Canberra -- Organized by the Assyrian National Council and the Young Assyrians in Australia, a summit titled The Policy Summit on the Future of the Nineveh Plains was held on Wednesday at the Australian Federal Parliament in Canberra.

The event was attended by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Australian lawmakers, academics, policymakers, civil society leaders, human rights advocates, representatives of local communities, and non-governmental organizations to discuss the future of one of the Middle East's most significant regions.

The summit examined ways to empower the Chaldean--Syriac--Assyrian communities of Nineveh Plains in Iraq by promoting self-governance, economic development, and sustainable, community-led solutions.

Discussions focused on self-administration in Nineveh Plains, strengthening local institutions, creating opportunities for youth, protecting human rights, and enhancing social cohesion, long-term stability, and prosperity in the region.

The summit was moderated by Robert DeKeleta. Organizers presented several key proposals, including the establishment of a locally governed Nineveh Plains province within Iraq's constitutional framework to ensure effective governance, accountability, and representation for its communities.

The summit also called for strengthening security and stability through support for a protective security framework that safeguards all communities, facilitates the return of displaced families, and promotes long-term peace and stability throughout the region.

Other proposals included protecting the rights of the indigenous Chaldean--Syriac--Assyrian people through the recognition and preservation of their cultural, linguistic, religious, and historical heritage in line with international human rights principles. Participants also advocated for advancing economic development through investment in infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture, tourism, and local projects to create jobs, attract investment, and support sustainable growth. Additionally, they emphasized the importance of promoting inclusive governance by ensuring effective political participation for all communities through transparent, representative, and locally accountable governance structures.

The summit featured discussions and interventions that enriched its themes. The right of the Chaldean--Syriac--Assyrian people to administer their regions in the Nineveh Plains was widely welcomed and supported by attendees.

"Assyrian Australians have made our country a better place," Albanese said in a post on X following the summit. "It's a community with a proud place in modern Australia who contribute so much to our nation's multicultural history."

The prime minister also expressed his pleasure at meeting community leaders and Assyrian youth at Parliament.

Calls for establishing an autonomous region for the Chaldean--Syriac--Assyrian people in Nineveh Plains are not new. In June 2017, the European Parliament in Brussels hosted a conference titled A Future for Christians in Iraq, organized by Chaldean--Syriac--Assyrian political parties, including the Beth Nahrain Patriotic Union (Huyodo d'Bethnahrin Athroyo, HBA).

The conference presented a detailed proposal outlining the structure of self-administration in Nineveh Plains and the responsibilities of its regional government. The participating parties also called on the United States and the European Union to support the establishment of an autonomous region politically and practically and to accelerate negotiations with the Iraqi federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) regarding recognition of the Nineveh Plains Council.