Human Rights Council Resolutions
View the resolutions on the situation of human rights in Iran passed by the Human Rights Council.
Human Rights Council
The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system, consisting of 47-member states that the UN General Assembly elects. The Council is responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights internationally, as well as addressing situations of human rights violations and providing recommendations to mend them.
The Human Rights Council is guided by four main tools to address human rights globally:
1) Universal Periodic Review – a unique process involving a periodic review of the human rights records of all 193 UN Member States. It provides an opportunity for all States to declare what actions they have taken to improve the human rights situations in their countries and overcome the challenges to the enjoyment of human rights. The UPR process takes place every four years. The recommendations made to Iran during previous cycles can be found here.
2) Advisory Committee – the Advisory Committee provides expertise to the Human Rights Council as needed. It mainly focuses on studies and research-based advice. The Committee meets twice a year, for one week in February immediately before the March session of the Council and for one week in August.
3) Complaints Procedure – the Complaints Procedure addresses communications submitted by individuals, groups, or non-governmental organizations that claim to be victims of human rights violations or that have direct, reliable knowledge of such violations. To learn more about the procedure and submit a complaint, please click here.
4) UN Special Procedures – independent human rights experts with mandates to report and advise on human rights from a thematic or country-specific perspective.
Secretary-General Reports (HRC)
View the reports on the situation of human rights in Iran submitted by the UN Secretary-General.
HRC 34: March 2017 Report of the Secretary-General on Human Rights in Iran
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The present report is submitted in accordance with General Assembly resolution 71/204, in which the Assembly requested the Secretary-General to submit an interim report to the Human Rights Council at its thirty-fourth session. The report reflects the patterns and trends in the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran and provides information on the progress made in the implementation of resolution 71/204, including recommendations to improve implementation. In its resolution, the General Assembly called upon the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to address the substantive concerns highlighted in the previous reports of the Secretary-General and to respect fully its human rights obligations, in law and in practice.
2017 HRC 34: Resolution on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran
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Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, during the thirty-fourth session on March 24, 2017. The resolution was passed by a vote of 22 in favor, 12 against, with 13 abstentions.
2016 HRC 31: Resolution on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran
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Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, during the thirty-first session on March 23, 2016. The resolution was passed by a vote of 20 in favor, 15 against, with 11 abstentions.
HRC 31: May 2016 Report of the Secretary-General on Situation of Human Rights in Iran
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The present report is submitted in accordance with General Assembly resolution 70/173, in which the Assembly requested the Secretary-General to submit an interim report to the Human Rights Council at its thirty-first session on the progress made in the implementation of the resolution. In the report the Secretary-General describes patterns and trends in the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran and makes recommendations to improve the implementation of the resolution.
2015 HRC 28: Resolution on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran
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Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, during the twenty-eighth session on March 27, 2015. The resolution was passed by a vote of 20 in favor, 11 against, with 16 abstentions.
HRC 28: February 2015 Report of the Secretary-General on Human Rights in Iran
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The present report is submitted in accordance with General Assembly resolution 69/190, in which the Assembly requested the Secretary-General to submit an interim report to the Human Rights Council at its twenty-eighth session. The report reflects the patterns and trends in the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran and provides information on the progress made in the implementation of resolution 69/190, including recommendations to improve implementation. In its resolution, the Assembly called upon the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to address the substantive concerns highlighted in the previous reports of the Secretary-General and to respect fully its human rights obligations, in law and in practice, in relation to a number of specifically identified concerns.
HRC 25: April 2014 Report of the Secretary-General on Human Rights in Iran
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The present report is submitted in accordance with General Assembly resolution 68/184, in which the Assembly requested the Secretary-General to submit an interim report to the twenty-fifth session of the Human Rights Council. The report reflects the patterns and trends in the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran and provides information on the progress made in the implementation of that resolution, including recommendations to improve such implementation. In the resolution, the Assembly called upon the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to address the substantive concerns highlighted in the previous report of the Secretary-General and to respect fully its human rights obligations, in law and in practice, in relation to a number of specifically identified concerns.
Member State Statements, March 2014
Archived video clips from the 25th Session of the UN Human Rights Council held in March 2014.
2014 HRC 25: Resolution on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran
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Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, during the twenty-fifth session on March 28, 2014. The resolution was passed by a vote of 21 in favor, 9 against, with 16 abstentions.
HRC 22: May 2013 Report of the Secretary-General on Human Rights in Iran
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The present report is submitted in accordance with General Assembly resolution 67/182, in which the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to submit an interim report to the Human Rights Council at its twenty-second session. The report reflects the patterns and trends in the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran and provides information on the progress made in the implementation of the resolution, including recommendations to improve its implementation. In its resolution 67/182, the General Assembly called upon the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to address the substantive concerns highlighted in the previous report of the Secretary-General (A/67/327) and to respect fully its human rights obligations, in law and in practice, in relation to a number of specifically identified concerns.
2013 HRC 22: Resolution on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran
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Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, during the twenty-second session on March 22, 2013. The resolution was passed by a vote of 26 in favor, 2 against, with 17 abstentions.
HRC 19: May 2012 Report of the Secretary-General on Human Rights in Iran
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The present report is submitted in accordance with General Assembly resolution 66/175, in which the Assembly requested the Secretary-General to submit an interim report to the Human Rights Council at its nineteenth session. The report reflects the patterns and trends in the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran and provides information on the progress made in the implementation of the resolution 66/175, including recommendations to improve its implementation. In the resolution, the Assembly called upon the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to address the substantive concerns highlighted in the previous report of the Secretary-General (A/66/361) and to respect fully its human rights obligations, in law and in practice, in relation to a number of specifically identified concerns.
2012 HRC 19: Resolution on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran
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Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, during the nineteenth session on March 22, 2012. The resolution was passed by a vote of 22 in favor, 5 against, with 20 abstentions.
2011 HRC 16: Resolution on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran
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Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, during the sixteenth session on March 24, 2011. The resolution was passed by a vote of 22 in favor, 7 against, with 14 abstentions.
HRC 16: March 2011 Report of the Secretary-General on Human Rights in Iran
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The present report is submitted in accordance with General Assembly resolution 65/226, in which the Assembly requested the Secretary-General to submit an interim report to the Human Rights Council at its sixteenth session. The report reflects the patterns and trends in the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran and provides information on the progress made in the implementation of resolution 65/226, including recommendations to improve its implementation. In that resolution, the Assembly called upon the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to address the substantive concerns highlighted in the previous report of the Secretary-General (A/65/370) and the specific calls to action found in previous resolutions of the Assembly (resolutions 63/191, 62/168 and 64/176), and to respect fully its human rights obligations, in law and in practice, in relation to a number of specifically identified concerns.