Iraq has undergone amazing transformation in the past six years.   Yet with the drawdown of U.S. forces imminent, Iraq continues to face daunting legal and institutional challenges. These include the need for constitutional guarantees of basic rights; the lack of a solid legal framework related to returning displaced persons; barriers to access to justice arising from Iraq’s new system of judicial federalism; and the struggle of the federal judiciary to assert its independence.  Addressing these challenges will significantly impact the nation’s ability to recover from ongoing conflicts and prevent future ones.  

Maintaining the current trajectory of progress in Iraq will require a continued commitment to strengthening the laws and institutions that are at the heart of any society governed by the rule of law.  To further this goal, Rule of Law works closely with Iraqi partners and the staff of USIP’s Baghdad office to implement projects in the areas of constitutional development, property law, judicial independence, and transitional justice.