Kurdistan Human Rights Association-Geneva (KMMK-G) Thank you Madame President, Building peace and social cohesion in the Islamic Republic of Iran requires a major shift in the government’s Persian-Shia, totalitarian, and security-focused policies towards Kurdish people and other minoritized minorities. While Iranian representatives in Geneva host propaganda events designed to mislead the international community, the reality in Kurdistan grows even more heartbreaking and worsens. So far this year, Iranian authorities have executed at least 300 Kurdish citizens and more than 200 Kurdish [inaudible] have fallen victim. Kurdistan, with its long tradition of political pluralism, civic organization, and its ongoing struggle for democracy and freedom, has long served as a catalyst for broader change in Iran. [Inaudible] movement, teachers and workers’ unions, environmental groups, and social associations have been active and rooted in Iranian Kurdistan for decades, despite constant government pressure and restrictions. The authorities often view the growth and activity of Kurdish civil society as a threat. As reported by both UN Special Rapporteurs on Iran and FFMI, the government responds with increased repression in Kurdistan to prevent these movements from gaining wider influence. Kurdistan plays a key role in uniting Iran’s diverse marginalized communities, yet the Kurdish contribution to peacebuilding and the creation of peace is frequently underestimated or overlooked by Western media, policymakers and even the United Nations. The international community has a moral responsibility to support the Kurdish aspiration for tolerant, diverse, decentralized, and peaceful Iran.