Mr. President,

The Kingdom of The Netherlands stands in solidarity with the people of Iran. We admire the courage of those who continue to stand up for human rights despite the forceful crackdown and persecution by the Iranian authorities.

The stark findings of the Fact Finding Mission and the Special Rapporteur are deeply shocking. Not only do they detail institutional discrimination against women and girls as well as religious and ethnic minorities, they also document the serious human rights violations committed against those expressing support for women and girls’ rights during the nationwide protests that followed Mahsa Amini’s death.

According to the FFM, many of these violations, including murder, enforced disappearances, torture and sexual violence including rape, amount to crimes against humanity.

The victims of these violations deserve that the perpetrators are held accountable. 

Mr. President,

The resolution before us extends two essential mandates. The core group has taken an inclusive and constructive approach towards the negotiations. They are doing their part in making this Council more efficient by combining the two mandates in one resolution and by presenting a very lean text, which focusses solely on the essentials.

As the human rights situation on the ground continues to deteriorate it is essential for accountability and justice for the victims that the FFM mandate’s is extended by one year. The Kingdom of the Netherlands will therefore vote in favour of resolution L.6 and we call on all members of this Council to do the same.

I thank you.