Ali Zuweid’s political programme
Proposed bill · Education, Scientific Research, Culture, Youth and Sport
Youth, Volunteering and Community Service Law
Executive summary
Iraq now has extensive youth institutions, programmes and initiatives, as well as a national youth volunteering platform launched in 2021 and developed into an electronic environment for offering opportunities and recording participation. The legal framework, however, remains divided among the Ministry of Youth and Sports Law, Non-Governmental Organisations Law, Labour Law and sectoral rules. The National Development Plan 2024–2028 expressly seeks to complete the legal and institutional framework for volunteering and calls for accelerated enactment of a volunteering law and unification of its supporting structures.
The issue remained active in government and Parliament during 2026. Parliamentary committees discussed legislative development, youth empowerment, support for initiatives and continuation of government programmes, youth councils and platforms with the Ministry of Youth and Sports. Ministries also continued establishing volunteering committees and implementing community initiatives alongside development of the National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security. Iraq therefore needs less to invent institutions from scratch than to connect existing ones through a law establishing rights and safeguards and preventing overlap.
The proposal builds three connected layers. The first is a national youth policy based on meaningful participation, advisory councils, youth centres, initiatives and skills. The second is a national volunteering system using the existing platform, with standards for approving hosts and opportunities, volunteering agreements, safety, insurance, recording hours and skills, and grievances. The third regulates community service in schools, universities and public institutions as a means of learning and participation, not a route to compulsory unpaid labour.
The Law draws a firm line between volunteering and paid work: no company or institution may replace a permanent job with a volunteer, and the label ‘volunteer’ does not alter a relationship that is substantively employment. It also distinguishes civic volunteering from compulsory military or national service and takes no position on the national service bill entering parliamentary proceedings in 2026; that is a separate constitutional and security matter.
The proposal protects minors, restricts hazardous volunteering, requires training and insurance for field or high-risk opportunities, and regulates medical, engineering and educational volunteering and disaster response. Incentives avoid automatic public-employment or scholarship points merely for volunteering hours, which could discriminate against young people lacking time, transport or resources. Instead, relevant volunteering may count as verified skills or experience, with awards, courses, exchanges and initiative grants under published rules.
Financially, the proposal creates neither a new fund nor an independent bureaucracy. It uses the Ministry of Youth and Sports, National Youth Council, forums, directorates, platform and existing government committees. New spending focuses on digital security, insurance, training, accessible centres and small initiatives, enabling measurable phased implementation.
Legal and institutional context
The federal youth sector operates principally under Ministry of Youth and Sports Law No. (25) of 2011, which includes preparing young people, directing their energies towards building Iraq and strengthening citizenship among Ministry objectives. Implementing instructions and internal regulations for Ministry formations were issued in 2022. Governorate youth directorates and forums operate within administrative and financial arrangements affected by devolution and distribution of local competences, which remained subject to parliamentary follow-up in 2026.
As of this document’s date, volunteering does not appear to be governed by a comprehensive, independent federal law in force covering volunteers, hosts, the platform, insurance and non-replacement of paid labour. This is reinforced by the National Development Plan 2024–2028, which identifies ‘completing the legal and institutional framework for volunteering’ as a distinct objective, with accelerated enactment of a volunteering law and unification of its supporting institutional frameworks among the means.
Nevertheless, regulation and experience exist. The government and partners launched the National Youth Volunteering Platform in 2021 and announced its digital expansion in 2022. Published materials show registration rules, a volunteering agreement, host and activity conditions, a privacy policy and evaluation mechanisms. Ministerial volunteering committees also remained active in government institutions in 2026, demonstrating a practical structure that can evolve from scattered initiatives and procedures into a unified legal system.
Across the broader youth agenda, the National Youth Vision 2030 was launched as a cross-sector, rights- and participation-based roadmap. Learning-to-work programmes and job-search clubs continued in 2026, alongside preparation of a National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security. Parliamentary follow-up in September 2026 also showed continued interest in modernising Ministry legislation, empowering youth and supporting initiatives and entrepreneurial projects.
Volunteering law intersects Labour Law No. (37) of 2015 when the actual relationship becomes paid work, Non-Governmental Organisations Law No. (12) of 2010 when a civil society organisation hosts volunteers, and health, education, regulated-profession and civil defence legislation in specialist volunteering. The proposal is therefore a rights and governance framework, not a substitute for sectoral laws.
Legislative gap
No unified legal definition: no general federal rule clearly distinguishes volunteering, paid work, training and community service, allowing inconsistent practice or exploitation of the volunteering label.
Protection and safety: platforms and initiatives can create opportunities, but the law must identify responsibility for training, insurance, accidents and protection of minor volunteers and beneficiaries.
Multiple organisers: ministries, governorates, universities, organisations, companies and government committees organise volunteering, without a single legal register identifying hosts, opportunities, hours, complaints and incidents.
Risk of replacing paid labour: without a clear legislative boundary, institutions may use volunteers for operational work that should be performed by paid employees or workers. International standards expressly address this by affirming that supporting volunteering does not mean reducing paid jobs.
Uncontrolled incentives: automatically linking volunteering to employment or admission may create a points race and penalise those lacking time, money or transport. Skills and impact should be recognised, rather than advantage purchased through hours.
Youth participation: youth programmes do not ensure young people help design them. Advisory councils and digital consultations need representation, rotation, anti-politicisation rules and records of what happened to proposals.
Legislative policy
- Consolidate what works: build on the national platform, centres and committees instead of a parallel system.
- Rights before incentives: safety, insurance, dignity, privacy and complaints come before awards and certificates.
- No replacement of paid jobs: prevent volunteering from becoming disguised unpaid labour.
- Participation, not token representation: youth councils with open processes, geographical and social diversity and a defined advisory role.
