On the anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Hana Human Rights Organization recalls that the Islamic Republic of Iran acceded to this Convention in 1994 (1372) and, over the past three decades, has assumed binding and non-derogable obligations under Articles 4 and 44 to protect, guarantee, and promote the rights of the child. Despite these obligations, and contrary to the Convention’s fundamental principles (including non-discrimination, the best interests of the child, the right to life, survival and development, and the right to participation), the current situation of children in Iran reflects ongoing, structural, and systemic violations of their rights.
Denial of legal identity and nationality, severe inequality in access to quality education, domestic and institutional violence, the prevalence of child marriage, the absence of protective mechanisms for child laborers and street children, and widespread restrictions on health and well-being constitute direct violations of Articles 6, 7, 12, 19, 24, 28, 32, 37, and 39 of the Convention. These violations demonstrate the government’s failure to effectively and fully implement its international obligations, as well as deep deficiencies in protective structures.
Hana Human Rights Organization, emphasizing the binding nature of Iran’s international obligations, calls on the government to incorporate and implement the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child at the levels of legislation and policymaking. The organization urges the government to: guarantee non-discriminatory access to identity documents and nationality; legally and practically prohibit and criminalize child marriage; establish a national system for preventing and responding to violence against children; ensure free, equal, and quality education throughout the country; and develop and implement a comprehensive, time-bound plan based on international standards to reduce and eliminate child labor.
The organization further reminds the government that it is obligated to resume regular and transparent reporting to the Committee on the Rights of the Child in accordance with Article 44 of the Convention, and to ensure independent monitoring and the meaningful participation of civil society. Children are rights-holders in their own capacity, and protecting them is not merely a moral or voluntary commitment; under international law, it is a legal and binding responsibility of states.