Popular Mobilization Authority Bill — Reorganization, Governance and Integration into the National Security System

For the purposes of this Law, the following expressions have the meanings set out below: Authority: the Popular Mobilization Authority; Commander-in-Chief: the Prime Minister as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces; Head of the Authority: the Head of the Popular Mobilization Authority; Chief of Staff: the Authority's Chief of Staff; Formation: any command, directorate, brigade, battalion or military, technical or administrative unit on the Authority's official establishment; Member of personnel: military or civilian personnel on the Authority's establishment or lawfully contracted by it; Official weapons: weapons, ammunition and combat systems registered as state property and allocated to the Authority in the government inventory; Integration: incorporating individuals or capabilities from an unofficial armed formation into a state security or military institution after individual vetting, termination of armed partisan affiliation and surrender of unregistered weapons; Chain of command: the sole official sequence for military orders from the Commander-in-Chief to competent commands and units.

1. Reorganize the Authority as a permanent national federal military institution within Iraq's armed forces, preserving personnel's sacrifices and lawfully acquired rights.
2. Unify military decisions, command, control, planning, deployment and armament within state institutions and Commander-in-Chief authority.
3. Convert all formations into a unified professional structure without partisan, factional or non-state personal allegiance.
4. Define missions and powers to prevent unregulated overlap with Defence, Interior, intelligence bodies and civilian authorities.
5. Provide clear lawful routes for unofficial armed personnel and formations to integrate into state institutions or transition individually to civilian life.
6. Strengthen integrity, parliamentary, financial and judicial oversight and citizens' and personnel's rights.

The Authority is a federal military formation with legal personality and administrative and financial independence within the Constitution, law and federal budget. It is part of Iraq's armed forces under the Commander-in-Chief. Administrative or financial independence creates no operational, political, diplomatic or armament independence from the state.

1. Exclusive allegiance to the Constitution, Republic of Iraq, its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
2. Constitutional civilian leadership and one military chain of command.
3. Political, sectarian and ethnic neutrality; no institutional role in political or electoral competition.
4. Weapons, funding, armament and foreign training exclusively through official state channels.
5. Professionalism, competence, discipline and merit in service, command and promotion.
6. Respect for human rights, international humanitarian law, the judiciary and rule of law.
7. Individual and institutional accountability, without immunity from investigation or courts for unlawful acts.
8. Balanced national representation of Iraq's communities without command or appointment quotas.

This Law covers the Authority, military and civilian formations, personnel, funds, assets, contracts, training centres and support units. It does not cover an armed formation, organization or military wing outside the official state establishment merely because it uses a Popular Mobilization name, symbol or historical designation.

The Authority shall operate within national defence and security policy approved by the Cabinet and Commander-in-Chief, integrating with Defence, Interior, Counter-Terrorism Service, Iraqi National Intelligence Service, National Security Service, Joint Operations Command and competent bodies. It may not create parallel powers without express legislation.

The Commander-in-Chief exercises supreme command, issues strategic direction and deployment, operation, redeployment, mobilization and joint-coordination orders, and approves general structure, command establishment and principal plans. No military or security operation may occur outside official orders from the Commander-in-Chief or authorized joint command.

The Prime Minister shall nominate the head, submit the nomination to the Cabinet and then Parliament for special-grade approval. The term is four years, renewable once. Integrity, competence and relevant experience are required; party, electoral or commercial office may not be held concurrently.

1. Implement Commander-in-Chief and Cabinet policy and decisions within the Authority's powers.
2. Manage administrative, financial and logistical affairs within budget and law.
3. Propose structure, establishment, formations and development plans to the Commander-in-Chief through lawful procedures.
4. Propose command appointments and senior promotions after competent professional boards' recommendations.
5. Represent the Authority before national authorities and institutions within its remit, without independent diplomatic representation.
6. Submit annual public reports to Cabinet and Parliament on performance, readiness, expenditure and compliance, with a confidential annex for sensitive operational data.

The Chief of Staff is the Authority's highest professional officer, responsible through the command chain for force preparation, readiness, training, organization and operations. Required command education and experience must be met, with appointment following constitutional and statutory procedures for the equivalent military office.

