Reports

Abstract Countries are paying special attention to adopting appropriate policies in line with the rapid development of artificial intelligence technologies. In our country, with the emphasis of the Supreme Leader on being among the top 10 countries in the world, planning for the development, regulation, and application of this technology has accelerated. Therefore, it is essential to establish the legal infrastructure in this area with the aim of determining and coordinating governance and institutional structures, providing the necessary technical and operational infrastructure as quickly as possible, and utilizing the supervisory capacities of the Islamic Consultative Assembly to strengthen enforcement guarantees and oversight of the implementation and performance of responsible institutions. In the National Artificial Intelligence Plan with registration number 248, fundamental challenges in the development of artificial intelligence, such as facilitating access to data, supporting small businesses and specialized forces in this field, and providing rapid and essential financing with the help of the government and private sector, have been partially considered, and numerous articles have been proposed in the form of institutional structuring or strengthening existing structures to organize and synergize the activities of main responsible agencies, as well as supportive or facilitative measures. At the same time, attention to the "fundamental" layer in the form of strategic studies and pioneering AI projects as the basis for the country's technological independence and power is one of the strengths of the plan. Therefore, it is recommended to agree with the general principles of the plan and strengthen some articles of the plan by resolving issues and making necessary amendments.

Abstract The bill "Host Country Agreement for Opening the Representation Office of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Trade and Development Bank in the Territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran" has been submitted to the Islamic Consultative Assembly to provide a legal framework for the official establishment of this regional financial institution in Tehran. The ECO Trade and Development Bank, as the financial arm of the Economic Cooperation Organization, is tasked with accelerating the economic development of member countries through financing and facilitating intra-regional trade. Iran, as one of the three founding countries, is committed under Article (23) of the Statute to host the bank's representation office in its territory. The drafted agreement, consisting of a preamble and eighteen articles, is largely similar to the headquarters agreements of other international organizations and, as a supplementary document to the bank's statute, determines the necessary rights and immunities for the office's operation in Iran's territory. In the single article of the proposed government bill, a note has been included that refers disputes under Article (15) of the agreement to international arbitration subject to compliance with relevant laws and regulations. The Economic Committee, to comply with the law and protect national interests, added a second note to the single article. This note makes compliance with Principles 77, 125, and 139 of the Constitution mandatory in the implementation or amendment of this agreement. Ultimately, the establishment of the bank's representation office can help enhance Iran's position in regional economic structures by strengthening regional banking and trade interactions.

Abstract This report evaluates the alignment and coordination of the provisions of Article (1) of the "Permanent Provisions Law of the Country's Development Programs" with the requirements for realizing Principle 30 of the Constitution, identifying the capacities and challenges of the provisions and functions of Article (1) in relation to realizing Principle 30 in the higher education sector. Among these requirements are: 1. Continuous monitoring, evaluation, and assessment of the country's needs for specialized human resources, 2. Planning for training specialized human resources, 3. Determining and distributing higher education credits based on the qualitative performance of higher education and research institutions. Some provisions of Article (1) that were found to align with the requirements for realizing Principle 30 include: increasing the authority of boards of trustees of higher education institutions and considering public credits as aid to these institutions and counting them as definite costs, and determining academic disciplines in line with the job market. Additionally, Clause "1" of Note "7" regarding permission for faculty members to form 100% private institutions and companies and exempting these companies from the law prohibiting government employees' involvement in government transactions and subsequent amendments, was not aligned with realizing Principle 30 from several aspects such as conflict of interest and deviation from main missions. The report also points to the supervisory gap regarding the governance of higher-level documents over the decisions of boards of trustees and considers it legally problematic. In conclusion, suggestions for amending Article (1) are provided, aimed at preserving the interests of higher education and research institutions, increasing oversight, ensuring quality, precise needs assessment, and performance evaluation of higher education institutions covered by Article (1).

