Iran in focus
Organizations press for approval of resolution on human rights in the country
Hassan Rouhani, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, addresses the Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement
Seated at the podium:
Mohammad Javad Zarif, FM of Iran
Hassan Rouhani, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary-General,
John Ashe, President of the General Assembly
Mohammad Khazaei, PR of Iran
The annual vote on the human rights situation in Iran will take place between October 23 and November 22 at the meeting of the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly – which deals specifically with human rights issues and social and humanitarian affairs. Civil society organizations that support the resolution have sent a letter to the delegations of UN Member States in New York to pressure for its approval.
The current Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran, Asma Jahangir, presented a report that draws attention to a number of laws, policies and practices that undermine the fundamental rights of the Iranian people, as well as the existence of systematic patterns of discrimination based on gender, religion or belief, ethnicity and language. Furthermore, Iran is still one of the countries that conducts the most executions in the world, having executed at least 440 people since the start of this year.
Read the letter in full, in English
According to the NGOs, “this resolution provides an opportunity for the international community to take stock of the positive steps taken recently by Iran, as well as to express serious concern at the many fundamental human rights issues that have remained unaddressed”.
In March this year, the Temer government abstained in a vote to renew the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, in a move that conflicts with previous positions taken by Foreign Minister Aloysio Nunes, who in 2015 demanded explanations when the Rousseff administration voted in the same way. Brazil has abstained in this vote since 2001, with the exception of 2003, despite repeated requests by Brazilian and Iranian organizations for it to change its position.
The joint letter from civil society in support of the resolution on human rights in Iran was signed by Conectas and another 33 Iranian and international organizations. The document is public and was sent on November 7.
