A/HRC/25/26 of legal documents, would not be registered in schools. Concerns further remain about the manner in which Afghan refugees are subjected to deportation. According to Human Rights Watch, thousands of Afghan refugees are arbitrarily deported, with no opportunities to legally challenge their deportation. Newcomers are denied the opportunity to seek refugee status, even if they are at risk of persecution and serious harm in Afghanistan. Some Afghan refugees also reportedly experienced physical mistreatment and confiscation of property during deportation. Families are reportedly often separated, leaving children more vulnerable to physical and mental abuse.36 B. Economic, social and cultural rights 25. The Islamic Republic of Iran has made notable progress in human development. Having one of the youngest populations in the world (54.8 per cent of its people are under 30), it enjoys a demographic window of opportunity with important development implications. The country is also on track to achieve most of the Millennium Development Goals – notably Goal 1 (eradicating extreme poverty), Goal 2 (achieving universal education), Goal 4 (reducing child mortality) and Goal 5 (reducing maternal mortality). The Government is committed to reducing both income and capability poverty and the country has witnessed a decline in extreme income poverty (US$1 a day) to around 1 per cent, which was noted as positive by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights during its review in May 2013. 26. The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights noted as positive the Islamic Republic of Iran’s significant improvement in narrowing the development gap. Iran’s human development indicators have substantially improved, and the human development index value of 0.742 for 2013 places it in the high human development category. This represents an average annual increase of about 1.4 per cent since 1985 (although the human development index growth rate for the period 2000–2011 has been just under 1 per cent).37 Life expectancy at birth has risen for both men and women; more people have access to safe drinking water; maternal mortality has fallen from 150 per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 21 in 2013;38 under-five mortality fell from 54 per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 22.5 in 2010; a total of 96.4 per cent39 of all births are attended by skilled birth attendants; and primary health-care coverage in rural areas stands at more than 98 per cent. 27. The Islamic Republic of Iran has made noticeable progress in women’s education and health. The literacy rate among women aged 15 to 24, as compared to men of the same age, increased from 96.1 per cent in 2000 to 99.2 per cent in 2012.40 The ratio of girls to boys in primary, secondary and tertiary education increased from 79.2 per cent in 1990 to 98 per cent in 2012.41 Access of poor communities to basic services has also substantially 36 37 38 39 40 41 Human Rights Watch, “Iran: Afghan refugees and migrants face abuse” (20 November 2013), available at http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/11/20/iran-afghan-refugees-and-migrants-face-abuse. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Human Development Report 2011–Sustainability and Equity: A Better Future for All. World Health Organization (WHO), World Health Statistics 2013 (Geneva, WHO, 2013). Islamic Republic of Iran, Multiple Indicator Demographic and Health Survey 2010; available at http://iran.unfpa.org/IrMIDHS%202010%20selected%20Results.asp. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), State of the World Population 2012 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.12.III.H.1). Ibid. 11