Abstract The bill to amend the Law on the Cooperative Sector of the Economy of the Islamic Republic of Iran has been submitted to the Islamic Consultative Assembly by the Fourteenth Government. The Research Center of the Assembly, after identifying issues in existing cooperative laws, using content analysis of the relevant law and hearing opinions from experts in this field, examined the general principles and main chapters of this bill. The examinations show that the bill has positive points, including: increasing legal reserves and limiting rewards, amending Chapter Five of the Cooperative Law (categorizing and defining cooperatives), strengthening cooperative unions, better designing cooperative chambers with a focus on greater representation from cooperatives, and special attention to housing cooperatives to solve Iran's housing crisis. However, the bill has significant negative points that overshadow its positives; poor drafting style, lengthy and redundant bureaucracy in forming and operating cooperatives, failure to resolve parallel government agencies in the cooperative sector, sudden bloating of cooperative laws, neglect of the cooperative sector ecosystem, reliance on government resources and facilities, overburdening the government sector in cooperatives, and ambiguity of cooperative institutions are among these issues. Since there are multiple and inconsistent laws in the cooperative field in the country, and considering the positive and negative points, it is recommended that the aforementioned bill, with an approach to addressing the mentioned weaknesses, be seriously revised using the capacity of Article (142) of the Assembly's Internal Regulations (referring the bill to the Research Center and forming a working group with the presence of government and assembly representatives).

Abstract The significant difference between revenues and costs in the electricity industry has led to the accumulation of debts for the Ministry of Energy, reduced investment incentives, and slowed the industry's development, ultimately causing electricity imbalances and the implementation of consumption management policies. In addition to actions such as structural reform of the electricity industry and improving energy efficiency on the supply side, reforming electricity tariffs is one of the main solutions to increase investment attractiveness, boost electricity production, and enhance efficiency on the demand side. Therefore, in the budget laws of 2021 and 2022, and subsequently in the Law on Removing Barriers to Electricity Industry Development, tariffs for various consumers, including industries, were reformed. It is worth noting that alongside reforming industrial electricity tariffs, ensuring stable electricity supply to this sector is also of great importance and must be considered. This report examines the effects of reforming industrial electricity tariffs and provides suggestions such as determining industrial electricity tariffs based on a predictable formula, eliminating subsidies along the electricity production chain and redistributing subsidies at the end of the chain, launching an energy saving certificates market, developing a coherent industrial policy, and adding new indicators based on this policy to improve electricity tariff setting in the industrial sector. The results of this study show that increasing the Ministry of Energy's revenue and consequently improving the electricity industry's economy are among the most important effects of reforming industrial electricity tariffs.

Abstract Red meat is one of the essential goods that has always been subject to market regulation policies in recent years. Additionally, light livestock, through which red meat is supplied, has also faced alternating policies of export and import bans, imposition and changes in export and import duties, and guaranteed purchases alongside red meat. However, statistics and data show that the price of this product has always been equivalent to its export equivalent price, market regulation policies have not been successful in controlling its price, and guaranteed purchase policies have not met the needs of the livestock industry. During this period, on one hand, the price of red meat has increased more than the general index, and on the other hand, the country has faced outgoing livestock smuggling. While red meat consumption has decreased during the 2010s decade, the government has intermittently banned live livestock exports. This is while Iran's southern neighboring countries have always been important export destinations for Iranian live livestock. The export ban has caused the country's live livestock to be exported to these countries through unofficial routes, resulting in resource waste, the government not profiting from exports, reduced transparency, and livestock loss during unofficial exit stages due to its risks. It is recommended to stabilize and make policies predictable and change past incorrect approaches to strengthen the light livestock industry, which is highly important in terms of food security.

