Letter dated 30 October 2002 from the Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations Office at Geneva addressed to the Chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights

          
          UNITED
          NATIONS E
          Economic and Social Distr.
          Council
          GENERAL
          E1CN.412003 /Gil 3
          6 December 2002
          Original: ENGLISH
          COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
          Fiifiy-ninth session
          Item 17 of the provisional agenda
          PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
          Letter dated 30 October 2002 from the Permanent Representative of the
          Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations Office at Geneva addressed
          to the Chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights
          I have the pleasure to report to you on the following decisions and measures taken by the
          Islamic Republic of Iran following the flfty-eighth session of the Commission on Human Rights
          to enhance cooperation with the Commission and the Offfice of the United Nations High
          Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and to promote human rights in Iran.
          1. On 24 July the Iranian Government extended an open invitation to all of the thematic
          procedures of the Commission on Human Rights, and in this connection has welcomed the
          United Nations human rights mandate holders' visits to Iran at their earliest convenience.
          2. In order to expand technical cooperation with OHCFIR, the United Nations technical
          cooperation mission to Iran on human rights will take place in the near future to formulate
          OHCHR human rights programmes in Iran, and to finalize the memorandum of understanding, as
          a basis for a process of long-term cooperation between Iran and the United Nations.
          3. In addition to some bilateral structured dialogue with several countries, a framework of
          dialogue with the European Union (EU) has been agreed upon, which in our view would not only
          help the two sides to understand each other more profoundly and to exchange views, but also
          promote a culture of respect for human rights and social commitment for concrete progress. In
          this regard, an exploratory experts meeting has recently been held in Tehran and the first meeting
          in the framework of dialogue between EU and the Islamic Republic of Iran will take place in
          December 2002.
          GE.02-15803 (E) 111202
        

          
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          4. Arrangements have been made for a dialogue between the judiciary of the Islamic
          Republic of Iran and OHCHR. In this respect, a high-level Iranian delegation will visit Geneva
          soon to meet the High Commissioner and other off cials from OHCHR to discuss ways and
          means of expanding cooperation on human rights issues.
          5. The Iranian Parliament has taken signifficant initiatives to review the old legislation and
          introduce new ones, where appropriate, with a view to promoting and protecting human rights in
          all sectors. The recent developments such as adopting a bill on women's rights in divorce and
          the bill on the improvement in the equal status of religious minorities are also worthy of mention
          in this regard.
          I would like to assure Your Excellency that han is determined to pursue the path it has
          chosen to take and to strive for enhanced cooperation with the Commission on Human Rights
          and its mechanisms, on the understanding that the promotion of human rights at national and
          international levels requires concrete and sincere eLorts, far from short-sighted political motives.
          ( Signed) : Mohammad Reza ALBORZI
          Ambassador
          Permanent Representative