- Volunteering for all, with youth prioritised: the Law governs civic volunteering generally, while platform tools and principal programmes focus on young people.
- Distinguish community service from compulsion: educational activity may carry academic credit, but is not volunteering if mandatory; this Law does not create compulsory civilian national service.
- Recognise skills: a documented, verifiable record and recognition of relevant experience without automatic employment points.
- No new authority or fund: existing government coordination, funded through budgets, programmes, grants and partnerships under public oversight.
Text of the bill
In the name of the people
Presidency of the Republic
On the basis of what the Council of Representatives has enacted and the President of the Republic has ratified, pursuant to the Constitution, the following Law is issued:
Youth, Volunteering and Community Service Law
Chapter One — General provisions
Article (1) — Definitions
For this Law, the following terms have the stated meanings. First — Young person: someone who has reached fifteen and not exceeded twenty-nine for youth programmes herein, without prejudice to a special age range in applicable legislation. Second — Volunteering: freely chosen activity for public or community benefit in which financial compensation is not the principal motivation. Third — Volunteer: a person participating in an approved opportunity or lawful volunteering activity. Fourth — Host: a government body, educational institution, registered non-governmental organisation, company, private institution or approved initiative receiving volunteers under this Law. Fifth — Community service: organised activity serving the community, environment or public groups, potentially linked to education, youth or professional programmes, remaining voluntary unless another law provides otherwise. Sixth — National platform: the national digital system registering volunteering opportunities, volunteers and hosts and recording hours and skills. Seventh — Volunteering opportunity: an activity with defined objectives, duration, tasks, risks and requirements offered by a host. Eighth — Specialist volunteering: volunteering using a particular specialism, professional licence or technical skill. Ninth — Volunteering record: the verified digital record of opportunities, hours, skills and results completed by the volunteer. Tenth — Youth initiative: a non-profit project led by young people addressing a community, cultural, environmental, educational or developmental need under this Law.
Article (2) — Objectives
This Law aims to establish a national framework for youth policy, civic participation, volunteering and community service; protect volunteers and prevent exploitation as substitutes for paid labour; develop the national platform into sustainable public infrastructure; enable youth participation in local and national policy-making; support youth initiatives, centres and leadership programmes; regulate specialist volunteering and community crisis response; verifiably document hours and skills; ensure equality and access for underrepresented groups; and integrate volunteering into development without creating civilian or military compulsion.
Article (3) — Scope
This Law applies to youth, volunteering and community service programmes organised or approved by federal bodies, governorates not incorporated into a region, public and private institutions and non-governmental organisations, and to the national platform. Regions’ constitutional powers shall be respected, and mutual recognition arrangements for records, opportunities and standards may be adopted.
Article (4) — Youth policy principles
Youth policy shall rest on rights, dignity, meaningful participation, non-discrimination, equal opportunities and independence from party polarisation; treat young people as design and evaluation partners, not merely service recipients; and use data reflecting differences by governorate, sex, disability, economic status, education and employment.
Article (5) — Volunteering principles
Volunteering shall rest on free will, public benefit, absence of personal profit as the principal purpose, respect for law, volunteer and beneficiary safety, non-replacement of paid workers, clear tasks, proportionality between risks and qualifications, non-discrimination, and protection of data and dignity.
Article (6) — Separation from paid work
The volunteering label shall not conceal employment. Where a relationship is substantively paid work under labour law in terms of subordination, regularity and production for an employer’s benefit, labour law applies regardless of its name. Transport, meals, expense reimbursement or token rewards do not prevent classification as volunteering unless they become wages for work.
Article (7) — Separation from national and military service
This Law does not regulate military service, conscription, reserve service or compulsory national service under another law. Military or security activity shall not count as civic volunteering herein. Nor does it regulate community service as a criminal penalty or judicial alternative except through express referral from special legislation.
Article (8) — Freedom to withdraw
Volunteers may withdraw at any time, giving reasonable notice where others’ safety or service continuity depends on participation. No fine or compensation shall arise merely from withdrawal, except for deliberate damage or a separate lawful financial obligation legally established.
Article (9) — Non-discrimination
Youth and volunteering opportunities shall be accessible without discrimination based on sex, ethnicity, religion, sect, disability, social origin, lawful political opinion, union membership or location. Programmes may target underserved groups for legitimate corrective purposes under published criteria.
Article (10) — Protection of minors
Persons under eighteen shall receive child protections under applicable laws. Minors shall not undertake dangerous or night work, unsafe isolated work, or activities involving prohibited materials or equipment. Parent or legal-representative consent shall be respected where required by regulation and the activity’s nature.
Chapter Two — National youth policy and participation
Article (11) — National youth strategy
The State shall adopt an updatable cross-sector youth strategy setting objectives for participation, skills, employment, health, culture, citizenship, peace, environment and digital transformation. It shall not replace ministerial plans but unify cross-sector indicators and priorities affecting youth.
Article (12) — Lead body
The Ministry of Youth and Sports shall lead federal youth policy coordination within its governing law, cooperating with the Council of Ministers, ministries, governorates, youth bodies and civil society. Its authority shall not extend to educational, employment, cultural or sporting competences assigned by law to another body.
Article (13) — National Youth Council
The National Youth Council or its governmental successor shall serve as a national youth-policy coordination and consultation platform. Its composition and powers shall ensure reasonable representation of young people from governorates, women, persons with disabilities, students, workers and jobseekers, separating advisory representation from ministries’ executive authority.
Article (14) — Youth advisory councils
Youth advisory councils shall be established in governorates and may be created in districts, universities and youth centres. Membership shall be selected through a periodic public process preventing party, family or institutional monopoly. Councils shall submit non-binding proposals on services, programmes, local environments and policies affecting youth.