Abstract The bill adding a clause to Article (25) of the Law on Collecting Some Government Revenues and Spending Them on Specific Cases was announced by the Islamic Consultative Assembly on July 3, 2024 with the aim of increasing the quality of the higher education system and supporting it through expanding the scope of dedicated revenues for the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology and the Ministry of Health and Medical Education. However, examining the bill's provisions from legal, public finance, and policymaking perspectives indicates fundamental challenges in compatibility with budgeting principles and legal provisions. This bill expands the scope of dedicated revenues while Clause "B" of Article (17) of the Seventh Development Program Law prohibits the creation of any new dedicated revenues (except for universities and educational and research institutions). Furthermore, determining the list of educational and research services given ambiguities in their definitions along with tariffs by the Cabinet without Assembly approval could raise suspicions of incompatibility with Principle (85) of the Constitution. Also, given the lack of separation between sovereign and non-sovereign duties and disputes over the authority for evaluating and ensuring higher education quality, although the bill's general principles are deemed acceptable, its approval is contingent on implementing structural amendments in the proposed text.

Abstract The development of fiber optic infrastructure as one of the fundamental axes in digital transformation and expanding access to high-speed internet has received attention worldwide in recent years. High speed, greater stability, and extensive capacity in data transmission are features of this technology. The growing demand for high-speed internet and online services in our country has made the development of fiber optic networks one of the main priorities in the communications sector. According to statistics, as of November-December 2024, about 615,000 subscribers are receiving services from fiber optic infrastructure, of which about 391,000 points are FTTH and about 224,000 points are VDSL connections. The results show a significant gap to achieving the set goals for the country's fiber optic project. Examining fiber optic development programs in leading and regional countries shows that diverse models in development, oversight, and government support are followed, such as government-private development models, balanced growth of fiber networks in different regions, facilitating the path of developing this communication infrastructure. Findings indicate that lack of transparency in financial management, insufficient oversight of project implementation, and inconsistency between policymaking and execution are the main barriers to developing this technology in our country. In this report, suggestions such as improving financial transparency, strengthening oversight, balanced development of various network layers, and reducing monopoly in the fixed communications market are provided. Pursuing these suggestions can accelerate Iran's fiber optic development and improve the country's communication indicators.

Abstract Despite the significant growth in graduates related to rural development and the active involvement of jihadist groups, as well as the valuable services provided to the country's villages after the Islamic Revolution, these areas have not become attractive enough for youth to live in. This report, considering the key role of youth in rural areas, examines relevant laws, identifies issues in implemented plans and programs in the country, reviews global experiences, and ultimately presents policies for attracting youth to rural areas and the agricultural sector. The mentioned plans and actions have faced various challenges, including the lack of a strategic and comprehensive plan, weakness in rural planning knowledge and skills, neglect of social and cultural needs, temporary nature of programs, dominance of financial facilitation approaches, and failure to provide business services in appropriate mechanisms. Global experiences show that some countries have adopted a set of economic, social, and political programs to enhance the position of youth in rural areas. Improving participation in policymaking, providing housing and necessary infrastructure, creating spaces for testing innovative ideas, and facilitating the entry of workforce from school and university to the agricultural sector and technology-based businesses are among these actions. Based on the conducted examinations, to retain and attract youth to rural areas, a comprehensive framework of programs and actions under the title "Comprehensive Action Plan for Attracting and Employing Youth in Rural Areas" needs to be developed, and subsequently, appropriate legal provisions for sustaining the relevant framework should be legislated.

Abstract The steel industry is considered one of the foundational and foreign exchange-earning industries in the country. Production in this industry in our country is carried out approximately 90% using the direct reduction method, which relies on natural gas. This method has developed in the country due to abundant natural gas reserves and consequently the low share of energy costs in the total production costs of this industry. Meanwhile, today approximately 71.5% of the world's raw steel is produced using the blast furnace method. Study results show that total energy consumption in steel production via direct reduction is more than four times that of the blast furnace method. The country's steel industry has faced numerous challenges in recent years due to imbalances between natural gas consumption and production, especially in the cold season. Accordingly, to reduce challenges in supplying fuel needed for existing steel production units using direct reduction, solutions such as participation in the energy consumption optimization market, natural gas storage, importing natural gas at import prices, investing in collecting flare gas and small gas fields, and using coal to produce reducing gases are recommended. On the other hand, given the challenges in supplying natural gas in the country and the emergence of imbalances between production and consumption of this energy carrier, and its intensification in the coming years, the steel industry development program in the future requires serious review by the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade.

