Mosul, 19 September 2026 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in cooperation with the Supreme Judicial Council and the Ministry of Interior, convened a workshop in Mosul to strengthen coordination across the justice chain and enhance the institutional response to violence against women in Ninewa Governorate.

The workshop brought together eight judges and public prosecutors, as well as 15 police officers representing police stations, the Training and Qualification Directorate, Community Police, and the Family and Child Protection Police. It aimed to strengthen coordination among justice chain actors and identify gaps affecting the handling of cases from reporting, initial response and protection through investigation, referral and judicial proceedings.

The Director General of Police in Ninewa emphasized that effective coordination across all components of the justice chain is fundamental to an effective response, noting that a weakness in any one part of the chain affects the entire process, with victims bearing the greatest consequences.

Participants discussed key challenges affecting the response to violence against women and girls in Ninewa, particularly the fact that the Women’s Protection Centre in Ninewa is not operational. Discussions also highlighted a range of social and economic factors, including unemployment, economic pressures, drug use, early and forced marriage, and family interference.

Representatives of the Supreme Judicial Council presented data on cases handled in Ninewa Governorate from the beginning of 2026 up to the date of the workshop. More than 1,000 cases had been recorded, including 495 cases that were closed, 405 cases that were referred, and 131 cases that remained under review.

UNDP also presented Jordan’s experience in developing an institutional response to domestic violence, particularly the reforms introduced under the Protection from Domestic Violence Law No. 15 of 2017. The law expanded the scope of protection and strengthened the roles of relevant institutions, as well as mechanisms for coordination, referral and case management within a more integrated pathway linking justice and protection institutions. This provided a basis for discussing lessons relevant to the Iraqi context and existing challenges, including operationalizing the protection centre in Ninewa and strengthening victims’ awareness of available protection mechanisms and services.

The workshop concluded with a set of joint practical recommendations, including operationalizing the Women’s Protection Centre in Ninewa and emphasizing the importance of adopting specific legislation addressing violence against women and girls. Participants also recommended developing capacity-building programmes for first responders and strengthening the presence of female personnel within police services, particularly in the Family and Child Protection Police and Community Police.

Participants further recommended conducting awareness-raising campaigns through social media to improve understanding of different forms of violence, particularly technology-facilitated violence and online extortion, and to raise awareness of reporting mechanisms, protection measures and services available to victims and survivors.

The workshop also called for stronger institutional linkages between the Supreme Judicial Council and the Ministry of Interior through an integrated case management system and the adoption of a unified case reference number, enabling cases to be tracked across the different stages of the justice chain.

Participants stressed that improving the protection of women and girls and ensuring their effective access to justice requires a connected and coordinated justice chain, in which the roles of the police, judiciary, protection actors and social services complement one another from the moment a case is reported through protection, referral and follow-up.