political violence, displacement of peoples, instability and political paralysis. The dire security situation severely limits the capacity of the government to protect human rights, with widespread violence, regular acts of terrorism and resurgence of harmful traditional practices such as honour killings and female genital mutilation.