European Union Integrated Rule of Law Mission in Iraq


The European Union Integrated Rule of Law Mission in Iraq, (EUJUST LEX), is a European Union mission to support and train judges, prison officials and other justice-sector workers in Iraq, to improve the rule of law and protection for human rights.

European Union Integrated Rule of Law Mission in Iraq
HeadquartersBaghdad, Iraq
Parent organization
European Union

EUJUST LEX is part of the European Union's External Action service. The mission has around 50-60 staff,[1] with members from several different EU (and non-EU) states.[2] It is divided into three main teams - supporting courts, police, and prisons respectively.

History

Support for the rule of law was requested by Ibrahim al-Jaafari, who was president of Iraq's interim government. EUJUST LEX was created by decision 6328/05 of the Council of the European Union; it started operations in July 2005, with Stephen White as the head of mission. The mandate has been extended repeatedly; the most recent extension, approved in June 2012 by a meeting of 27 EU ambassadors, continues until 31 December 2013.[3] It was initially headquartered in Brussels, for security reasons, with a small liaison office in the British embassy in Baghdad;[4] but this moved to Baghdad in early 2011. There are also offices in Erbil and Basra.[5]

As of 2012, EUJUST LEX had trained over 5000 Iraqi officials[6] and the total cost of the mission was around €118 million.[7]

References
  1. "EUJUST LEX (Iraq)". Auswärtiges Amt. 18 April 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  2. White (2008). "EUJUST LEX - ; The EU integrated rule of law mission for Iraq". Obrana a Strategie. 8 (2): 97–103. doi:10.3849/1802-7199.08.2008.02.097-103. ISSN 1214-6463.
  3. Gros-Verheyde (14 June 2012). "La mission Eujust Lex en Irak prolongée jusqu'à fin 2013". Bruxelles2 (in French). Archived from the original on 12 April 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  4. "9 EU police, rule of law and civilian administration mission to Iraq". European Scrutiny Committee, UK parliament. 27 June 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  5. "EUJUST LEX-Iraq". EEAS. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  6. "EU supports the rule of law in Iraq". Folke Bernadotte Academy. 16 October 2012. Archived from the original on 18 April 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  7. "9 EU police, rule of law and civilian administration mission to Iraq". European Scrutiny Committee, UK parliament. 27 June 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
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