The General Staff shall comprise principal departments for operations, planning, training, personnel, logistics, military intelligence, communications, medical and legal affairs and technical oversight. Regulations shall allocate powers to prevent duplication and parallel commands.

A council chaired by the Authority head shall include the Chief of Staff, deputies, principal department directors and legal adviser. It shall consider force structure, establishment, readiness, training, senior promotions, budget and organizational plans. Recorded recommendations do not replace constitutional or Commander-in-Chief powers.

Military formations shall use state-approved establishment tables, names, ranks and sizes. Internal chains receiving orders, funding or promotions from parties, organizations or persons outside the official hierarchy are prohibited.

Acting service as Authority head, Chief of Staff or senior commander may not exceed ninety days except for compelling reasons by reasoned Commander-in-Chief decision. Regular appointment procedures shall be completed promptly.

A secure digital register shall cover personnel, establishment, ranks, posts, courses, assessments, sanctions, assets, weapons, vehicles and contracts, linked to payments and government inventory to prevent duplication, ghost personnel and unrecorded disposal of state property.

1. Contribute to defending Iraq, sovereignty and territorial integrity against aggression and armed threats.
2. Participate against terrorism, armed insurgency and high-risk threats under joint plans and Commander-in-Chief orders.
3. Support border and vital-facility protection when officially assigned.
4. Maintain organized mobilization, support and combat-reserve capacity for deployment under state plans.
5. Provide engineering, medical and logistical disaster and emergency support upon competent requests and official orders.
6. Perform other military missions prescribed by law or constitutionally assigned by the Commander-in-Chief.

Formations may not leave approved bases or sectors on combat or security missions without an operational order from the Commander-in-Chief or authorized joint-command body, defining mission, sector, duration, engagement rules and controlling authority.

The Authority shall participate under national plans and Joint Operations Command, coordinating with the Counter-Terrorism Service and competent agencies. This creates no exclusive or parallel counter-terrorism jurisdiction.

The Authority may be assigned support duties at the borders or in high-threat areas. Management of crossings and ports of entry, customs investigations, immigration and border policing shall remain with the legally competent bodies. Military deployment shall confer no civil or financial authority over a port of entry.

The Authority shall not perform routine policing, disperse gatherings, manage demonstrations or conduct general criminal investigations. It may support internal security forces in exceptional circumstances under a written order from the Commander-in-Chief specifying the necessity, duration, jurisdiction, rules on the use of force and command authority, with police forces taking precedence in dealing with civilians.

The Authority's engineering, medical, transport and supply capabilities may be used to support civil defence and local authorities in major disasters, without establishing a parallel civil services apparatus or using such support for partisan or electoral purposes.

The Authority's formations shall be prohibited from imposing levies or fees, administering ports of entry or civil disputes, conducting tribal arbitration by force, carrying out property evictions, intervening in elections, protecting private commercial interests or performing security tasks for a party or individual.

The use of force shall be subject to national rules of engagement, the law and the rules governing civilian protection, necessity, proportionality, distinction and accountability. Weapons used in each operation must be entered in the official inventory, and orders must be capable of documentation and post-operation review.

Where the Authority participates in a single operation with formations of the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Interior or Counter-Terrorism Service, the Commander-in-Chief or Joint Operations Command shall designate the body controlling the operation and the chain of command. All units shall comply with a single operational plan and a common communications and identification-friend-or-foe system.

Serving military personnel shall be prohibited from organizational membership of a political party or movement, holding party office, participating in the management of an election campaign or using their uniform, weapons, facilities, resources or military status for political influence. This shall not prejudice their personal right to vote under the Constitution and the law.

No party, organization or electoral list may establish an armed wing within or outside the Authority. No formation of the Authority may represent a party or receive orders, funding or binding leadership nominations from it. Continued organizational military affiliation with a party shall preclude integration into the institution.

The Authority, its formations and its personnel acting in their official capacity shall be prohibited from receiving orders, funds, weapons, ammunition, equipment, salaries, training, intelligence or commitments from a foreign State, organization or person outside the official channels of the Iraqi Government.

