A/HRC/43/12 Introduction 1. The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, established in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1, held its thirty-fourth session from 4 to 15 November 2019. The review of the Islamic Republic of Iran was held at the 9th meeting, on 8 November 2019. The delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran was headed by the Secretary of the High Council for Human Rights, Mohammad Javad Ardeshir Larijani. At its 14th meeting, held on 12 November 2019, the Working Group adopted the report on the Islamic Republic of Iran. 2. On 15 January 2019, the Human Rights Council selected the following group of rapporteurs (troika) to facilitate the review of the Islamic Republic of Iran: Iraq, Peru and Tunisia. 3. In accordance with paragraph 15 of the annex to Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 and paragraph 5 of the annex to Council resolution 16/21, the following documents were issued for the review of the Islamic Republic of Iran: (a) A national report submitted/written presentation made in accordance with paragraph 15 (a) (A/HRC/WG.6/34/IRN/1); (b) A compilation prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in accordance with paragraph 15 (b) (A/HRC/WG.6/34/IRN/2); (c) A summary prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (c) (A/HRC/WG.6/34/IRN/3). 4. A list of questions prepared in advance by Australia, Belgium, Germany, Liechtenstein, Portugal, on behalf of the Group of Friends on national mechanisms for implementation, reporting and follow-up, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America was transmitted to the Islamic Republic of Iran through the troika. These questions are available on the website of the universal periodic review. I. Summary of the proceedings of the review process A. Presentation by the State under review 5. The delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran greatly valued the universal periodic review as a unique process that examined the human rights situation of all United Nations member States on an equal footing. For the Islamic Republic of Iran, human rights were part and parcel of its rationality with deep roots in Islam. 6. Following the adoption of the recommendations from the previous cycle, the High Council for Human Rights had established, in August 2015, the National Follow-up Committee, which comprised representatives from the relevant departments, to implement the accepted recommendations. That same year, the NGOs Consultative Committee had been formed. Once categorized, recommendations had been forwarded for implementation to the appropriate executive departments in the Government, as well as to the relevant nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). The national report had been prepared by a drafting committee with the participation of and input from the above-mentioned stakeholders. It addressed almost all of the recommendations from the second review cycle. 7. Since the previous cycle, the Islamic Republic of Iran had adopted a number of major policies, laws and regulations, such as the Charter of Citizenship Rights (December 2016); the amended Anti-Narcotics Law (November 2015); the Law on the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (January 2018); the new Code of Criminal Procedure (June 2015), incorporating international human rights standards, including the rights of the 2