i
U.S. Supports EU Resolution on Human Rights in Iran at Geneva Meeting
20 April 2001
(Resolution expresses "continuing concern" at violations in Iran)
(1680)
The United States supported a European Union resolution on Iran
approved April 20 by the U.N. Human Rights Commission in Geneva.
The vote of the 53-member body was 21 for the resolution, 17 against
it, with 15 countries abstaining.
The resolution expresses "continuing concern at the violations of
human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, in particular the recent
deterioration of the situation with regard to freedom of opinion and
expression, especially attacks against the freedom of the press" and
speaks out against "the imprisonment of journalists and the harsh
reactions to student demonstrations, including their imprisonment and
mistreatment."
The resolution notes recent positive steps regarding the situation of
the Baha'is, but expresses its concern at the still-existing
discrimination against persons belonging to minorities, in particular
against Baha'is.
It cites "unsatisfactory compliance with international standards in
the administration of justice, in particular public and especially
cruel executions."
And it criticizes Iran for failing to cooperate with U.N. human rights
experts, who have been denied access to the country since 1996.
The resolution also notes that certain improvements have taken place
in Iran in areas such as women's education, democracy, and health.
Following is the text of the resolution:
(begin text)
QUESTION OF THE VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS IN
ANY PART OF THE WORLD
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel,
Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, The Netherlands, United States of America, United
Kingdom: resolution
Situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran
The Commission on Human Rights,
Guided by the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights, the International Covenants on Human Rights and other
human rights instruments,
Reaffirming that all States Members of the United Nations have an
obligation to promote and protect human rights and fundamental
freedoms and fulfill the obligations they have undertaken under the
various international instruments in this field,
Mindful that the Islamic Republic of Iran is a party to the
International Covenants on Human Rights, the International Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the
Convention on the Rights of the Child,
Recalling previous resolutions of the General Assembly and the
Commission on Human Rights on the subject, the most recent of which
are Assembly resolution, 55/114 of 4 December 2000 and Commission
resolution 2000/28 of 18 April 2000,
1. Welcomes the report of the Special Representative of the Commission
on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in the Islamic
Republic of Iran (E/CN,4/2001/39);
2. Notes with interest the assessment of the Special Representative,
that certain foundational improvements have taken place in areas such
as women's education, democracy, and health, and that the trend is now
irreversible and hopes that this trend will be further consolidated
and also include other areas during the coming year;
3. Deeply regrets that since 1996, no invitation has been extended by
the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Special
Representative to visit the country and strongly urges the government
to invite the Special Representative and resume its full cooperation
with him, in particular so that he can, through direct contacts with
all sectors of society, observe the evolution of the human rights
situation in the country and assess future needs, including in the
area of technical cooperation in the field of human rights;
4. Welcomes improvements in the field of women's education, health and
democratic participation in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the
efforts made by the Sixth Majlis to improve the status of women and
girls, in particular a bill to raise the age of marriage and a bill to
remove the existing ban on unmarried women studying abroad, but is
deeply concerned that many of these efforts have not yet been
promulgated as law, which would be a step towards ending the systemic
discrimination against women and girls in law and in practice and the
obstacles to the full and equal enjoyment by women and girls of their
human rights;
5. Warmly welcomes the positive, developments regarding the situation
of Iranian children in the fields of education, health and juvenile
justice, as reported by the United Nations Children's Fund and the
Special Representative, and strongly encourages the Government of the
Islamic Republic of Iran to implement the recommendations made by the
Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC/C/15/Add.123) as a matter of
priority, as well as to consider ratifying International Labor
Organization Convention (No. 182) on the Prohibition and Immediate
Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor;
6. Also welcomes the reports that religion will no longer be requested
in the registration of births, marriages, divorces or deaths;
7. Notes with interest the announcement that the Office of the Public
Prosecutor will be re-established, as well as the work of the
so-called Article 90 Commission of the Iranian Parliament which
investigates, among other things, complaints against the judiciary,
has taken the initiative in following up some cases with a political
background and demands due process of law;
8. Notes that government agents accused of involvement in the
suspicious deaths and killings of intellectuals and political
activists have been convicted, while regretting that all the
circumstances surrounding the killings have still not been fully
clarified, and urges the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to
continue the process of investigation and to bring alleged
perpetrators to justice in accordance with due process of law;
9. Notes recent positive steps regarding the situation of the Baha'is,
including the report that they will be allowed to re-establish their
cemetery in Tehran, but expresses its concern at the still-existing
discrimination against persons belonging to minorities, in particular
against Baha'is, and calls upon the Government of the Islamic Republic
of Iran to eliminate all forms of discrimination based on religious
grounds or against persons belonging to minorities and to address this
matter in an open manner with the full participation of the minorities
themselves, as well as to implement fully the conclusions and
recommendations of the Special Rapporteur on religious intolerance
relating to the Baha'is and other minority groups until they are
completely emancipated;
10. Calls upon the Islamic Republic of Iran to continue its efforts to
consolidate respect for human rights and the rule of law and to abide
by its freely undertaken obligations under the International Covenants
on Human Rights and under other international instruments on human
rights;
11. Recognizes the efforts made by the Government of the Islamic
Republic of Iran to strengthen the respect for human rights in the
country, but expresses its continuing concern at the violations of
human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, in particular the recent
deterioration of the situation with regard to freedom of opinion and
expression, especially attacks against the freedom of the press, the
harsh sentences imposed on those who participated in the Berlin
Conference, the imprisonment of journalists and the harsh reactions to
student demonstrations, including their imprisonment and mistreatment,
and urges all Iranian authorities to ensure full respect for freedom
of expression;
12. Deplores the continued executions in the apparent absence of
respect for internationally recognized safeguards, in particular
public and especially cruel executions, and urges the Government of
the Islamic Republic of Iran to ensure that capital punishment will
not be imposed for crimes other than the most serious and will not be
pronounced in disregard of the obligations it has assumed under the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the
provisions of United Nations safeguards, and to provide the Special
Representative with relevant statistics on this matter;
14. Expresses its concern over the still unsatisfactory compliance
with international standards in the administration of justice and the
absence of due process of law and the use of national security laws to
deny the rights of the individual, and strongly urges the Government
of the Islamic Republic of Iran to expedite the judicial reform, to
guarantee the dignity of the individual and to ensure the full
application of due process of law and fair and transparent procedures
by an independent and impartial judiciary and, in this context, to
ensure respect for the rights of the defense and the equity of
verdicts in all instances, including for members of religious minority
groups; in this context the fate of the convicted in the Shiraz trial
is still a matter or concern;
15. Encourages the Islamic Human Rights Commission to continue and
increase its essential work to enhance the human rights situation in
the Islamic Republic of Iran;
16. Calls upon the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to give
effect, in the near future, to its invitation to the Working Group on
Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances to visit the Islamic Republic
of Iran, as well as to consider extending invitations to other
relevant thematic mechanisms to visit the country;
17. Decides to extend the mandate of the Special Representative, as
contained in Commission resolution 1984/54 of 14 March 1984, for a
further year, and requests the Special Representative to submit an
interim report to the General Assembly at its 56th session and to
report to the Commission at its 58th session, and also to keep a
gender perspective in mind when seeking and analyzing information;
18. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to give all necessary
assistance to the Special Representative to enable him to discharge
his mandate fully;
19. Decides to continue its examination of the situation of human
rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, paying particular attention to
further developments, including the situation of the Baha'is and other
minority groups, at its 58th session under the same agenda item.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
©Copyright 2001, U.S. State Department
|