The Iranian government reportedly engaged in a number of ad-hoc efforts to facilitate the
accession of people living in the Sistan and Baluchestan province to birth registration and
education. In 2013, the Iranian Government facilitated the application process for birth
certification registration in the province for applicants likely to be Iranian. 7 Reportedly
24,000 birth certificates were issued in 2017, a number likely reached thanks to such process.8
In February 2017, a special card was issued for Baluchi children without birth certificates to
register to school, reportedly enabling 20,000 children to register for school in the province
and 19,000 to attend. 9 10 However, in July 2017, one Iranian official reportedly said that
approximately 36,000 children could not attend school because of the lack of proper
identification, 11 and challenges reportedly remained for Baloch families to access official
documentation.12
Despite these efforts in the Sistan and Baluchestan province, there is no readily available
information that might indicate the establishment of governmental policies aiming at reaching
marginal and isolated communities to ensure unhindered and adequate access to birth
registration in the Islamic Republic of Iran.13 There is an estimated one million Iranians
countrywide who reportedly do not have birth certificates or other proof of citizenship in the
Islamic Republic of Iran, including 400,000 children. 14 The lack of birth certificate or official
documentation has been reportedly affecting access to education in the Islamic Republic of
Iran. 15 16
B. The State party should take measures to ensure that refugee children have access
to education regardless of whether their parents have registered with the
authorities, and that primary education, including enrolment thereto, is offered
free of charge
Article 20 of the Constitution restricts the protection of the law and enjoyment of all human,
economic social and cultural rights to citizens of the Islamic Republic of Iran.17 However, all
7
Minority Rights Group, https://minorityrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Rights-Denied-Violations-against-ethnicand-religious-minorities-in-Iran.pdf
8
Minority Rights Group, https://minorityrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Rights-Denied-Violations-against-ethnicand-religious-minorities-in-Iran.pdf
9
See http://www.salamatnews.com/news/228675/23
10
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, March 2018,
https://undocs.org/en/A/HRC/37/68
11
See Radio Farda https://en.radiofarda.com/a/iran-school-drop-out-among-girls/28726094.html.
12
See IRNA http://www.irna.ir/fa/News/82431374
13
Minority Rights Group, https://minorityrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Rights-Denied-Violations-against-ethnicand-religious-minorities-in-Iran.pdf
14
Islamic Consultative Assembly News Agency, ‘Undocumented continue to wait for IDs: permanent deprivation of children
from public services and citizenship rights (Persian),’ 7 May 2017 referenced in https://minorityrights.org/wpcontent/uploads/2018/03/Rights-Denied-Violations-against-ethnic-and-religious-minorities-in-Iran.pdf
15
See Minority Rights Group, https://minorityrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Rights-Denied-Violations-againstethnic-and-religious-minorities-in-Iran.pdf.
16
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, July 2019,
https://undocs.org/A/74/188
17
Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, English translation, https://irandataportal.syr.edu/wpcontent/uploads/constitution-english-1368.pdf
2