In late December 1999, former Cypriot Ambassador Andreas Mavrommatis has been appointed by the Commission for Human Rights as Special Rapporteur for Iraq, with the mandate to prepare a report on the violation of human rights in the country that will include suggestions for tackling the issue.
Mr. Mavrommatis who was recently elected member of the UN Commission against Torture, said he considered the appointment a great honour but described his mission as difficult mainly due to the fact that Iraq had been uncooperative with his predecessor. He said he would leave for Geneva at the beginning of January to meet UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson to organize the itinerary of his visits to Iraq and the meetings he will hold in order to prepare his report.
The Cypriot expert on human rights replaces former Dutch Foreign Minister and OSCE High Commissioner for Minorities, Max Van der Stool, who resigned. His appointment is based on resolution 74 of 1991 of the Commission for Human Rights that provides for the appointment of a person internationally recognized for his services in the field of human rights as Special Rapporteur.
Mr. Mavrommatis served on the UN Human Rights Committee for 20 years, for half of which he held its Presidency, as well as on the Commission on Human Rights for several years. He was also Cyprus’s permanent representative to the UN for two three-year terms.