Seven UN Special Rapporteurs send Joint Allegation Letter to the Iranian Government Raising Issue of Ahwazi Arab Communities
June 2, 2025
Sustainable Empowerment, Highlighted News
The letter was issued by the following UN Special Rapporteurs, each acting under their respective mandates:
Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran
Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change
Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment
Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context
Special Rapporteur on minority issues
Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes
Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
The UNPO welcomes the efforts made by the Special Rapporteurs to take up this case and urges the Government of Iran to take the necessary steps to address the violations of the rights of the Ahwazi Arabs. The degradation of this once-thriving wetland has had far reaching impacts on both the environment and the Indigenous communities that have depended on it for centuries. The situation in Hoor Al-Azim is not merely an environmental disaster but a profound socioeconomic and cultural crisis. The drying of the Wetland has devastated traditional livelihoods which are deeply rooted in the Ahwazi Arab cultural identity. Without the meaningful inclusion of Ahwazi Arab communities in decision-making processes and greater international and national support to help adapt to the environmental changes, the Wetland remains vulnerable to ongoing environmental and economic exploitation, jeopardizing its long-term survival and the cultural continuity of the Ahwazi Arab people.
The UNPO will continue to bring attention to these concerns in international forums and advocate for meaningful action to address the challenges faced by the Ahwazi Arab community.