Any foreign cooperation, training, armament or exchange of expertise concerning the Authority shall take place through the Iraqi Government and the competent national bodies, with the approval of the Commander-in-Chief and in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where an international obligation or official contact with a foreign State is involved.

The Authority shall adopt a disciplined official media policy consistent with the State's security media system. Personnel shall be prohibited from publishing operational information or issuing political positions, threats or military statements on behalf of a formation without authorization. Sectarian, inciting or discriminatory discourse shall also be prohibited.

Formations shall adopt uniform official designations, numbers and insignia approved by the State. Historical names and symbols may be preserved in museums, records and memorials to honour memory and sacrifices, without becoming a partisan organizational identity or a parallel chain of allegiance within the serving force.

Military personnel of the Authority shall be members of the armed forces for the purposes of discipline, duties and rights referred to in this Law. Civilian employees shall be subject to public employment and civilian retirement laws unless a special law provides otherwise.

Military personnel shall be subject to the military laws in force governing offences, discipline, procedures and service insofar as they do not conflict with this Law, pending the enactment of a service and retirement law specific to the Authority or the unification of the military service system under a comprehensive law.

Admission to service shall be based on actual establishment needs, competence, fitness, security vetting and criminal record checks, through officially announced channels. Binding collective lists submitted by a party, group or armed entity shall not be accepted as a substitute for individual assessment.

Command positions shall be filled on the basis of experience, military qualifications, disciplinary record, integrity and leadership ability. Senior positions shall require completion of recognized professional military education programmes or their equivalent within a transitional period specified by regulation.

Current ranks and positions shall be reviewed by a joint professional committee comprising the Authority, the Ministry of Defence and the competent bodies, on the basis of actual service, qualifications, responsibility and experience. Honorary or party-conferred ranks shall produce no automatic employment effect. Each member of personnel shall retain the right to object and appeal in accordance with the law.

Promotion shall be determined by professional boards and documented service records combining seniority, competence, qualifications, evaluation, conduct, vacancies and need. Exceptional promotion may be granted only under a statutory provision or for a specific, reasoned military ground subject to audit.

Officers, other ranks and specialists may be transferred or seconded between the Authority and the Ministry of Defence or other federal security institutions with the approval of the competent bodies, ensuring the transfer of expertise and a common professional culture. Legally acquired rights and ranks shall be preserved, and transfers shall not be used for punishment or favouritism.

Personnel shall be guaranteed rights relating to service, pay, leave, healthcare, retirement, grievances and training. Appointment and promotion standards shall apply without sectarian, ethnic, regional or partisan discrimination, with due regard to national representation of the components of the people in accordance with the Constitution.

The rights of the Authority's martyrs, wounded personnel, their families and persons with service-related disabilities shall be preserved under the laws in force. Reorganization, unification of the establishment or a change in a formation's designation shall not extinguish an acquired right. Evidentiary rules and medical and service records shall be unified to prevent loss or duplication of entitlements.

A secure internal channel shall be established for grievances, professional complaints and reports of corruption or unlawful orders. Employment-related retaliation against a person making a complaint in good faith shall be prohibited. The internal channel shall not preclude recourse to the judiciary, the Commission of Integrity or the competent oversight bodies.

Details concerning age, length of service, pension, retirement and compensation shall be specified by the Authority's service and retirement law or general military service laws. Until the relevant legislation enters into force, existing rights shall continue under the laws in force. This Law shall not create unfunded pension privileges.

The Authority shall adopt the national military doctrine and the State's approved defence policy, and align its command and operational concepts with those of the Iraqi armed forces. No combat doctrine or organizational direction originating from a party, religious body or foreign State may be adopted as a binding authority for the institution.

The Authority shall draw up an approved annual training plan within the national military training system, covering individual, collective, command, technical, logistical and communications training, discipline, rules of engagement, combat first aid and international humanitarian law.