Article (15) — Council selection criteria
Instructions shall define nomination, selection, terms, rotation and conflict-of-interest criteria, considering gender balance, geographical and social diversity and disability representation. Membership in a particular party or organisation, or political endorsement, shall not be required.
Article (16) — Right to consultation
Public bodies preparing national policies or programmes materially affecting young people shall provide a reasonable mechanism to hear youth or representative views before adoption and publish a summary of input and responses. Consultation shall create no veto.
Article (17) — Youth impact assessment
The Council of Ministers may require major policy and legislative proposals directly affecting youth to include a brief assessment of educational, employment, health, participation and opportunity-distribution impacts across governorates and groups, using available official data.
Article (18) — Youth forums and centres
Youth forums and centres shall operate as public spaces for learning, skills, participation, initiatives and civic activity, designing programmes around local youth needs rather than token activities. They shall publish schedules, facilities, usage conditions and utilisation indicators.
Article (19) — Centre management
Young people and community representatives may join centre and forum advisory councils without assuming administrative or public-funds responsibility. Investment, rental and use revenue shall be disclosed while preserving the facility’s youth purpose.
Article (20) — Access to centres
Any youth-facility fees shall not exclude low-income users. Free periods or pathways shall be allocated for public youth and volunteering activities, with reasonable accessibility arrangements for persons with disabilities.
Article (21) — Civic leadership programmes
The Ministry and partners shall develop programmes in leadership, negotiation, initiative management, citizenship, digital media, countering misinformation, critical thinking and conflict resolution. Participation certificates may be linked to clear learning outcomes.
Article (22) — Digital participation
Secure digital platforms shall support surveys, dialogue, proposals and initiative follow-up. Participant data shall not serve electoral, commercial or partisan purposes, and consultation results shall not imply representation that does not exist.
Article (23) — Youth and peace
The State shall support youth participation in violence prevention, peacebuilding, social cohesion and local dialogue, consistent with the National Youth, Peace and Security Strategy and implementation plans. Peace programmes shall not justify political surveillance or restrictions on peaceful expression.
Article (24) — Transition to work
The Ministry of Youth and Sports shall coordinate guidance, job-search and entrepreneurial initiative programmes with labour, higher education and vocational education authorities, using youth centres to complement rather than duplicate public employment services. Job-search clubs and similar programmes provide skills, not employment guarantees.
Article (25) — Youth initiatives
The Ministry, governorates and public institutions may launch competitive support opportunities for small youth initiatives, publishing objectives, funding ceilings, selection criteria, results and conflicts of interest. Funding shall not purchase political loyalty or support partisan activity.
Chapter Three — National volunteering platform
Article (26) — Continuation of the national platform
The existing National Youth Volunteering Platform shall become the national digital foundation for organising opportunities, developed to integrate with government portals and youth services. Registration and use shall remain free for volunteers, public bodies and non-profit organisations within regulatory limits.
Article (27) — Platform management
The Ministry of Youth and Sports shall manage platform policy and may entrust technical operation to a public body or specialist contractor under contracts legislation. Data, digital identity, standards and accreditation decisions shall remain under the State’s legal control.
Article (28) — Platform functions
The platform shall register volunteers and hosts, publish opportunities, match skills, location and interests, document attendance and hours, record skills and training, issue verifiable records, manage complaints and evaluation, and publish non-personal open statistics.
Article (29) — Registration
Volunteer registration shall be voluntary and free, requiring only necessary minimum data. Registration shall not be a condition for spontaneous, traditional or community assistance not requiring official approval, unless connected to a public body, benefit or official certificate.
Article (30) — Host accounts
A host may publish an official opportunity only after verification of legal existence, representative identity and activity, and acceptance of volunteer-protection conditions. Accounts may be suspended pending verification of serious safety or exploitation complaints.
Article (31) — Opportunity content
Notices shall specify task title, host, location, duration, participation hours, required skills, age group, risks, training, covered expenses, insurance where needed, supervisor and special screening or safeguarding requirements.
Article (32) — Fair matching
The platform shall not use unlawfully discriminatory algorithms. Automated opportunity or candidate ranking shall use task-relevant factors, provide volunteers and hosts a general understanding of criteria and allow challenges to data errors.
Article (33) — Verification of hours
Hours shall be documented proportionately to the activity, combining supervisor confirmation with digital registration, location or attendance codes where appropriate. Unnecessary continuous surveillance or location tracking outside task time shall not be imposed.
Article (34) — National volunteer record
Volunteers may obtain a digitally verifiable record of completed opportunities, hours, skills, training and objective evaluations. Records shall not contain political or religious affiliations or unnecessary sensitive information.
Article (35) — Record portability
Volunteers may download their data record or consent to share it with a university or employer. Platform owners shall not prevent transfer of verified records to another government system or a personal digital copy under interoperability standards.
Article (36) — Data protection
Platform data shall follow purpose limitation, data minimisation, security, limited retention and correction and deletion rights where lawful. Volunteer data shall not be sold or used for targeted advertising or political propaganda.
Article (37) — Open data
The platform shall periodically publish aggregated volunteer, opportunity, hour, sector, governorate, age, sex and disability data where lawfully available, anonymised to prevent re-identification.
Chapter Four — Approval of hosts and opportunities
Article (38) — Eligible hosts
Government bodies, educational institutions, registered non-governmental organisations, companies, private institutions, professional bodies and approved community initiatives may host volunteers for lawful purposes consistent with their activities.
Article (39) — Non-governmental organisations
Host approval does not replace registration under Non-Governmental Organisations Law No. (12) of 2010. The platform grants no legal personality or licence to an unregistered organisation or team.
Article (40) — Private sector
Companies may offer opportunities with clear community benefit or under corporate social responsibility. Volunteers shall not perform ordinary production or commercial operations that paid workers should undertake, or create direct private benefit disproportionate to public benefit.
