Minister of Justice Khaled Shawani confirmed today, Monday, that the government is working seriously to implement human rights concepts and ensure public freedoms contained in the constitution. The Ministry of Justice stated, in a statement, that "Minister of Justice Khaled Shawani received a delegation from the European Foundation for Dialogue and Development, where he stressed the Ministry of Justice's commitment to human rights standards and ensuring freedoms and linking them with the tasks of the Ministry through the work of the Human Rights Department, which specializes in implementing Iraq's international obligations related to this field." Shawani explained that "the Iraqi constitution adopts the concepts of human rights in a way that is unparalleled in the region, especially with regard to guaranteeing the rights and public freedoms of Iraqi citizens. In order to complete these constitutional concepts, Iraq has joined many international agreements that guarantee these rights, such as joining the Con vention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), as well as agreements concerned with guaranteeing freedom of expression and the right to work. The Iraqi government is now preparing a package of draft laws that guarantee legal support for citizens who are unable to defend themselves before the courts." For its part, the European Foundation delegation expressed its "appreciation for the warm reception," expressing its "support for the measures taken by the Ministry of Justice and its commitment to international human rights standards, and the clarifications of the achievements of the Iraqi government in this regard." Source: National Iraqi News Agency