A/HRC/19/82 Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – and the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. It is also a signatory to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict. 40. The Human Rights Committee considered the third periodic report of the Islamic Republic of Iran60 at its 103rd session, on 17 and 18 October 2011, the State party’s first report submitted to the Committee in 18 years. In its concluding observations,61 the Committee welcomed the opportunity to renew its constructive dialogue with the Islamic Republic of Iran and noted various positive developments, such as the signing of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, its accession to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Optional Protocol to the Convention of the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography and the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Committee, however, expressed concern at the inequality of women with regard to marriage, family and inheritance; the cases of harassment, persecution and cruel punishment, including the death penalty, faced by members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community; the extremely high and increasing number of death sentences; the execution of minors; the widespread use of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment in detention facilities; the frequent violations of fair trial guarantees; and the discrimination faced by minority groups. The Committee encouraged the Islamic Republic of Iran to ensure that all obligations of the Covenant are fully respected and Iranian legislation and practices are brought into line with its provisions. B. Cooperation with special procedures 41. There have been no visits by special procedures mandate holders since 2005, despite a standing invitation issued to all thematic mandate holders in 2002. The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has agreed in principle to a number of visits of special procedures, including that of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances,62 the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions63 and the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief.64 To date, however, the said visits have not been scheduled. Requests for country visits by other mandate holders, including the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, remain outstanding. Iranian authorities reconfirmed to OHCHR their plan to invite two mandate holders to visit in 2012, although the mandates have not yet been specified. 42. Since his appointment in August 2011, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran has appealed to the Government to extend full cooperation to his mandate and also officially requested a country visit, without obtaining a positive response. The Special Rapporteur stressed that engagement with the country 60 61 62 63 64 CCPR/C/IRN/3. CCPR/C/IRN/CO/3. A visit scheduled for July 2004 was postponed. Follow-up reminders for reschedule a visit were sent in 2008, 2009 and 2010. An initial request was sent in November 2004. Follow-up requests were sent in February 2005, October 2005, November 2006, December 2008 and September 2010. Visits were agreed to in principle in November 2003. Several follow-up requests and reminders were sent thereafter, most recently in November 2010. 15