Article (41) — Government bodies
Government bodies may host volunteers in non-sovereign activities unrelated to law-enforcement powers or protected administrative decisions. Volunteers shall not exercise public authority or access confidential information except within narrow limits and legal safeguards.
Article (42) — Educational institutions
Schools, universities and institutes may host community service and student volunteering, separating voluntary activity from compulsory study and employment duties, with age, safety and timetable standards.
Article (43) — Risk assessment
Before publication, hosts shall classify risks as low, medium or high according to location, task, beneficiaries, tools and travel. Medium- and high-risk opportunities shall not begin before approval of safety, training and insurance or appropriate coverage plans.
Article (44) — Suitability screening
Additional screening may be required for volunteers working directly with children, persons with disabilities, older people, patients or sensitive settings. Screening must be proportionate to risk and not collect criminal or personal data beyond necessity.
Article (45) — Beneficiary protection
Hosts shall establish rules against harassment, violence, exploitation and discrimination, confidential reporting for beneficiaries and volunteers, boundaries for working with children and vulnerable groups, and removal of persons presenting risks pending investigation.
Article (46) — Pre-task training
Before starting, volunteers shall be briefed on tasks, rights, obligations, safety, privacy and conduct. Training shall deepen with risk or complexity. No task shall be assigned without the minimum required preparation.
Article (47) — Supervisor
Hosts shall appoint a responsible supervisor for each opportunity or group of opportunities, identifying contact arrangements and authority to stop dangerous tasks, document hours and respond to complaints.
Article (48) — Suspension of approval
The Ministry or regulator may suspend host or opportunity approval for serious danger, exploitation, misleading data or repeated documented complaints, after notice and an opportunity to respond unless safety requires immediate action.
Article (49) — Revocation of approval
Approval shall be revoked for proven systematic replacement of paid workers, child exploitation, falsified hours or certificates, data misuse or other serious violations, without prejudice to civil or criminal liability.
Chapter Five — Volunteering agreements and volunteer rights
Article (50) — Volunteering agreement
Regular opportunities or those exceeding a regulatory duration shall have a written or electronic agreement covering tasks, duration, supervision, expenses, confidentiality, safety, insurance, withdrawal and complaints. The agreement alone does not transform volunteering into employment.
Article (51) — Right to information
Before accepting, volunteers may know the task, risks, requirements, expected time, expenses they must bear and coverage provided. Substantial task changes require consent except in a safety emergency.
Article (52) — Safety
Volunteers have a right to a safe environment, protective equipment and appropriate training when needed, and may refuse tasks presenting serious, immediate risks not disclosed or inadequately protected against.
Article (53) — Insurance
Government bodies and platform hosts shall provide appropriate accident coverage for field, medium-risk and high-risk opportunities. Regulations shall define minimum coverage and exceptions. National group insurance may reduce costs for small opportunities.
Article (54) — Expenses
Transport, meals, communications and necessary materials may be reimbursed within published limits. Actual expenses or reasonable allowances are not wages. Any absence of expense coverage shall be disclosed beforehand.
Article (55) — Token rewards
Token rewards or awards may recognise volunteering achievements, provided they are not tied to commercial output or hours effectively constituting regular wages, and use published, non-discriminatory criteria.
Article (56) — Dignity and respect
Volunteers are entitled to dignified treatment, freedom from harassment, humiliation, discrimination and extortion, and safe reporting channels without retaliation.
Article (57) — Privacy
Volunteers shall not be photographed or have names, stories or data published in media campaigns without consent. Images of minors require legal-representative consent under child-protection rules.
Article (58) — Evaluation and certification
Volunteers may obtain certificates or verified records on completing opportunity requirements, reflecting actual hours, tasks and skills. Certificates shall not be withheld for legitimate criticism or complaints.
Article (59) — Right to complain
Volunteers may complain to hosts, the platform or Ministry about safety, exploitation, discrimination, hours or certification. Reasonable decision and appeal periods shall be defined.
Article (60) — No retaliation
Ending participation, damaging records or denying other opportunities because of a good-faith complaint or report of corruption, danger or abuse is prohibited. This does not prevent lawful action on proven deliberate malicious reports.
Article (61) — Intellectual property
Agreements shall regulate rights in creative or technical work produced by volunteers. Without agreement, authors retain moral rights and applicable intellectual property rules govern. Volunteering alone does not imply transfer of all rights.
Article (62) — Confidentiality
Volunteers shall preserve confidentiality of information lawfully accessed during tasks. Obligations shall cover only specified or legally protected information and shall not prevent reporting violations or crimes to competent bodies.
Chapter Six — Specialist volunteering, minors and crises
Article (63) — Volunteers under eighteen
Persons aged fourteen or over may join age-appropriate educational or youth volunteering. Regulations shall specify parental-consent cases. They shall not undertake hazardous work, hours conflicting with education or rest, or sole responsibility for other children, money or sensitive data.
Article (64) — Protecting study time
Volunteering shall not disrupt compulsory education, examinations or school attendance. Student opportunities shall occur outside study hours or within approved educational activities.
Article (65) — Volunteers with disabilities
Hosts shall provide reasonable accommodation and accessible locations, information and tools unless disproportionately burdensome. Disability shall not exclude a volunteer able to perform essential tasks with suitable accommodation.
Article (66) — Specialist volunteering
Volunteers shall not practise regulated professions or licensed procedures unless licensed or lawfully supervised by a licensed person. Hosts shall verify licences in medical, engineering, legal and other regulated professional volunteering.
Article (67) — Medical volunteering
Medical and health campaigns require competent health authority approval and supervision, respecting licensing, informed consent, patient confidentiality, safety and infection control. Volunteers shall not perform procedures beyond professional authority.
