Human Rights Law
International human rights law is governed by a series of human rights conventions and instruments. Once a country becomes a party to a convention, it is legally obligated to respect those rights, and must ensure that its national legislation is compatible with the promotion and protection of the rights specified in these conventions. Iran is a party to five of the nine "core" human rights conventions. All UN housed human rights conventions and instruments can be found here.
International Covenant on Civil And Political Rights
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) is a treaty that commits its parties to promoting the civil and political rights of individuals. These rights include the right to life, freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, freedom of association, electoral rights, as well as the rights to due process and a fair trial. The treaty was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 16 December 1966, and had 167 parties as of October 2011. ... Read more
International Covenant, on Economic Social, and Cultural Rights
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) is a treaty that commits its parties to protect and promote respect for the economic, social, and cultural rights of individuals, including the rights to education, work, and to an adequate standard of living. The treaty was adopted by the United General Assembly on 16 December 1966, and had 160 parties as of July 2011. ... Read more
Convention on the Rights of the Child
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC, CROC, or UNCRC) is a human rights treaty that defines the civil, political, cultural, social, health and economic rights of children. The Convention generally defines a child as any human being under the age of eighteen, unless an earlier age of majority is recognized by a country's law. ... Read more
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
The Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) promotes the eradication of practices that deprive individuals of their of civil, political or economic rights on the basis of their race or ethnicity. ... Read more
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is an international human rights treaty intended to promote and protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. The text was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 13 December 2006 and has 107 parties as of December 2011 including Iran. ... Read more
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, while not a treaty binding at its inception, represents the first global expression of the rights of man and stands as one of the fullest sets of human rights principles to date. Iran was one of 48 UN member states voting to adopt the declaration in 1948. ... Read more
Latest news
- Iran needs to be ‘named and shamed’ on rights violations August 06, 2013
- Ahmed Shaheed on the death penalty in Iran July 28, 2013
- UN expert to investigate alleged rights violations in Iran through diaspora in the US and Canada July 17, 2013
- Iran presidential vote not free, fair: UN rights envoy June 14, 2013
- Iran: UN experts concerned at barring of women presidential candidates and freedom restrictions May 30, 2013
- UN human rights experts urge Iran to release Baha’i community leaders May 14, 2013
- Watch Live: Dr. Shaheed's talk with Balavision April 22, 2013
- Listen: Dr. Shaheed on Elections and Women's Rights April 17, 2013
- Amnesty International Sheds Light on the Death Penalty in 2012 April 10, 2013
- UN expert raises alarm over increased degree of seriousness of human rights violations April 19, 2013
About Dr. Shaheed
Dr. Ahmed Shaheed is an internationally recognized expert on foreign policy, international diplomacy, democratization and human rights reform especially in Muslim States. He has twice held the Office of Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Maldives, a position he used to promote human rights standards and norms.
During his time in government, Dr. Shaheed played a leading role in the Maldives democratic transition and in its human rights reform process.