Abstract “Special Governorates” are formed pursuant to a government resolution in 2007. Despite nearly two decades since the approval of the resolution on forming special governorates and despite efforts made, the formation of said governorates has been limited to creating structures, and the discussion of defining duties and authorities of special governorates has remained unresolved, which contradicts the philosophy of creating special governorates. The goal of the present plan is to determine some duties and authorities for special governorates and to elevate their position, administrative structure, and budget independence. Apart from the fact that special governorates do not have strong legal foundations and position, and determining duties and authorities of special governorates in law requires first adding articles to the Law on Definitions and Criteria of Country Divisions, the articles of the present plan conflict with some principles of the Constitution (Principles 75, 52, 126, 110), Article (105) of the Seventh Program, Article (31) of the Permanent Provisions Law of Development Programs, Article (14) of the Law on Definitions and Criteria of Country Divisions (approved July 6, 1983), Article (2) of the Law on the Islamic Republic of Iran Police Force (approved July 17, 1990), Clause “10” of General Policies on Administrative System, and Clause “16” of General Policies on Legislation. The optimal approach is to comprehensively revise duties, authorities, and organizational criteria for all levels (province, county, district, and sub-district, as well as cities and villages) across the country to resolve problems and bottlenecks arising from administrative-financial centralization. This requires submitting a comprehensive bill on political-administrative divisions “with a direction towards decentralization and delegation of authority to local managers and strengthening the role of governors as supreme government representatives” to the Islamic Consultative Assembly.

Abstract

Abstract Child poverty is one of the issues that should receive special attention from policymakers. Because poverty in childhood can lead to numerous problems in adulthood. Child poverty reproduces poverty in adulthood and does not allow individuals to change social class. Education is one of the most effective ways to break the cycle of child poverty and can prevent their poverty in adulthood. To provide equal educational services to poor children, especially those living in poor and deprived areas, supportive services need to be provided to these individuals. Because children from poor families are more at risk of dropping out and being out of school than other children. Thus, through providing supportive services, these children and their families can be encouraged to attend school, but attending classes alone cannot be decisive in reducing poverty. The issue of educational quality is an important and influential factor intertwined with educational justice. The results of this report show that schools can be used as centers for poverty alleviation. Through schools, access to children and their families can be obtained, and necessary supportive services provided to them to prevent children from being out of school on one hand, and provide quality education and other supportive services such as counseling to them and their families on the other, thereby breaking the poverty cycle of these children and saving society from becoming poorer in the future.

Abstract One of the most important actions needed to support artists and handicraft workers is insuring them. Under Article (2) of the Law on Supporting Artists, Master Craftsmen, and Handicraft Activists, approved on January 16, 2018, the government is obligated to implement the Social Insurance Law for Carpet Weavers, Rug Weavers, and Identified (Coded) Handicraft Workers approved on August 9, 2009 for insuring eligible individuals under this law. The number of people covered by this law in 2009 was about 171,799, and this number in 2024 is about 196,151. These figures mean that despite 15 years since the promulgation of the said law, the number of insured in 2024 is only 24,352 more than the number in the first year of implementing this law. The number of covered individuals from 2009 to 2013 had an increasing trend with an average annual growth of 35.7%, and from 2014 to 2024, the number of insured under the said law has been constantly decreasing with an average annual decrease of 8.6%. Among the most important reasons for this decrease are intensified oversight by the Social Security Organization to prevent coverage of individuals working in non-handicraft disciplines, job and profession changes by some insured handicraft artists, and their financial inability.