Article (68) — Engineering and technical volunteering
Voluntary works affecting structural safety, electricity, water, roads or technical systems require review by owners and qualified engineers or technicians. Voluntary status does not waive codes, licences or professional liability.
Article (69) — Educational volunteering
Teachers, university students and experienced people may provide supplementary lessons, literacy and skills training, respecting official curricula, child protection and prohibitions on undisclosed beneficiary charges.
Article (70) — Environmental volunteering
Tree planting, cleaning, environmental monitoring, recycling and awareness campaigns may be organised with municipalities, environmental bodies and site owners. Unlicensed handling of hazardous waste or chemicals is prohibited.
Article (71) — Disaster response
Disaster and crisis volunteering shall be coordinated by civil defence and competent risk and emergency bodies. Untrained volunteers shall not enter restricted areas or perform specialist rescue or advanced first aid without required qualifications.
Article (72) — Volunteer response teams
Pre-trained volunteer teams may be approved for first aid, shelter, logistics, crowd management and community information. Preparedness and training data shall enter the platform subject to security and privacy safeguards.
Article (73) — Spontaneous assistance
This Law does not prohibit spontaneous assistance during incidents. Competent authorities may regulate access to emergency sites and refuse participation endangering the volunteer or others. Official rescue operations must not be disrupted.
Chapter Seven — Community service in education and public work
Article (74) — Educational community service
Educational institutions may offer optional community projects or service-learning courses combining learning objectives and community activity, with clear outcomes, supervision and safety, without exploiting students in institutional operational work.
Article (75) — Academic credit
Community service may count towards course hours or credits when part of an approved curriculum with learning outcomes and academic assessment. The compulsory portion shall not be described as purely voluntary and must be distinguished in the record.
Article (76) — Graduation requirements
Non-academic volunteering hours shall not become a general graduation condition except under law or educational regulation defining the purpose and providing free, accessible opportunities and suitable alternatives for persons with disabilities, caring duties, health conditions or necessary employment.
Article (77) — Public employees
Public employees may volunteer outside working hours under employment and conflict-of-interest laws. Government-organised community service during working hours is an employment activity and shall not count as personal volunteering unless participation is optional and entails no employment discrimination.
Article (78) — Private-sector workers
Employers may grant leave or paid or unpaid volunteering hours by clear agreement. Workers shall not be compelled to volunteer for employers or designated organisations beyond contractual obligations.
Article (79) — Professional experience
Employers may recognise verified volunteering as relevant experience where tasks and skills match job requirements, using the same standard as comparable unpaid experience or practical training. No automatic employment points shall arise merely from hours completed.
Article (80) — Scholarships
Volunteering may inform leadership or community-participation scholarship criteria if announced beforehand and weighted proportionately. It shall not become a barrier for students lacking equal opportunities or facing economic or health obstacles.
Article (81) — Local community service
Governorates and municipalities may offer neighbourhood, park, library, cultural-centre and environmental opportunities. Permanent posts, basic cleaning services and operational maintenance remain the responsibility of public or contracted labour, not volunteers.
Article (82) — Universities as participation centres
Universities may establish community service centres connecting students and teaching staff to local projects, applied research and awareness activities. Students shall not be used for routine administrative work under the label of volunteering.
Chapter Eight — Incentives, recognition and initiatives
Article (83) — Incentive principle
Non-financial or developmental incentives may be offered, but must not become disguised wages or make capacity to volunteer an indirect condition of public employment or educational rights.
Article (84) — National day and recognition
A national volunteering day may coincide with or occur near International Volunteer Day on the fifth of December. National honours or certificates may recognise outstanding achievements under published criteria and a committee free of conflicts of interest.
Article (85) — Initiative awards
Competitive awards may fund initiatives with proven impact, assessed on need, impact, innovation, sustainability and transparency, not follower counts or proximity to the funder.
Article (86) — Free training
Active volunteers may receive fair priority in volunteering-related courses such as first aid, leadership, project management and digital skills where places are limited, under published criteria.
Article (87) — National and international exchange
Volunteer and youth exchanges within and outside Iraq may receive support under published budgets and transparent criteria. They shall not become publicly funded tourism without outcomes or patronage-based selection.
Article (88) — Small-initiative support
Small in-kind or financial grants may support youth teams and initiatives for specific activities, requiring a simple budget, verifiable outputs, conflict-of-interest declaration and auditable account or disbursement mechanism.
Article (89) — Initiative procurement
Public initiative funds shall follow simplified purchasing rules proportionate to grant value. Splitting purchases to circumvent ceilings or buying from relatives or connected bodies without disclosure and justification is prohibited.
Article (90) — Private funding
Private sponsors may fund opportunities and initiatives in return for proportionate acknowledgement. They shall not require collection of volunteer data for marketing, product purchases or political, religious or commercial promotion unrelated to the initiative.
Article (91) — No sale of certificates
Issuing or selling certificates for hours or work not actually completed is prohibited. Falsification or record manipulation shall result in certificate cancellation and penalties under applicable laws.
Chapter Nine — Funding, data and measurement
Article (92) — Funding sources
Implementation shall be financed through Ministry of Youth and Sports, other ministry and governorate budget allocations, lawful own-source revenue, duly accepted grants and donations, and private contributions. No independent fund or compulsory fee shall be created except by special law.
Article (93) — Priority for existing resources
Developing the existing platform, youth centres and human resources shall take priority over new buildings or administrative bodies. Underused forums may be rehabilitated as participation, volunteering and training centres.
Article (94) — Platform costs
Platform operation, cybersecurity, data protection, group insurance and training costs shall enter the annual budget. Technology contracts shall state data ownership and portability to another operator to prevent vendor lock-in.
