seats have also been allocated to religious minorities in spite of their low population. The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has taken numerous measures and initiatives to improve overall situation in disadvantaged areas and continues in making every effort to lay the ground for effective participation in cultural, economic, political and social fields in Iranian society. During the 3 decades after the Islamic Revolution, 30 elections have been held at different levels in which Iranian citizens including various ethnicities and religious minorities actively participated to select in a most democratic way their representatives and the level of participation is ever-increasing particularly in disadvantaged areas. In accordance with article 26 of the constitution, religious minorities may form associations by observing the related criteria. In the law concerning activities of parties ratified in 1981, the establishment of associations of the religious minorities is recognized and article 4 of the said law stipulates: “The society of religious minorities, subject to Article 13 of the Constitution, is an organization consisting of voluntary members of the same religious minority, whose aim is to solve the religious, cultural, social and welfare problems that are peculiar to that minority.” Presently, there are more than 50 NGOs and associations, belonging to religious minorities, engaged in various fields and the Government is paying annually more than 2 million Dollars to facilitate their activities. There are also over 500 titles of publications in ethnic languages around the country. Furthermore, in order to have a unified procedure in all state-run organizations and also to facilitate interactions with religious minorities, the Government has envisaged a committee to make policies about the issues of the religious minorities in the Fourth National Development plan and the relevant bylaws have been prepared which are now in their final stage. Finally Madam Chair, with regard to some allegations made in this Home, it is really expected genuine and independent NGOs to be in line with the substance of discussions and to make accurate and reliable statements. They are not expected to throw baseless allegations, but sough to denounce and condemn terrorism and terrorist activities. During the past two months, we have been witnessing two terrorist operations conducted by terrorist elements linked with powers abroad, in Kurdestan and Baluchestan provinces of Iran, which resulted in the killing of many people