HWPL LAUNCH OF THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE SIGNALS A NEW PHASE OF REGIONAL-LED PEACE COOPERATION

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On December 19, 2025, Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), a UN affiliated international NGO, held an international online forum titled “International Online Forum for the Realization of Peace in the Middle East: Building Sustainable Peace through Community Cooperation.

” The forum brought together former and current officials and civil society representatives from Iraq and across the Middle East to discuss peacebuilding approaches grounded in local realities.

Iraq has historically been a country where diverse religions and ethnic groups have coexisted, with the 1988 Halabja massacre remaining a critical reference point in discussions on national reconciliation, human rights protection.

In recent years, as Iraq has entered a post-conflict recovery phase, cooperation among local governments, religious communities, and civil society has gradually expanded around peace and reconciliation efforts. HWPL planned the forum to place the experiences and perspectives of local communities at the center of the discussion.

The official launch of the Middle East Peace Implementation Committee was announced in the identical context. The committee is designed as a standing platform bringing together civil society representatives, religious leaders, and professionals from the legal and administrative sectors across the Middle East to discuss frameworks for embedding a culture of peace in post-conflict societies. Rather than functioning as a one-time initiative, it aims to establish a sustainable consultation mechanism led by regional players.

Pascal Isho Warda, former Minister of Migration and Displacement of Iraq and currently a civil society activist, emphasized in his remarks that “peace in the Middle East cannot be achieved through external intervention alone, but must begin with the restoration of trust and solidarity within local communities.”

 He stressed the importance of establishing shared standards for peace and coexistence that move beyond the tragedies of the past.

Following the forum, HWPL announced concrete next steps, including advancing the establishment of a Middle East Peace Implementation Committee centered in Iraq. Plans include holding regular online roundtables and operating issue-specific working groups with participating leaders.

HWPL also aims to organize an offline event in Iraq in January 2026, creating a space for civil society actors, religious leaders, and legal professionals to engage directly. Through these follow-up actions, HWPL seeks to build a step-by-step, sustainable framework for peace cooperation in the Middle East.