Article (95) — Youth indicators
The Ministry shall publish an annual dashboard of participation in programmes, councils, consultations, initiatives, training and transitions to work, by governorate, sex, age and disability, disclosing methodology and suppressing small cells that identify individuals.
Article (96) — Volunteering indicators
Indicators shall include active volunteers, opportunities, hosts, verified hours, completion rates, complaints, incidents, geographical distribution, underserved-group participation and activity fields, without treating hours alone as impact.
Article (97) — Impact measurement
Major initiatives shall assess impact according to type, such as beneficiary numbers, service quality and environmental, educational or community improvements. Activities, outputs and outcomes shall be distinguished, and unsupported impacts shall not be claimed.
Article (98) — Annual report
The Ministry of Youth and Sports shall submit a public annual implementation report to the Council of Ministers and Council of Representatives, covering expenditure, programmes, the platform, geographical participation, incidents, complaints and legislative progress.
Article (99) — Independent evaluation
Every five years, youth policy and the volunteering system shall undergo independent evaluation of effectiveness, fairness, cost, volunteer protection and non-replacement of labour. Findings and the government response plan shall be published.
Chapter Ten — Oversight, complaints and liability
Article (100) — Complaint channels
The platform and hosts shall provide clear channels for complaints and reporting harassment, exploitation, corruption, danger or manipulated hours. Complaints may be confidential if sufficient information enables verification.
Article (101) — Complaint procedures
Complainants shall receive acknowledgment and information on the process. Competent bodies shall decide within regulatory deadlines and may take interim measures against immediate danger to volunteers or beneficiaries, respecting the other party’s right to respond.
Article (102) — Grievances
Hosts or volunteers may challenge approval suspension or revocation, certificate refusal or record correction before a review committee independent of the original decision, then appeal to the competent court under the law.
Article (103) — Civil liability
Voluntary status does not exempt hosts or volunteers from ordinary civil liability for harm. Assessment of volunteer liability shall account for unpaid service under host supervision; volunteers shall not bear organisational errors or training failures the host should have prevented.
Article (104) — Injury during volunteering
Volunteer injuries shall be addressed through prescribed insurance or coverage. Insurance compensation does not preclude further lawful claims where harm arises from a host’s or another person’s gross or deliberate fault.
Article (105) — Attacks on volunteers
Applicable criminal laws govern assaults, threats or extortion against volunteers during or because of tasks. Volunteers receive no special immunity from accountability for their own acts.
Article (106) — Corruption and conflicts of interest
Publicly funded grants and initiatives shall follow integrity, disclosure and conflict-of-interest rules. Selection committee members shall not decide in favour of an organisation, team or person with a material financial or family connection.
Article (107) — Administrative sanctions
Cautions, corrective plans, warnings, opportunity or host suspension, revocation and platform exclusion may be applied according to severity and repetition. Administrative sanctions do not prevent judicial referral where an offence is suspected.
Chapter Eleven — Transitional and final provisions
Article (108) — Existing platform
The National Youth Volunteering Platform existing at commencement shall continue. Within twelve months it shall undergo technical and legal review of ownership, data, security, accessibility and terms of use, then integrate into the new framework without loss of valid records or user rights.
Article (109) — Existing government committees
Existing ministerial and government volunteering committees shall continue, aligning core forms and reports with the national platform within one year. New committees at every level are unnecessary where existing coordination suffices.
Article (110) — National Development Plan
This Law implements the National Development Plan 2024–2028 objective of completing volunteering’s legal and institutional framework. It does not prevent future plans updating programmes and indicators within the Law.
Article (111) — Ministry of Youth and Sports Law
Ministry of Youth and Sports Law No. (25) of 2011, its implementing instructions and internal regulations remain effective insofar as compatible. Necessary organisational provisions defining platform, youth policy and advisory council responsibilities shall be amended within one year.
Article (112) — Non-Governmental Organisations Law
Non-Governmental Organisations Law No. (12) of 2010 remains the reference for establishing, registering and managing organisations. Host approval does not replace required registration or licensing.
Article (113) — Labour Law
Labour Law No. (37) of 2015 remains the reference for employment, paid training, safety and labour rights. Suspected use of volunteering to evade paid employment shall be referred to competent labour inspectors.
Article (114) — Sectoral laws
Health, education, civil defence, environment, regulated-profession, child-protection, data, safety and other legislation shall apply to specialist or high-risk volunteering. This Law grants no power exceeding a licence or competence established elsewhere.
Article (115) — National service unaffected
This Law shall not be interpreted as approving or rejecting any national service or conscription bill. That issue remains independently governed by the Constitution and its own legislation, separate from civic volunteering.
Article (116) — Regulations and instructions
On proposals from the Ministry of Youth and Sports and competent bodies, the Council of Ministers shall issue implementing regulations. Within twelve months of publication, the Ministry shall issue instructions on the platform, opportunity approval, insurance, volunteer records, advisory councils and small grants.
Article (117) — Entry into force
This Law shall take effect six months after publication in the Official Gazette. Safety, non-exploitation, minor-protection and data provisions apply immediately upon commencement; digital systems and institutional transition shall be completed within specified periods.
Statement of reasons
To enable meaningful youth participation in development and policies affecting them; complete the legal and institutional framework for volunteering and community service; protect volunteers and beneficiaries and prevent substitution for paid labour; develop the national platform and document hours and skills; regulate participation in schools, universities, centres, public and private bodies and crises; and integrate the Ministry, governorates, educational institutions, civil society and private sector, this Law is enacted.
Explanatory memorandum
1. Why combine youth, volunteering and community service?
Iraqi volunteering developed in practice within youth policy, and the national platform was primarily youth-focused, while the National Development Plan treats volunteering as a public value and institution. Completely separate files would duplicate platforms and governance. Combining them allows youth policy to drive the system while keeping volunteering open to other groups.
