A/HRC/58/34 penalty. The Committee also expressed concern at restrictions of the right of members of ethnic and ethno-religious minority groups to freedom of thought, conscience and religion and the criminalization of blasphemy and apostasy. The Committee reiterated its recommendations that the Islamic Republic of Iran review its legislative framework and adopt comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation aligned with the provisions of the Convention and that it ensure that its legislation was not used to intimidate, harass, arbitrarily detain or prosecute members of ethnic and ethno-religious minority groups for exercising their rights to freedom of opinion and expression and their right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.3 12. The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, in its concluding observations on the combined twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh periodic reports of Iraq, reiterated its recommendations that Iraq should adopt comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation that contained a clear definition of racial discrimination and encompassed structural, direct, indirect and intersecting forms of discrimination in the public and the private spheres.4 13. In November, in its concluding observations on the second periodic report of Pakistan, the Human Rights Committee expressed concern that the domestic legal framework did not provide protection against discrimination on all the grounds covered by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It was also concerned about reports of discrimination against persons belonging to ethnic and religious minorities, including Christian, Ahmadi, Baloch, Hindu, Pashtun and Sikh minorities. The Committee recommended that Pakistan adopt comprehensive legislation prohibiting discrimination, including intersectional, direct and indirect discrimination in all spheres on all grounds prohibited under the Covenant, and ensure access to effective and appropriate remedies for victims. 5 III. Other activities and developments contributing to the promotion of and respect for the provisions of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities A. Selected global, regional and country engagement activities 14. In February, the OHCHR Regional Office for South-East Asia provided technical support for the preparation of the report entitled “Strengthening the United Nations programming to combat racial discrimination and advance the rights of minorities in Lao People’s Democratic Republic”.6 The report examined the human rights challenges faced by ethnic minorities in the country, focusing on their social inclusion, political participation, access to services and obstacles related to land loss, resettlement and violations of human rights such as freedom of expression and association. The report contained recommendations for the United Nations country team for developing strategies to address the obstacles and unique needs of ethnic minorities in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic that impact their enjoyment of human rights and full inclusion in the society. The recommendations were echoed by the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, who visited the Lao People’s Democratic Republic in November.7 3 4 5 6 7 4 CERD/C/IRN/CO/20-27, paras. 8, 9, 20 (b), 24, 25 (a) and 26. CERD/C/IRQ/CO/26-27, para. 9. CCPR/C/PAK/CO/2, paras. 10 and 11. Available at www.researchgate.net/publication/378592642_Strengthening_United_Nations_ Programming_to_Combat_Racial_Discrimination_and_Advance_the_Rights_of_Minorities_in_the_L ao_People’s_Democratic_Republic. See www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/issues/culturalrights/statements/SR-Cultural-RightsEOM-Statement-Laos-20241129.pdf. GE.25-00006