The Authority may establish specialized schools and training centres within its establishment and budget. The award of advanced military academic degrees and the provision of command and staff programmes shall be subject to the national military education system and joint statutory accreditation. No parallel institution may be established to award sovereign or academic qualifications outside the State system.

A regular pathway shall be allocated for the Authority's officers in recognized command, staff and defence colleges and joint courses. Ministry of Defence officers may also be admitted to specialized courses run by the Authority, strengthening interoperability, common concepts and unity of the chain of command.

Rules concerning human rights, international humanitarian law, the protection of civilians and civilian objects, the treatment of prisoners of war and detainees, and the prevention of torture and enforced disappearance shall be included in mandatory training. Refresher training shall take place before deployment in operations involving greater contact with civilians.

Weapons, ammunition, drones, combat systems, vehicles and equipment allocated to the Authority shall constitute State-owned property registered in a central inventory system. No weapon, store, launch platform or combat equipment may be treated as the property of a formation, group or individual.

Weapons and ammunition shall be stored at licensed and secured government sites in accordance with safety standards, and shall be subject to periodic and unannounced inventory checks and digital tracking. Establishing a secret or unauthorized store or transferring weapons to party, religious, commercial or residential premises shall be prohibited.

Missiles, aerial systems, attack drones, air defence, electronic warfare and heavy weapons shall be subject to central control and special rules for use, storage and licensing approved by the Commander-in-Chief. They may not be operated outside the national command and control network or on the orders of an individual unit.

The Authority may collect and analyse military information directly related to its duties and the protection of its forces, within the law and in coordination with the national intelligence community. It may not establish a parallel general intelligence service or monitor lawful political and civil activity outside specifically defined statutory jurisdiction.

The Authority shall not exercise general criminal investigation powers. A civilian may be arrested pursuant to a judicial warrant or in flagrante delicto, in accordance with the law, during an authorized mission. The action shall be recorded immediately, the competent judicial or security body notified and the person handed over to it without delay.

Establishing or operating secret or unregistered places of detention shall be prohibited. Any temporary detention required by a military operation shall take place in officially approved premises subject to judicial and legal inspection. Custody of the detainee shall be transferred to the competent body within the period prescribed by law.

Evidence, seized items and digital data collected during operations shall be preserved through a documented chain of custody and delivered to the competent investigative or judicial body. No material that may constitute evidence of an offence or violation may be destroyed, altered or concealed.

The Authority's budget shall be included in the federal general budget under clear headings showing salaries, operations, armaments, maintenance and investment, without disclosing details whose confidentiality is justified by law. No parallel budget or off-Treasury account may be established to finance military activity.

Salaries and allowances shall be paid to personnel registered in the establishment through auditable government banking or electronic channels. Payment shall be linked to employment identity, biometric data, attendance and actual service to the extent permitted by law.

The Authority's accounts, contracts, funds and assets shall be subject to oversight by the Federal Board of Supreme Audit and the competent oversight bodies. Confidential data shall be provided to authorized bodies under procedures protecting national security without shielding military expenditure from audit.

The Authority's procurement shall be subject to the applicable defence procurement and contracting rules. Commanders and personnel shall be prohibited from participating in contractual decisions in which they, a relative, a partner or an associated entity have a direct financial interest. Interest-disclosure rules shall apply to positions specified by instructions.

Neither the Authority nor its formations shall conduct commercial or investment activities for profit as part of the military chain. They shall not establish or own a commercial company except under a special law specifying its justification and civil and financial governance. During the transitional phase, any existing commercial activities shall be separated from operational command and made subject to general law and financial oversight.

Direct acceptance of cash or in-kind donations, gifts or grants from individuals, companies or foreign entities to finance or arm a formation shall be prohibited. Any gift accepted by the State for the Authority shall pass to the Treasury or government stores pursuant to an official decision and full inventory and oversight procedures.

The Council of Representatives shall oversee the Authority through its competent committees and constitutional instruments. The Security and Defence Committee may request non-operational documents and invite the Head of the Authority and its senior officials to hearings. Classified information shall be provided in closed sessions or confidential annexes under applicable legislation and rules on information confidentiality and protection whenever disclosure would harm national security.