2. Why not establish an independent national volunteering authority?
A ministry, National Youth Council, directorates, forums, government committees and operating platform already exist. A complete new authority would need a budget, staff and potentially overlapping powers. The proposal therefore gives the Ministry leadership and the platform the operational role, leaving sectoral regulation to competent ministries.
3. Protecting paid work
The proposal adopts the international principle distinguishing volunteering from reducing paid jobs. Companies may organise river cleaning, career guidance or community campaigns, but cannot use daily volunteers in reception, warehousing or production instead of employees. Where employment elements exist, labour law applies even if both parties write ‘volunteering’.
4. Volunteering hours are not a currency for privileges
Recording hours verifies commitment and skills, but automatic recruitment or scholarship points favour those with more time, transport and resources. The proposal therefore permits recognition as experience where tasks genuinely match the job, and participation criteria in leadership scholarships, while prohibiting blind numerical preference.
5. Minors and crisis volunteers
Volunteering may be low-risk, such as planting trees or reading to children, or high-risk, such as entering a disaster site. The Law treats these differently. Minors receive special safeguards; crisis opportunities need training, civil defence coordination, insurance and equipment. Official bodies may prevent untrained volunteers entering dangerous areas.
6. Community service in education
Service-learning can turn knowledge into practical experience, but compulsory course activity must not be presented as pure ‘volunteering’. The Law distinguishes free volunteering from academic courses and requires fair alternatives when service becomes a graduation condition.
7. National and local youth councils
Advisory councils are neither parallel parliaments nor executive authorities. Their role is to convey youth views regularly and representatively and require public bodies to listen and respond, while preventing a single party or organisation from monopolising representation.
8. Volunteering and the digital platform
The existing platform is an asset to preserve. The Law elevates it from a changeable project to a public service with data, approval, complaint and record-portability rules. It also prevents technical operators monopolising data and ensures continuity when contractors change.
Legal model for volunteering
| Form | Voluntary nature | Compensation | Governing law |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civic volunteering | Entirely voluntary | No wage; expense reimbursement and token rewards permitted | This Law and sectoral legislation |
| Academic service-learning | May form part of a course | No wage | Education rules and this Law’s safeguards |
| Vocational training | Training agreement | According to labour law or the programme | Labour Law and Skills Law |
| Paid work | Employment contract | Wages and labour rights | Labour Law |
| Military or national service | According to special legislation | According to legislation | Special security legislation |
Youth participation
The National Youth Vision 2030 connects empowerment, opportunity creation and participation in decisions. The proposal translates this into legal procedure: councils, ministries or governorates preparing programmes directly affecting youth must do more than announce a completed decision; they must provide consultation or an advisory council and explain which proposals were accepted or rejected and why.
The proposal does not allocate party seats or fixed shares to every community, which could immobilise councils and create quotas. Instead, it requires auditable diversity: governorate representation, reasonable gender balance, disability inclusion, varied education, employment and economic circumstances, and rotation preventing the same people permanently representing youth.
Community service and education
The proposal gives schools and universities broad opportunities to use community service while distinguishing free volunteering, coursework and operational work. Engineering students may survey a community building under an engineer, and medical students may join health awareness under specialist supervision. Neither may undertake independent licensed professional work or compensate for staffing shortages.
Institutions may grant academic credit where service belongs to a clear curriculum, but must describe it as service-learning or community training, not pure volunteering. Where service hours are required for graduation, free, diverse opportunities and alternatives must accommodate disability, caring responsibilities or necessary work so that the requirement does not become a socioeconomic barrier.
Institutional transition
Implementation begins by unifying the platform and committees, not closing or abolishing them. During the first year, the State shall review the platform technically and legally, adopt a model volunteering agreement, risk classification, insurance policy and host-approval rules, and connect ministerial committees to unified reporting.
- Within 6 months: issue interim safety, host and volunteering-agreement rules.
- Within 12 months: audit the platform and move it to a sustainable, interoperable government model, unifying records and certificates.
- Within 18 months: operate youth advisory councils under new selection rules and launch a public dashboard.
- Within 24 months: assess geographical coverage, insurance, incidents and underserved-group access, and remedy gaps.
Financial and implementation impact
The Law requires no large new institution. Costs concentrate in four areas: platform development and cybersecurity; insurance or group coverage for field opportunities; supervisor and specialist-team training; and small grants and accessible youth centres. Much can be implemented by redirecting existing resources and partnerships.
Complete public data do not support precise national estimates for insurance, digital operation or annual opportunities. The proposal therefore avoids a falsely precise total. When preparing the budget, the Ministry shall report active users, cost per user, insured opportunities, average insurance, training and grant costs, and technical hosting and support costs.
Financial rule: prioritise platform and volunteer safety, high-risk opportunity insurance and sustainable existing centres before new buildings or expensive ceremonial events. Volunteering funds shall not compensate for permanent public-service staffing shortages.
International framework
United Nations General Assembly Resolution 56/38 broadly defines volunteering to include mutual assistance, organised service and civic participation where freely chosen for public benefit and financial compensation is not the principal motivation. It also affirms that supporting volunteering does not mean shrinking government or replacing paid work—a central rule of this proposal.
Since 1985, the United Nations has recognised the fifth of December as International Volunteer Day and encouraged governments to raise awareness, remove barriers, support networks and recognise volunteers’ contributions. The proposal uses these principles for comparison, not as direct treaty obligations.
Youth participation and peace provisions intersect with the Youth, Peace and Security agenda based on Security Council Resolution 2250, for which Iraqi bodies were developing a national implementation plan in 2026. The Law therefore supplies participation, dialogue and volunteering tools for social cohesion without converting them into security activities or surveillance of young people.
