Statement By H. E. Mr. Ali Bahreini Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran To the UN Office and other international organizations in Geneva Before The Human Rights Council 53rd Session Item 2: Report of the Secretary General on the Situation of Human Rights In the Islamic Republic of Iran   Geneva, 21 June 2023 بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم   Mr. President, The resolution 77/228 of the UN General Assembly, based on which the Secretary-General delivers a report on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran to the 53rd Session of the Human Rights Council, is politically motivated, biased and unfair, and does not contribute to the protection and promotion of human rights. My delegation once again, stresses that establishing parallel mandates to compile repetitive country-specific reports on the situation of human rights in Iran, is basically costly, unreasonable, illogic, unnecessary and unprofessional. I shall highlight that no prior consultation is made with the Islamic Republic of Iran to prepare such detailed and time-consuming reports; only a few days are given thereto to review the draft report and comment on allegations enumerated therein. In spite of the short notice for presenting its comments, the Islamic Republic of Iran has always thoroughly studied the draft reports and sent its comprehensive comment. However, unfortunately, the content of our comments has been constantly ignored. Such a reporting mechanism, in which the views and comments of the State concerned cannot be duly reflected, is not cooperative and constructive. Mr. President, An independent and impartial report should reflect the facts based on objective evidences. In the report, it is claimed that the Iran’s interactions based on its international human rights obligations is limited, and the level of implementation of the recommendations of international human rights mechanisms is low. Adopting such a biased opinion shows the one-sidedness and partial assessment of the report. The claim that the imposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran are sectoral is inaccurate and does not reflect the severity of the situation. It contradicts the UN documents and the acknowledgement of the imposing States. The unilateral sanctions imposed on Iran, are nation-wide, and comprehensive and target all areas of Iranian people's lives, including the right to life, the right to adequate living standards, the right to health, the right to education, the right to economic activity, the right to development, and the right to self-determination. The imposition of unilateral coercive measures against the Iranian nation is a crime against humanity and a violation of the mandatory rules of international law and international human rights law which is neglected in this report and should be strongly condemned.   Mr. President, Leveling a series of accusations against the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the report including claims on “institutionalized discrimination against women and girls and minorities”, and failure to consider the great achievements of the Country in the field of human rights, all produce an unrealistic and incorrect picture of the general situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran. It should also be noted that, out of more than 130 sources mentioned in the report's footnotes, less than 30 are quoted from internal sources. Most of the sources and references are based on anti-Iran foreign and dissident propaganda outlets. This indicates the politicized approach of the report on the one hand, and the lack of credible, documented, and accurate sources on the other. Mr. President, Indeed, one cannot expect fairness and justice from a mandate given by a group of western countries which are sponsoring it against the Islamic Republic of Iran. The main sponsors are the primary violators of the human rights of the Iranian nation. However, the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner are expected to take the necessary supervision in preparing reports with a completely impartial and professional approach. Unfortunately, the claims made by the report regarding the recent riots in the Country contain inappropriate terms and expressions that often reflect the claims churned out by media outlets hostile to the Islamic Republic of Iran. The content of such a report is expected to be based on verified information or on the matters for which domestic judicial or legislative proceedings and legal remedies are exhausted. The report should not represent a clumsy, inappropriate and inaccurate collection, including allegations received from newspapers and unreliable and irrelevant websites, or sources known for spreading false and biased news, or based on fake news published by terrorist and hostile organizations. Mr. President, In spite of all the above mentioned facts, the Islamic Republic of Iran, based upon its’ religious beliefs and legal obligations, is committed to promoting and protecting human rights and interacts and cooperates with the United Nations human rights mechanisms. I thank you.