CHAPTER TWENTY THREE:

Public Affairs

          (Domestic Policies and Foreign Relations)        

 

ARTICLE 180-In order to unify policy making as it affect the foreign nationals (the vagrants, refugees, immigrants, and the passport holding foreign subjects) in line with their arrival, settlement, deportation, employment, education, health and medical care, and the foreign relations, the Alien Subjects Coordination Council will be formed and chaired by Ministry of the Interior and membership of the Ministers of “Education”, “Intelligence”, “Foreign Affairs”, “Labor and Social Affairs”, “Health-Medicare and Medical Education”, the Head of the Plan and Budget Organization, the Secretary of the National Security Council, the Commander of Disciplinary Force, and the Chief of the Red Crescent Society.  Decisions of this council will be binding upon confirmation of the Cabinet.

   The executive by-law of this Article will be proposed jointly by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Ministry of the Interior, and Ministry of Intelligence, and shall be approved by the Cabinet.

ARTICLE 181-

   A- Government is required to provide  in the annual budget bill during the Third Plan period, necessary funds to prevent, provide relief assistance to, renovate and rebuild the areas damaged by unpredictable events.  The funds will be allocated to the State Unpredictable Events Corps.  A percentage of the above funds shall be spent for vulnerability studies in order to reduce the impact of the natural calamities, and execute projects aiming at prevention of the natural unexpected disasters such as flood, earthquake, drought, fire, storm and encroachment of the sea water.

   B- Using the banking usury-free loans, or in the case of inadequacy of these funds or other banking resources, Ministry of the Interior may grant loan or the necessary banking facilities to the owners of the damaged residential, commercial, industrial, mining, and agricultural units in the affected areas.  The differentials of the interest and charges of the granted facilities shall be provided for in the annual budget bills. Government is required to provide guarantee for repayment of the facilities granted by the banking system as specified in this Item.

   C- In order to increase the contribution of the insurance industry in indemnifying the losses emanating from unpredictable events,  government is authorized to provide  the necessary conditions in such a way that a minimum of fifty percent (50%) of the agricultural and animal husbandry, handicraft, and fisheries products, public buildings, urban and rural installations; residential, commercial, and industrial buildings, be under the insurance coverage during the Third Plan period.

ARTICLE 182- Ministry of the Interior is required to prepare the plans for setting up and strengthening popular organizations ( guilds and specialized organizations), non-governmental and local organizations in the context of the law and aiming at preparing the ground for entrusting the government undertakings to these institutions; enhancing the organized popular monitoring the activities of government; and implement these plans upon their approval by the Cabinet.

ARTICLE 183- In order to exercise the policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the foreign relations, and create a unity of procedures in this endeavor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall have supervision mandate over all matters related to the foreign relations; other agencies and units that in one way or the other are active out of the country or their operation and activities touch on the foreign relations, are required to execute the policies conveyed to them by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  Moreover, the representative offices of these agencies in other countries are obliged to coordinate their activities with the political representative office of the Islamic Republic of Iran in those countries on the basis of a by-law that will be proposed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and will be approved by the Cabinet.

   Note 1:  In order to exercise the cultural policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran and to unify policy making and coordination of the cultural and promotional activities abroad, aiming at optimal utilization of the existing material and spiritual resources, all the cultural, propagation and artistic activities of the public and non-public sectors out of the country shall be the responsibility of the Islamic Culture and Communications Organization as stipulated in the articles of association of this agency and received confirmation of the Supreme Leader.

Note 2: Performance of all the activities provided in this Article in the case of agencies and institutions that are administered under the auspices of the Supreme Leader will depend upon his confirmation.

ARTICLE 184- In order to regulate the relations of the Islamic Republic of Iran with other countries of the world and the international assemblies and organizations; and on the basis of a comprehensive report to be prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the extraterritorial activities of the executive agencies, their cooperation and membership in the international and regional organizations (including a review of the status quo, evaluation of the performance and the necessity or futility of their continued membership or their activities abroad and /or the possibility of lowering the level of contact and activities), government is required to decide on the continuation and/or termination of activities of the executive agencies abroad, the level of contact, and the position of the ministries, organizations, non-public enterprises and the revolutionary institutions in the regional and international assemblies.

   All the entities content of Article (11) of this Law and the non-governmental public institutions- in the case they intend to continue their activities abroad- are required to reform their organization and the structure of their representations in other  countries, as well as their membership status in the international assemblies on the basis of the decisions of the Cabinet.

   Note: Performance of all the activities provided in this Article in the case of the entities and institutions that are administered under the auspices of the Supreme Leader will require his confirmation.

ARTICLE 185-  Establishment of any new office, representation, branch and administrative units and any other entity under similar titles out of the country by the agencies content of Article (11) of this Law and the non-governmental public institutions shall be subject to the recommendation of the relevant agency or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and shall be approved by the Cabinet.

   Note 1: Banks and insurance companies are exempted from the provisions of this Article.

   Note 2:  Performance of all the activities provided in this Article in the cases of the entities and institutions that are administered under the auspices of the Supreme Leader will require his confirmation.

ARTICLE 186- Ministry of Foreign Affairs is required to prepare guidelines and strategies for proper implementation of the following general policies, taking advantage of the opinion of all the related agencies, and present it during the first year of the Third Plan to the National Security Council for approval:

   1- Development of bilateral regional and international cooperation,

   2- Continuation of the policy of avoiding disturbance in the relationship with the non-hostile countries,

   3- Taking advantage of the relations in order to enhance national capability,

   4- To counteract hostilities of over-demanding countries,

   5- To strive to get rid of the alien forces in the area,

   6- To challenge the notion of unipolarity of the world,

   7- To support Muslims and the oppressed nations,

   8- To strive for more intimacy among the Islamic countries,

   9- To strive to reform the structure of the United Nations.