U.N. issues human-rights report on Iraq

BAGHDAD, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Violence in Iraq, though a serious concern, has dropped substantially, contributing to an overall improvement in conditions, a United Nations report said.

"Human-rights violations that are less visible need to be documented, reported and exposed publicly," said U.N. envoy to Iraq Staffan de Mistura. "With the support of the international community, we hope the government of Iraq will continue to address these violations and combat impunity."

The U.N. report, the 13th on the human-rights situation in Iraq, said educated professionals, including journalists and lawyers, were continually targeted for abduction in 2008, but general trends in the development of national security institutions shifted militant activity toward government forces.

Women are subject to repeated human-rights violations, and the minority communities witnessed some of the worst levels of violence for 2008. U.N. officials suggest violence against the Christian community in Iraq displaced nearly half their population in the north of the country.

The report also noted detainees in Iraq are often subjected to harsh conditions and held without access to legal counsel for months.

The United Nations, in the report, welcomed a decision by the Iraqi Parliament to ratify international conventions on human rights and similar national legislation.