battle over Damascus’ water supply. We reiterate the demand to the Syrian regime to allow safe, free and unhindered access of international observers to the country. All those responsible for such breaches of international law will be held accountable. We also underline the obligation to release all arbitrarily detained persons, especially women and children. We welcome the outcome of the International Conference on "Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region", held in Brussels on 5 April, aimed at boosting international support for the intra-Syrian negotiations in Geneva, addressing the humanitarian crisis in Syria and to maintain the support to displaced Syrians and to the countries that are hosting Syrian refugees. While reaffirming the importance of the international support to the reconstruction of Syria, we reiterate that no step in such direction will be possible, until a credible political transition is firmly under way. IRAQ We reassert our continued support for the independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Iraq, whose stabilization and good governance remain central for the overall future of the region. We recognize the bravery and sacrifice of the Iraqi forces in the military operations to defeat ISIL/Da’esh and to liberate Mosul, with the support of the Global Coalition, and the commitment of Prime Minister al-Abadi to minimize civilian casualties and put protection of civilians at the heart of the campaign. The fight against terrorism will only be successful if conducted in full respect of international human rights, preventing sectarian violence and defusing sectarian tensions. We welcome the agreement between the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government on the division of tasks on the ground, that has allowed Iraqi Security Forces and Peshmerga units to fight together against ISIL/Da’esh. We hope this military cooperation can become a model for political cooperation in a post-Da’esh Iraq. We continue to support strongly the efforts of the Iraqi authorities, the UN and the Global Coalition to address the immediate needs arising from the Mosul campaign and throughout Iraq. We are deeply concerned by the number of Iraqis who are still internally displaced or continue to be in need of humanitarian assistance, including medical and psycho-social services for survivors of gender-based violence. We call on donor countries to continue responding to the crisis by extending humanitarian assistance country-wide to reach people in need. We attach the highest priority to the stabilization of liberated areas, and we call on partners to support Iraq’s efforts, in close cooperation with the UN and other international organizations, so that people Joint Communiqué | G7 FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING 9