A/HRC/28/26 57. The Secretary-General encourages the Government to examine the recommendations made thoroughly with a view of considering their acceptance and implementation. He also encourages the Government to seek technical assistance from the United Nations and civil society organizations in order to ensure the successful implementation of the recommendations. IV. Recommendations 58. The Secretary-General remains deeply troubled by the continuing large number of executions, including of political prisoners and juveniles, and reiterates his call upon the Government to introduce a moratorium on the use of the death penalty and to prohibit the execution of juvenile offenders in all circumstances. 59. The Secretary-General urges the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to create space for human rights defenders, lawyers and journalists, and to release political prisoners, including human rights defenders and lawyers detained solely for legitimately exercising their right to the freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly. 60. The Secretary-General welcomes the Government’s invitation to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to a country visit, and encourages the Government to cooperate fully with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Islamic Republic of Iran by giving him access to the country. 61. The Secretary-General welcomes the achievements that the State has made in the field of women’s education and health, and notes the emphasis placed on gender equality by the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hassan Rouhani. The Secretary-General encourages the Government to take practical steps by eliminating discrimination against women in all spheres of life, including political, social, cultural and civil areas. He urges the Government to ensure equality and protection for religious and ethnic minorities in the country. 62. The Secretary-General welcomes the engagement of the Islamic Republic of Iran with United Nations human rights treaty bodies, and urges the State to follow up on the concluding observations of all treaty bodies and to ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. 63. The Secretary-General welcomes the active engagement of the Islamic Republic of Iran with the universal periodic review mechanism, and encourages the Government to accept the recommendations made to the State during its second review and to seek technical assistance from the United Nations and civil society in their implementation. 16