Maria Dahle

Following months of dialogue, representatives of political groups with different, and sometimes deeply opposing, views came together to sign a document on fundamental human rights. This is not a political alliance. It is not an agreement on the future form of government, nor does it require the signatories to set aside their political differences. It is an agreement on something more fundamental: whoever holds power in a future Iran must respect and guarantee the rights and dignity of every person. This process began at our conference in Oslo last year and continued through discussions among participating organisations. We invited all opposition parties and groups to join the process. Our aim has been to build the broadest possible agreement around fundamental human rights, across political divisions. That invitation remains open. The significance of these #MinimumHumanRightsPrinciples lies precisely in the fact that they are a common minimum. They do not represent the full political programme of any signatory. They establish a shared commitment that must apply regardless of who governs Iran in the future. We do not have to agree on every aspect of Iran’s future. But no one’s rights should depend on their political views, identity, beliefs or affiliations. For Iran Human Rights, an independent human rights organisation, this distinction is essential. We do not seek to determine who should govern Iran. Our responsibility is to insist that the rights of all people must be respected, whoever is in power. #OsloConference #کنفرانس_اسلو