Center for Federalism Studies is pleased to announce the publication of its latest research: Under the name (Federal System in Iraq and the Path to Independence in Iraqi Kurdistan)

The journey towards independence in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq has gone through major milestones, starting with the 1970 Autonomy Agreement, passing through the 1991 uprising that established a de facto self-administration, and reaching the historic secession referendum in 2017, after which the focus shifted towards the region remaining a constitutional federal entity within the federal state to this day. This study seeks to shed light on the most prominent milestones in the journey towards independence in Iraqi Kurdistan, culminating in the region's establishment as a federal entity within Iraq, as stipulated in its 2005 constitution.

Like other countries whose societies are based on national identity and interact with religious and ethnic diversity, whether artificial or natural, Iraq needs to undergo a democratic experience that establishes a state of human rights and citizenship (Civil State) governed by good governance and the rule of law (State of Institutions). This can only be achieved by adopting a constitution that embraces the democratic system and legitimizes political decentralization (Federalism) for major identities. This is precisely what happened in Iraq after 2003, when federalism was adopted as a form of government, and the Kurdistan Region became a federal region under its permanent 2005 constitution.

The adoption of federalism in Iraq after 2003 marked a significant turning point in the history of the modern Iraqi state and its system of governance. After more than eight decades of a highly centralized system of government, in both the monarchical and republican eras, the adoption of federalism in the new Iraq came to ensure that there would be no return to the previous approach to governance, and to make it compatible with the contents of the democratic political system that Iraq adopted after 2003.

Dr.Najm Al-Deen M. Yaseen Reakany

Director of the Center for Federalism Studies

University of Duhok