Second Session of the Forum on Minority Issues 12-13 November 2009, United Nations, Geneva Joint statement submitted by: Congress of Nationalities for a Federal Iran info@iranfederal.org http://iranfederal.org/en/ Balochistan Peoples Party contact@balochpeople.org P. O. Box 13022 103 01 Stockholm Sweden http://eng.balochpeople.org/ Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization unpo@unpo.org Tel.: +31(0)70 3646504 Fax: +31(0)70 3646608 P.O.Box 85878 2508 CN The Hague, The Netherlands www.unpo.org Thank you Madame Chair. I am speaking on behalf of the Balochistan region of Iran. We thank the secretariat for the opportunity to participate in this forum, a forum which provides silenced voices with an opportunity to share experience and look for solutions to problems we face on a daily basis. Despite the initiatives mentioned by the Iranian delegation to improve the situation of minorities within Sistan-Balochistan, it continues to be the poorest and most underdeveloped region of Iran. According to a UN assessment in 2003, Balochistan has the worst indicators for life expectancy, adult literacy, primary school enrollment, access to clean water and sanitation and infant and child mortality in all of Iran. The Baloch language is forbidden in formal and public places, and Baloch children are deprived of using their mother tongue which inhibits full participation in public life for Baloch people. So what can be done to improve the situation for every group, without discrimination, in Iran? The challenge is to create a participatory political structure where minorities enjoy the same rights as the majority group, recognizing the diverse cultures and histories of the Iranian population. The structure of the state needs to be changed from the current centralized government to a federal system, which would provide the opportunity for the ethnic groups to participate. Therefore, the Baloch nation and other brother and sister nations in Iran must be recognized within its boundaries, as a people that - whilst distinct from each other, is equal in collective rights and duties. Federalism in Iran should take a two-fold approach. First it should devolve power to the constituent units, based on national diversities in Iran, shared sovereignty plus self-rule,