A/HRC/25/61 Republic of Iran affects many of the most vulnerable in society, and accordingly has a disproportionate impact on minorities. 87. UNODC has been engaged in the Islamic Republic of Iran since 1999, providing the Government with significant technical assistance and capacity-building. In 2010, UNODC and the State concluded a multilateral programme of technical cooperation for the period 2011-2014.70 Under the programme, UNODC and the State have worked together on subprogrammes that include a focus on law enforcement and on crime, justice and corruption. The Special Rapporteur encourages the Islamic Republic of Iran to take advantage of the support offered by UNODC to address the concerns identified above, in particular in the area of criminal justice reform. VIII. Socioeconomic rights A. Right to education 88. According to Daftar Tahkim Vahdat, an Iranian student organization, from April 2005 to March 2013, at least 935 university students were deprived of continuing education for either one or more semesters for political activities, including publishing articles, organizing political events and engaging in student rights organizations perceived to be problematic by Iranian security forces. These individuals were routinely expelled or suspended during the period 2011-2013.71 89. The Ministry of Science, Research and Technology proposed the return of these students.72 According to the proposal, the students expelled after 2010 would be able to return to the schools previously attended, while those expelled between 2006 and 2010 would be required to retake national entrance exams, but they would not be subject to the gozinesh process upon acceptance.73 It has been reported that, in most cases, expelled students have been able to return only after pledging to the Sanjesh Oorganization that they would abide by university rules and not participate in any anti-government activities.74 On 23 December 2013, the Gozinesh Central Committee announced that 126 of the 400 students who had been deprived of education had been able to continue their education,75 although some students maintain that their appeals against expulsion had been rejected.76 90. A member of the Education and Research Committee of Parliament stated that the Ministry of Intelligence was currently vetting students that had returned to school, and that students with negative vetting results would be removed again. Another Committee member stated that the Committee would like the Ministry to vet the political background of the students that had returned to school; if no “acute” security issue was identified, they would be able to continue their education. The Committee member clarified that, if the vetting 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 20 See UNODC Country Programme for the Islamic Republic of Iran (2011-2014) at www.unodc.org/islamicrepublicofiran/en/country-programme.html. Report on violation of right to education of students in Iran, Daneshjoo News, Right to Education and the Human Rights Commission of the Office for Strengthening Unity, 2013, available from http://www.right-to-education.org/node/79. See http://sharghdaily.ir/?News_Id=20426. Ibid. See http://etemaad.ir/PDF/92-09-05/12.pdf. See www.isna.ir/fa/news/92100200858. See www.kaleme.com/1392/09/26/klm-168517/?theme=fast.