§ Mr. Redmondasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what current initiatives he is promoting through international forums to seek to improve the level of human rights in Iran.
§ Mr. RifkindWe remain concerned at reports of violations of human rights in Iran. We have again cosponsored a resolution on Iran at this year's session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva. The resolution, which was adopted on 13 March, urged the Iranian Government, as a state party to the international covenant on civil and political rights, to respect and ensure to all its citizens the rights recognised in that covenant. It also extended the mandate of the special representative appointed by the commission to investigate the human rights situation in Iran, and instructed him to make an interim report to the United Nations General Assembly in the autumn and a full report to next year's session of the Commission on Human Rights.