Sources and references
- Constitution of the Republic of Iraq, 2005 — Iraqi Council of Representatives
Reference for rights, freedoms, equality, work and public competences.
https://iq.parliament.iq/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82%D9%8A/ - Ministry of Youth and Sports Law No. (25) of 2011
Existing law governing the Ministry and its objectives of preparing youth and directing their energies towards building Iraq.
https://www.eastlaws.com/legislation-full-text/ar/iraq/law/17-10-2011/no-25?id=1717504&type=1 - Ministry of Justice — Iraqi Gazette No. 4681, Instructions No. (1) of 2022 facilitating implementation of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Law
Confirms recent instructions facilitating implementation of the Ministry Law.
https://www.moj.gov.iq/view.6474/ - Ministry of Justice — Internal Regulations for Ministry of Youth and Sports Formations No. (1) of 2022, Iraqi Gazette 4697
Reference for the Ministry’s current organisational structure.
https://moj.gov.iq/upload/pdf/4697.pdf - Ministry of Planning — National Development Plan 2024–2028
Includes completing volunteering’s legal and institutional framework, accelerating a volunteering law and unifying supporting structures.
https://www.mop.gov.iq/documents/economic-policies/development-plans/%D8%AE%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B5%D8%A9%20%D8%AE%D8%B7%D8%A9%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D9%86%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A9%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%B7%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9%202024-2028.pdf - Ministry of Planning — integrating volunteering into the National Development Plan 2024–2028
Documents discussion of integrating volunteering during preparation of the Plan.
https://mop.gov.iq/archives/19600 - Ministry of Planning — volunteering and social service methodology in the National Development Plan
Documents incorporation of volunteering and social service methodology into plan preparation.
https://mop.gov.iq/archives/19765 - UNICEF/UNFPA — National Youth Vision 2030, 10 May 2021
Reference for a cross-sector approach, youth empowerment and decision-making participation.
https://www.unicef.org/iraq/ar/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5%D8%AD%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B4%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%83-%D9%85%D9%86-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B8%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%B3%D9%81-%D9%88%D8%B5%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%82-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%85%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%83%D8%A7%D9%86/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5%D8%AD%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%A9 - UNICEF — launch of Iraq’s National Youth Volunteering Platform, 8 December 2021
Documents platform establishment through federal and regional youth ministries, UNICEF and United Nations Volunteers.
https://www.unicef.org/iraq/press-releases/iraqs-first-national-youth-volunteering-platform-launched - UNICEF — announcement of the national electronic volunteering platform, 5 December 2022
Documents programme expansion and nearly five thousand volunteers participating in its offline structure.
https://www.unicef.org/iraq/press-releases/ministry-youth-and-sports-and-unicef-jointly-announce-forthcoming-online-national - Iraq National Youth Volunteering Platform — operational page
Shows an operating platform offering opportunities, conditions, a volunteering agreement, privacy policy and evaluation mechanisms.
https://www.edubacenter.com/ar/nyvp - Iraqi Council of Representatives — discussion of legislation and the government programme with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, 10 September 2026
Documents continued 2026 needs for legislative development, youth empowerment and initiative support.
https://iq.parliament.iq/blog/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%85%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%B4-%D9%85%D8%B9-%D9%88%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D9%88/ - Iraqi Council of Representatives — youth-sector conditions and legislative challenges, 21 July 2026
Addresses review of Ministry legislation, devolution impacts and governorate youth-directorate funding.
https://iq.parliament.iq/blog/%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%85-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%B8%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%AC-%D8%A7/ - General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers — government activities report, 28 September 2026
Documents electronic youth initiative and activity services through the National Youth Council and Ur platform, and continued forum activity.
https://cabinet.iq/ar/category/YVWy%40nCQX_%25BEyz/YVWy%40nCQX_%25BEyz - UNFPA — development of the National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security and Resolution 2250, June 2026
Recent reference for youth participation in peace and social cohesion.
https://iraq.unfpa.org/ar/news/%D8%B5%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%82-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%85%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%83%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%B9-%D9%88%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B6%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%8A%D8%B4%D8%B1%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%AF%D8%B9%D9%85-%D8%AA%D8%B7%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%AE%D8%B7%D8%A9 - ILO — Iraq expands job-search clubs to address youth unemployment, 10 February 2026
Documents integration of job-search services within the Ministry of Youth and Sports system.
https://www.ilo.org/ar/resource/%D8%A3%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1/iraq-expands-nationwide-job-search-support-address-youth-unemployment - Non-Governmental Organisations Law No. (12) of 2010 — official reference cited in a State Consultative Council decision
Reference for the relationship between volunteering and registered non-governmental organisations.
https://www.moj.gov.iq/view.1232/ - Ministry of Justice — Labour Law No. (37) of 2015, Iraqi Gazette 4386
Reference for distinguishing volunteering from employment and protecting labour rights.
https://www.moj.gov.iq/view.1925/ - Ministry of Justice — Volunteering Committee and supporting-committee follow-up plan, 8 February 2026
Documents governmental coordination, volunteering committees and ministerial monitoring forms.
https://www.moj.gov.iq/view.10062/ - United Nations — General Assembly Resolution 56/38: recommendations on support for volunteering
International reference defining volunteering by free will, public benefit and financial compensation not being the principal motivation, and warning against substitution for paid labour.
https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/453860?ln=ar - United Nations — International Volunteer Day and relevant resolutions
Reference for international recognition of volunteering on 5 December and calls for governments to support an enabling environment.
https://www.un.org/en/node/46611
Official Iraqi sources take priority in establishing legal and institutional status. United Nations, UNICEF, UNFPA and ILO materials inform participation, volunteering, protection and comparative models.