Abstract One of the main policies in dealing with addiction is the demand reduction policy; this policy includes prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and rehabilitation sections. Among the actions taken in recent years for addiction treatment and harm reduction in the country is the establishment of addiction treatment and harm reduction centers under the provisions of Article (15) of the amended Narcotics Control Law (2010). Based on the executive regulation of Note One of this article, the governance system anticipates eight types of centers for addiction treatment and harm reduction; outpatient addiction treatment centers and treatment centers/sections with agonist units, as two of the eight types of centers mentioned, have the highest number and frequency among addiction treatment centers in the country with 8,022 centers. Accordingly, evaluating the status and performance of these centers as an important part of the addiction treatment field in the country is of special importance. Therefore, this report, based on Clause "C" of Article (2) of the Law on the Duties of the Research Center of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, based on field observations, specialized sessions held, interviews with experts and stakeholders, review of previous scientific research, etc., has identified challenges related to these centers. The findings of this examination show that despite effectiveness in harm reduction and contagious diseases, the said centers face various challenges in policy quality and institutional coordination of responsible agencies, licensing status and hasty quantitative expansion, performance oversight and effectiveness evaluation, development and updating of necessary guidelines and protocols, status of providing infrastructure indicators and standards and human resources, etc.

Abstract In recent years, "multi-level governance" has emerged as one of the novel approaches in analyzing policy structures and public administration in complex political and administrative systems. This concept is particularly important in contexts of vertical and horizontal power dispersion and interactions among governmental and non-governmental actors at supranational, national, and local levels. The aim of this research is to examine the conceptual, structural, and policy aspects of multi-level governance and evaluate its capabilities for reorganizing institutional relations in the country at supranational, national, and local levels. The research, with a qualitative approach and documentary analysis method, while reviewing theoretical literature and utilizing comparative experiences in countries such as the United States, India, China, the European Union, and African countries, has extracted patterns adaptable to Iran's context. The findings show that multi-level governance, with emphasis on horizontal and vertical interactions among levels and various actors, provides the capacity to create more coordinated, efficient, and localized legislative structures. In this regard, suggestions for redefining the role of the Islamic Consultative Assembly in three layers: supranational (through parliamentary diplomacy and intra-organizational institution-building), national (based on strengthening territorial policymaking and inter-institutional networking), and local (utilizing representatives' offices and provincial think tanks) are provided.

Abstract Although Iran ranks second in conventional natural gas reserves and third in natural gas production globally, it has not utilized these God-given resources efficiently; such that the country's energy intensity index is more than twice the global average, and unlike the global downward trend over the past three decades, this index has an upward trend for Iran. Therefore, considering the over 70% share of gas in the country's energy basket and social considerations, it is necessary to adopt effective strategies to optimize gas consumption. On the other hand, one of the major challenges for the government in relation to large state-owned companies, including the National Gas Company, has always been the type of financial relationship of these companies with the government. The current financial relationship in the gas value chain has ambiguities, dysfunctions, and lack of transparency that lead to suboptimal allocation of resources and allocated subsidies along the chain. Therefore, to discipline the current financial relationship and create grounds for increasing productivity and optimizing gas consumption in the country, the financial relationship in the gas value chain must be reformed. Following the previous report titled "Image of Various Financial and Volumetric Transactions in the Gas Value Chain", this report, while analyzing and pathologizing the current financial relationship in the gas value chain, proposes an alternative model for reforming the financial relationship in the gas value chain by eliminating subsidies from the beginning of the chain and transferring them to the end of the chain as the main solution to the raised issues. This will have positive effects on the country's energy governance, including unifying and transparentizing revenues and costs in the gas sector, creating grounds for real government decision-making to manage existing subsidies in the chain, incentivizing the National Gas Company and other chain actors to increase productivity and improve gas consumption management.

