European Union

Statement

International Labour Conference

113^th session 

Geneva, 2-13 June 2025

________

Committee on Application of Standards

Islamic Republic of Iran

Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No.111)

________

Geneva, 9 June 2025

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International Labour Conference

113th session 

Geneva, 2-13 June 2025

Committee on Application of Standards

Islamic Republic of Iran

Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No.111)

Chair,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine and Republic of Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina* and the EFTA countries Iceland and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this statement.

1. The EU and its Member States are committed to the respect, protection, and fulfilment of human rights, including labour rights. We promote universal ratification and effective implementation of fundamental ILO Conventions and support the ILO in developing and promoting international labour standards and supervising their application. 

2. The principle of equality and non-discrimination is a fundamental element of international human rights law. In the European Union’s founding treaties and the Constitutions of the EU Member States, the prohibition of discrimination is a core principle. 

3. The EU and its MS welcome the willingness of the Government of Iran to engage in a dialogue with the ILO. We acknowledge the additional information provided by the Government regarding the Committee’s observations in the report.  Nevertheless, we remain deeply concerned about situation of human rights in Iran, especially the high number of executions and the severe violation of the rights of women and girls and the systemic repression of protesters and women’s rights defenders, including the “Women, Life, Freedom” protests]. 

4. We regret that the Government did not provide detailed information on the legal definition on “act or crime against national security” and “propaganda against the state,” as requested by the Committee. We recall the Committee’s conclusion that measures related to state security – which are an exception under article 4 of the Convention, should be sufficiently well defined and precise to ensure that they do not become instruments of discrimination on the basis of any ground prescribed in the Convention. 

5. We echo the concerns expressed by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran regarding the widespread violations of the rights of ethnic, linguistic, and religious minorities. We urge the Government of Iran to ensure comprehensive protection in law and practice for all workers against direct and indirect discrimination based on all grounds listed in Article 1(1) (a), including on the grounds of religion, political opinion, national extraction and social origin. We reiterate the important role of social dialogue for the effective implementation of the Convention.

6. We acknowledge that Iran’s Supreme National Security Council has paused the implementation of the Chastity and Hijab law. We call upon the Government of Iran to ensure that any legislation brought is in full compliance with Convention No.111 and the principle of non-discrimination. In this regard we welcome the expressed willingness by the Government of Iran to avail itself of technical support by the ILO.

7. We are deeply concerned over the findings in the report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran and the Committee’s observations on legal restrictions on women’s employment. We took note of the Government’s reply referring to planned legal amendments to section 1117 of the Civil Code and the Family Protection Law 2022, as well as the additional information provided by the Government, that in cases where the court issues a ruling prohibiting the wife from employment, it will be only notified to her, and if she chooses to continue her employment, she will not receive spousal support from her husband. Whilst acknowledging the commitment of the Government to legal amendments, we would like to point out that conditioning the financial support on compliance with an employment prohibition itself does not correspond to the fundamental principle of equal job opportunities and non-discrimination outlined in the ILO Convention. Therefore, we share the Committee’s urgent request to the Government of Iran to ensure the repeal, effective amendment or modification of all laws, regulations, instructions and practices that hinder women’s equality of opportunity and treatment in employment and occupation, in particular with respect to section 1117 of the Civil Code. We encourage the Iranian government to cooperate with the ILO in this regard. 

8. We reiterate the Committee’s urge to the Government to ensure that measures taken to promote population growth and maternity protection do not constitute obstacles to the employment of women in practice, in particular that all of the restrictions on women’s employment and the prioritization of men’s employment in draft Bill No. 264 are removed from the new Law.

9. We urge the Government to provide information with regard to the Committee’s request to the Government to include clear legal provisions in the Labour Code to prevent and address all forms of sexual harassment against all workers, especially women, not only by a person in a position of authority, but also by a colleague or a person with whom workers have contact as part of their job, incl. victimization safeguards, complaint mechanisms, sanctions and remedies. We reiterate the need for specific measures to be taken by the Government of Iran to prevent sexual harassment at work.

10. Last, but not least, we join the Committee's call for Iran to take concrete steps towards gender equality in technical education and employment. We express our concern regarding the “quota system” limiting women’s access to technical studies, and call for adoption of measures to increase female participation in sectors where women and girls are underrepresented. 

11. The EU and its Member States are committed to working with the ILO and its tripartite constituents to ensure compliance by the Islamic Republic of Iran with ILO Convention 111.

Thank you, Chair.

*North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.