This follows on the heels of a statement released on the 29th of January during the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the United Nations Human Rights Council, in Geneva, at which Egyptian authorities were held accountable for the systematic abuse of the rights of religious and other minorities in Egypt, which includes the Egyptian Bahá’í community. .

The Bahá'í International Community released a statement titled In full partnership: Women’s advancement as a prerequisite for peaceful societies, emphasizing that true equality requires a transformation that goes beyond policy reforms to address the spiritual and cultural roots of inequality.

Liliane Nkunzimana, a BIC representative from the New York Office, noted: The 12 critical areas of concern articulated in Beijing were an important evolution in equality of women and men. However, many of these advances have been eroded by policy rollbacks and other forces, from the grassroots through to the international stage. This is a disturbing regression. And it should prompt us to identify more enduring approaches to transformation.” [BWNS1783; BWNS1719; Insights from the Field: Podcast explores advances in gender equality in India]

The pdf of the statement can be download here.

The resolution explicitly acknowledged that the Iranian people had rejected all forms of dictatorship, including both the ruling theocracy and the monarchical regime, and have demonstrated their will for fundamental change through nationwide protests, particularly in 2018, 2019, and 2022. It recognized the role of Iran’s Resistance Units in mobilizing protests inside the country against the regime’s oppression.

The resolution highlighted the Ten-Point Plan proposed by Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), as a viable and democratic alternative to the current regime. This plan called for a democratic republic based on universal suffrage, free elections, gender equality, separation of religion and state, a nonnuclear Iran, and peaceful coexistence with other nations. The resolution noted that this plan has gained support from over 4,000 parliamentarians worldwide, including 243 bipartisan U.S. House members, majorities in 33 legislative assemblies, 130 former world leaders, and 80 Nobel laureates.

It also raised concerns over Tehran’s transnational repression, particularly the regime’s threats against Iranian dissidents abroad. The resolution called on the U.S. government to work with Albania to ensure the full protection of Iranian refugees in Ashraf 3, many of whom are former political prisoners and survivors of regime massacres. [National Council of Resistance of Iran website]

The text of the Resolution can be read here.

The incident came just two days before Iran’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, where the country’s systematic persecution of the Bahá'ís is expected to be scrutinized. [BIC News 22 January 2025]