Paris, 19 December 2002

on December 16 and 17, the first session of the human rights dialogue between the EU and Iran took place in Tehran, while negotiations for a trade and cooperation agreements between the EU and Iran have just been launched in Brussels.
On the occasion of its last session, the UN Commission on Human Rights failed to adopt a resolution on the situation of human rights in Iran, and consequently did not renew the mandate of the UN Special Representative on Iran. In addition, the European Union did not table a resolution on Iran at the last session of the UN General Assembly, in spite of the serious and systematic human rights violations in that country. In that context, the FIDH decided to follow with the utmost attention the opening of a human rights dialogue between the EU and Iran and issued suggestions in view of that dialogue (http://www.fidh.org/communiq/2002/ir1912a.htm).
The round-table gathered Iranian and European officials, academics from both sides as well as a too small number of international organisations issued from civil society, among which the FIDH. The participants discussed about torture prevention and discrimination - notably against women and in the framework of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
The FIDH welcomes the frankness of the discussions which allowed genuine exchanges on those issues. It takes note of the announcement by the Iranian authorities that they will address a standing invitation to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture. The FIDH expects concretisation of that commitment. However, the FIDH deplores the limits imposed to the debate, notably on ethnic and religious minorities and on corporal punishments.
The FIDH hopes that the next session of that dialogue, which should take place next spring, will address additional important issues, such as freedoms of expression and association, and in particular the very worrying situation of lawyers and the Bar association. In that context, the visit of relevant UN thematic mechanisms is definitely crucial.
The FIDH considers that participation of truly independent organisations from European and Iranian civil society is essential for the credibility and transparency of the dialogue. It therefore regrets that representatives from other independent international human rights NGOs, in particular Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, did not get their visa from the Iranian authorities. It deplores as well that truly independent Iranian organisations were not associated.
The FIDH calls upon all parties to the dialogue to ensure that the next session of the dialogue include those independent non-governmental organisations. Their participation is essential in order for the dialogue to produce results and benefit from their internationally recognised human rights expertise.

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