A professional inspection and compliance department shall be established within the Authority, administratively reporting to its Head and enjoying functional independence in administrative investigations. It shall examine discipline, readiness, assets, contracts and complaints, and refer matters involving suspected offences to the competent body.

Military status, rank or office shall confer no immunity from investigation or trial. Military offences shall be referred to military courts in accordance with the law. Offences which the law assigns to civilian courts shall be referred to the competent courts. No special courts subordinate to the Authority shall be established.

The Authority shall record serious allegations of unlawful killing, torture, disappearance, seizure of property, abuse of authority or corruption and immediately refer them to the judiciary or the competent investigative body, protecting whistleblowers, victims and witnesses in accordance with the law.

The Authority shall publish annual non-confidential information on its general structure, total funded establishment, approved expenditure, unclassified audit findings, training programmes and supporting civil activities. Military secrecy shall not be used to conceal financial or administrative wrongdoing or violations of rights.

Within six months of this Law's entry into force, the Authority shall complete an enumeration of all personnel, formations, sites, weapons, contracts, assets, ranks and financial records, and reconcile them with State databases. The results shall form the basis of the new establishment, employment regularization and final inventory.

Within ninety days, the Government shall establish a time-limited legal window enabling individuals belonging to armed formations outside official institutions to choose individual integration into the Authority, Ministry of Defence or Ministry of Interior according to need and qualifications, or transition to a civilian pathway, without recognizing the continuation of armed party leadership within the new institution.

Every applicant for integration shall undergo verification of identity, age, qualifications, experience, criminal, security and health records, and partisan military commitments. Prior civilian political affiliation shall not in itself preclude civil rights, but admission shall require the termination of any armed organizational affiliation or non-governmental chain of command.

Completion of integration shall require the registration and surrender to a joint official committee of all weapons, ammunition, stores, vehicles and combat systems not recorded in the government inventory. These shall become State property or be destroyed in accordance with the law and technical standards.

The collective experience of some combatants may be used when they are reassigned. However, new units shall be formed by State orders with official designations, establishments and commanders. Party leadership, private funding, organizational allegiance or the right to select a commander shall not automatically transfer with the integrated group.

After the transitional period ends, no armed formation outside State institutions shall acquire legal status under this Law. Bearing arms, armed activity and possession of unlicensed weapons shall be subject to the laws in force, without creating immunity or an implied amnesty for past offences.

The Commander-in-Chief shall establish a temporary supreme committee chaired by a representative of the Commander-in-Chief and comprising the Authority, the Ministries of Defence, Interior, Finance and Planning, the National Security Advisory, the competent agencies and the Federal Board of Supreme Audit. It shall oversee the transition plan, enumeration, structure, establishment, rank regularization, inventory and integration, and submit quarterly reports to the Council of Ministers.

Reorganization shall not result in the discontinuation of any salary, pension or compensation legally due to a member of personnel, martyr, wounded person or their family. Incomplete cases shall be addressed through legal and audit committees, while preventing unlawful receipt of two or more salaries for the same service.

The Authority's lawful rights, obligations and contracts shall continue, subject to legal and financial review. Any funds or assets proven to have been allocated to the Authority or its formations for service purposes shall pass to the State. Unlawful contracts shall be corrected or terminated in accordance with the law, with due regard to the rights of third parties acting in good faith.

Popular Mobilization Authority Law No. (40) of 2016 shall be repealed from the date this Law enters into force. Conflicting provisions, instructions and orders shall be repealed or amended. Non-conflicting regulations and instructions shall remain temporarily in force pending replacement.

The Council of Ministers shall issue the regulations necessary to implement this Law on the proposal of the Commander-in-Chief and the competent bodies. The Head of the Authority shall issue internal instructions within the scope of competence. No regulation or instruction may create a power, penalty or financial resource not provided for by law.

This Law shall enter into force ninety days after publication in the Official Gazette. The principal reorganization procedures shall be completed within eighteen months of its entry into force. The Council of Ministers may extend a specified period once, by no more than six months, for documented technical reasons presented to the Council of Representatives.