WASHINGTON, Nov. 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Ten leaders representing member organizations of the Middle East Christian Committee (MEHCRIC), recently met with the United Nations permanent missions of Russia, France, and the US, and with Ambassador Terje Roed-Larsen to advocate for Yezidis and Christians, many of whom are undergoing genocide in Iraq and Syria at the hands of ISIS.
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These most recent meetings are the third such meetings in which MECHRIC in partnership with the Yezidi Human Rights Organization International has become the primary representative and source of information to members of the UN Security Council. Yezidis and Christians are being exterminated by ISIS and this group of NGOs have regularly updated the UN with on-the-ground information regarding our communities and provided concrete policy recommendations.
The group discussed the Paris Action plan created during a conference co-hosted by France and Jordan in September. Additionally, the advocates pressed for the creation of a UN Special Envoy who would coordinate all UN efforts to stop the genocide against minorities in the Middle East as there is no central individual to coordinate the actions of UN entities and to ensure a coherent and effective response. MECHRIC particularly stressed that all indigenous groups be brought to the table to discuss political solutions as the UN and Western countries typically negotiate with the largest minority groups. Also discussed was the need to ensure that humanitarian and military aid start reaching the Yezidi and Christian minorities as it is currently being diverted away from the neediest groups by various local governments and authorities.
After MECHRIC's second round of UN meetings with UN-SC members, France and Jordan co-hosted a conference in Paris in September of this year bringing together 46 nations including 21 Foreign Ministers to determine how best to assist our communities. Spain has announced that they will host a follow-up conference to assess the progress made since the Paris conference. MECHRIC is grateful for the leadership these nations have shown and their commitment to assisting Yezidis and Christians through political and humanitarian aid.
Members of MECHRIC who participated in these meetings are:
Mr. William Youmaran, President of Assyrian American National Federation
Mr. Lawrence and Mrs. Ishtar Mansour, American Mesopotamian Organization (AMO)
Mr. Abraham Sahdo, Council of Syriac Organizations
Mr. Loay Mikhael, The Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Popular Council (Coming from northern Iraq)
Ms. Lindsay Vessey, Coptic Solidarity International
Mr. Mirza Ismail, Chairman, Yezidi Human Rights Organization International
Mr. Eblan Farris, Director, Public Relation World Maronite Union
Tom Harb, General Secretary MECHRIC and President of American Maronite Union
Dr. Walid Phares, Special Advisor
MECHRIC is the oldest coalition of Middle East Christian organizations launched in Beirut in November 1981 by Maronite, Coptic, Assyrian, Chaldean, Syriac and other groups to represent the aspirations of these and other communities in the Near East and North Africa. For more information, contact Tom Harb at 407 -383 9600 or tharb@aol.com, of World Maronite Union, or Lindsay Vessey of Coptic Solidarity at 801-512-1713 or Coptadvocacy@copticsolidarity.org
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