A/HRC/28/12 human rights themes had been organized for judges, judiciary staff, prison aid workers, the police force, families and civil servants. 8. Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, 35 nationwide democratic elections had been held with a view to involving nationals in governance, without any discrimination on grounds of race, colour, sex, language or religion. Opportunities had been provided for the promotion of NGOs, political parties and associations. 9. Economic, social and cultural rights had been promoted through the Global Health Scheme, the Mother and Child Care Plan, the National Health and Medication Network, the Family Doctors System and the National Immunity Programme. Almost 95 per cent of the rural population had access to free educational services. 10. Measures to protect the rights of vulnerable groups included the development of the Family Protection Law of 2013, the establishment of the Vice-Presidency Bureau for Women and Family Affairs, the Women’s Employment Fund and the Women’s Entrepreneurship and SelfEmployment Grant Scheme. Women had also been provided with additional protection against violence and abuse. 11. In the area of children’s rights, the head of the delegation highlighted the establishment of the National Focal Point on the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), in 2012, the development of the Child and Adolescent National Statute, the Law on the Protection of Children Without Guardian and the Law on the Protection of the Rights of the Family, in 2014, and the signing of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict (OP-CRC-AC), in 2011. 12. The judicial system was based on the principles of presumption of innocence, prohibition of any form of torture, court transparency, impartiality of judges, legality, compensation liability for faulty judgements, separation of political and press offences from ordinary crimes, in the interests of due process, and prohibition of arbitrary arrests. The independence of the judiciary was also secured through: constant and regulated supervision of the courts and other organizations affiliated to the judiciary; further strengthening of the Legal and Judicial Deputy Offices; establishment of the Deputy Office for the Prevention of Crime, the Deputy Office for Cultural Affairs, to promote a culture of respect for the law, and the Deputy Office for Information Technology and Communication, to ensure easy and rapid access to judicial bodies and to promote e-justice; additional specialized training courses for judges; and the establishment of free telephone-operated legal aid consultancy centres. The principle of due process of law, irrespective of race, religion, gender, ethnicity and other attributes, had been reiterated in the Constitution, the Code of Criminal Procedure and other laws. 13. The Islamic Republic of Iran continued to maintain that the appointment of a Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran constituted a political, selective and unjust decision. Moreover, the imposition of sanctions and unilateral coercive measures impeded citizens’ full enjoyment of human rights and were incompatible with the letter and spirit of human rights instruments. 14. The Islamic Republic of Iran renounced, as a victim of terrorism, all forms of violence, and called for more concerted international efforts to combat all forms of terrorism and extremism. The country cooperated closely with United Nations mechanisms and other States in the international campaign against drugs. The war on drug-trafficking had claimed the lives of nearly 4,000 Iranian border guards and members of the security forces over the past 34 years. 15. The Islamic Republic of Iran had provided sanctuary for more than 4 million refugees from neighbouring countries. 4