In cooperation with a group of international and national partners, will host on September 12–13, 2025, the sixth edition of the Point Regional Conference in Erbil – the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. This edition serves as a counterpart to the international Point Conference, hosted annually in Sarajevo by the “Why Not” Foundation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the ACTION SEE Network active in Southeast Europe.

Point is a unique event that highlights the importance of using technology and modern media in addressing the shortcomings of democracy and strengthening political accountability. It is a joint workspace established in 2018, in cooperation with international and national partners in Iraq, with the aim of developing the capacities of activists, journalists, and human rights defenders in protecting civil and political rights and freedoms, as well as promoting democratic practices.

This year’s edition will be held in Erbil, Kurdistan Region, and will feature more than 40 speakers from various countries around the world. The program includes 8 panel discussions and 12 interactive presentations, where participants will share success stories and experiences on how technology and modern media can be used to strengthen democracy. The sessions will also explore how civil society is adapting to challenges facing freedom of association, as well as restrictions on civil and political rights worldwide.

The conference, covering North Africa and the Middle East, will include several regional sessions to shed light on the changes affecting the region—particularly after the events of October 7 and the U.S. funding cuts, as well as the humanitarian crisis and its impact on the situation of human rights defenders and media professionals. The discussions will also address the growing pessimism regarding the future of democracy and the values it represents in the region.

As part of strengthening civil society’s capacity to adapt to measures that restrict freedoms and undermine the essence of constitutionally guaranteed civil and political rights, the conference will host, in a special remote session, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association—marking the first participation of its kind. This session will provide NGOs with the opportunity to learn about best practices in advocacy and in monitoring human rights violations and restrictions on the right to establish associations, particularly those linked to Recommendation No. 8 of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Several sessions will also feature civil society leaders who have led advocacy campaigns to block the passage of laws threatening fundamental freedoms and civil rights, such as the campaign to stop the amendment of the Personal Status Law and the campaign to amend the Access to Information Law.

Over the past five years, the Point Conference has succeeded in bringing important global experiences to Iraq and launching several initiatives in its areas of focus. Among these are The Public Opinion Platform, the first open-data platform that encourages citizens to engage with Members of Parliament and access legislative proposals; the  Government Observatory Project, which monitors government performance and evaluates the implementation of ministerial programs; and the Environmental Observatory Project, implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Environment to track environmental violations reported by citizens and map them on an open-data interactive platform.

This year’s Point Conference is organized in cooperation with several international and local organizations, including the ACTION SEE Network in Southeast Europe, the National Endowment for Democracy, and the NIRIJ Investigative Journalism Foundation.