involving girls under the age of 11. 16 17 However, the number is likely to be higher as many child
marriages are unregistered.18 In January 2020, the Secretary General highlighted that “the
Government [of the Islamic Republic of Iran] expressed the view that setting the minimum age of
marriage regardless of the cultural context would increase unregistered marriages.”19
Despite various bills currently being reviewed which seek to prohibit early marriage in the Islamic
Republic of Iran, 20 21 girls and boys as young as 9 and 15 lunar years respectively can still get
married under Iranian legislation, as of January 2021. In 2016, the Committee on the Rights of the
Child stated that the legal age of marriage in the Islamic Republic of Iran “gravely violated rights
under the Convention [on the Rights of the Child] and placed children, in particular girls, at risk
of forced, early and temporary marriages, with irreversible consequences on their physical and
mental health and development.”22
The Islamic Republic of Iran has not fully implemented the recommendations of the Committee
on the Rights of the Child.
B. Fully implement the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur on adequate
housing, contained in the report on his mission to Iran (E/CN.4/2006/41/Add.2)
In their report, the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing recommended the Islamic Republic of
Iran to “Fully implement the Constitutional provision which establishes the right to adequate
housing for all Iranians, despite their ethnic or religious origins, resulting in equal distribution of
development resources” and to “Focus on historically marginalized provinces, such as Ilam,
Khuzestan and Sistan-Baluchestan, with budget allocation aiming at ensuring the realization of
human rights.”23
According to Article 31 of the 1979 Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran “Every Iranian
individual and family is entitled to a dwelling appropriate to its needs.” The Government is
required to provide this, while giving priority to the people who need it the most, in particular
peasants and workers. In addition, Article 19 of the Constitution states “All people of Iran,
whatever the ethnic group or tribe to which they belong, enjoy equal rights; color, race, language,
and the like, do not bestow any privilege”. Additionally, Article 20 emphasizes that “All citizens
16
Report of the Secretary General, Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 2020, para 37
https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/IR/Report_of_the_SecretaryGeneral_on_the_situation_of_human_rights_in_the_Islamic_Republic_of_IranA4320.pdf
17
See www.sabteahval.ir/avej/tab-1499.aspx (in Farsi)
18
Report of the Secretary General, Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 2020, para 37
https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/IR/Report_of_the_SecretaryGeneral_on_the_situation_of_human_rights_in_the_Islamic_Republic_of_IranA4320.pdf
19
Ibid.
20
Information from Impact Iran; see www.tasnimnews.com/fa/news/1397/11/17/1941311/
21
Act on Protection, Dignity and Security of Women against Violence.. For more up to date information on the passage of this
bill, please click the following link: http://www.impactiran.org/vawbill
22
CRC/C/IRN/CO/3-4, para. 27-28 https://undocs.org/en/CRC/C/IRN/CO/3-4
23
Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, 2006,
https://undocs.org/Home/Mobile?FinalSymbol=E%2FCN.4%2F2006%2F41%2FAdd.2&Language=E&DeviceType=Desktop
3