The United Nations announced Tuesday that it has hired a sign language interpreter to assist Iraq’s electoral authorities reach out to voters with hearing disabilities.
As reported by Kurdistan24, at the request of the Iraqi government and under UN Security Council Resolution 2576, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) is advising the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC).
“Iraq’s election will be more credible if it involves as many Iraqi voters as possible,” the organization tweeted on Tuesday. “And that includes the deaf community.”
The sign language interpreter will help the IHEC “broaden its reach.”
The election takes place on October 10, where more than 3,000 candidates are battling for the 329 seats in Iraq’s legislature.
UNAMI will also send 130 international experts to oversee the electoral process “in advance” and “on election day,” said Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, UN Special Representative for Iraq.
This team will advise the local electoral authorities on all the operational aspects and phases of the process, including voter registration, candidate nomination, procurement and logistics.
