A/HRC/58/34 31. In August, the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran released a paper documenting gross human rights violations committed by security forces in Iran against members of minorities during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement. The Fact-Finding Mission noted that there had been no meaningful criminal investigations of high-ranking officials for violations committed against members of minorities in connection with the protests and called for reparations and accountability to secure the rights of victims, in particular, those of women and children belonging to minorities, including ethnic Azerbaijani Turks, Ahwazi Arabs, Baluch and Kurds. 22 32. In September, the Special Rapporteur on minority issues participated in a side-event on the theme of “Let’s talk about caste” organized by the International Dalit Solidarity Network during the fifty-seventh session of the Human Rights Council. The aim of the side event, which brought together Dalit women human rights defenders from Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan, was to highlight the need to explicitly address caste discrimination as a root cause of widespread human rights violations. The Special Rapporteur called on United Nations human rights mechanisms to recognize caste as a key factor in addressing human rights abuses. He further emphasized that, in addition to having anti-discrimination legislation, it was important to work directly with Dalits and to ensure that their human rights could be exercised in practice. C. Minorities from descent-based communities 33. In August, OHCHR collaborated with the International Dalit Solidarity Network and the Asia Dalit Rights Forum to examine access to justice by persons from descent-based communities in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri-Lanka. The workshop produced an outcome document offering good practices to strengthen and/or establish structures, policies and practices that provide access to effective justice mechanisms to persons from descent-based communities.23 34. In October, OHCHR presented avenues to challenge descent- and work-based discrimination under the United Nations human rights mechanisms at a meeting on the theme of “Addressing work and descent-based discrimination against women: a prerequisite to accelerate the implementation of the Beijing Declaration” convened in the margins of the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) Beijing+30 Regional Review Meeting. The event spotlighted the challenges faced by women from communities discriminated against on the basis of work and descent, such as the Haratin, Roma and Dalit women across the ECE region. Participants discussed actionable strategies to ensure that women from communities discriminated against on the basis of work and descent were included in global frameworks and policies. D. Human rights of people of African descent 35. In July, in its resolution 56/13, the Human Rights Council extended the mandate of the International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement. In August, the Mechanism issued its annual report. 24 It also prepared reports of two country visits undertaken in 2023 and 2024, to Brazil and Italy.25 In its annual report, the Mechanism identified three minimum steps that States need to take to ensure justice, accountability and redress: the establishment of effective reporting, review and investigation procedures, independent civilian oversight bodies for law enforcement and independent mechanisms to support victims and communities. 26 22 23 24 25 26 8 See www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/ffmi-iran/they-havedehumanized-us-minority-rights-violations-during-woman-life-freedom-movement-in-islamicrepublic-iran.docx. See www.ohchr.org/en/minorities/access-justice-persons-descent-based-communities. A/HRC/57/71. To be issued as A/HRC/57/71/Add.1 and A/HRC/57/71/Add.2. See www.ohchr.org/en/hrbodies/hrc/regular-sessions/session57/list-reports. A/HRC/57/71, paras. 26–73. GE.25-00006