Abstract Over the past decade, imports have always been part of governments' measures to manage the red meat market. Following a relatively large increase in live cattle prices in 2023, importing red meat and live cattle was placed on the agenda of authorities in 2024, and to facilitate imports, commercial profit on importing said items was announced as zero, but according to examinations, in the first eight months of 2024, the annual red meat import record in the past 10 years was broken, and the import amount reached an unprecedented 217.7 thousand tons by the end of January-February 2025. Despite increased breeding costs, the said situation caused a decrease in the price of slaughter-ready live cattle and accumulation of cattle in veal fattening units. Although in late 2024, supportive purchase of frozen veal meat was placed on the agenda of the Livestock Affairs Support Company, the purchase conditions, such as the determined price and payment method, have not been incentives for livestock breeders. In the said conditions, the government must, on one hand, take necessary supportive actions to strengthen the purchasing power of consumers, especially low-income deciles, and on the other hand, to support producers, in the short term simultaneously with managed reduction of meat imports, the Livestock Affairs Support Company should take action to supply strategic reserves by purchasing surplus fattening cattle considering production costs and reasonable profit (in accordance with relevant laws). Also, valuing in proportion to the nature of the goods and direct offering of meat using the capacity of specialized unions and the Organization of Fruit and Vegetable Markets and Agricultural Products, and in the long term, setting and implementing a red meat self-sufficiency program should be on the agenda of the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad.

Abstract The term popularization is used 9 times in the Seventh Development Program, three of which are in the public culture chapter. In general, the use of titles related to public participation in official documents occurs when the design of related models in governance and think tanks has many gaps. This research, as a foundational step, has drawn an upstream policy model for popularizing public culture in the Islamic Republic of Iran. This model includes three layers: The first layer is the foundations considered in popularizing culture, some of which include: the foundational nature and inseparability of culture from other systems, the causal relationship between centralization in cultural administration and stagnation in cultural progress, delegating managements to committed public capacities as a driver for creating public movement, gardening culture based on providing freedom for natural growth while taking action to remove environmental barriers. The second layer details the doctrine (principal approach) of popularizing public culture policy, which includes four sections: 1. Identity-giving and responsibility assignment based on discovering capacities, crediting them, and field assignment of affairs, 2. Helping institutional empowerment based on creating communicative-informational access, enhancing knowledge and skills, and cognitive equipping 3. Creating a platform for intelligent support and backing based on facilitation for non-governmental sectors and individuals' activities and participatory regulation to maximize the flow of values along with immunity-building for public activists 4. Leading and coordinating cultural activities based on creating fields, participatory discourse-building, and front-building from capacities. In the third layer, related upstream policies are formulated separately under each section of the doctrine (principal approach).

Abstract Under Article (5) of the "Law on Combating Smuggling of Goods and Currency", the government is obligated to launch intelligent systems for trade oversight. In this regard, the "System for Identifying and Combating Smuggled Goods" project was placed among the 23 priority e-government projects in 2019. The product identifier, as the national product identification code, plays a foundational role in implementing e-government projects and is a prerequisite for achieving transparency, tracking, and effective oversight in the trade chain and combating smuggling, whose full implementation is mandatory for the success of the 23 priority government projects. This report, by studying documents and holding numerous sessions with executive agencies subject to the law, addresses challenges in developing product identifiers and managing and integrating product information in the country. The results obtained from this research indicate challenges in developing product identifiers in executive agencies, including: 1. Challenges related to the product identifier generation process and optimizing its factors; 2. Incoordination among responsible executive agencies in utilizing product identifiers; 3. Slow deployment of processes related to product identifier issuance; 4. Inability to outsource parts of product identifier issuance processes; 5. Inability to issue identifiers for all products and technical limitations; 6. Lack of data standardization, production of electronic product catalogs, and comprehensive product/service identification with participation of industrial, commercial, and service actors in the country. In conclusion, five short-term solutions and two long-term solutions are proposed to resolve existing challenges in developing product identifiers and standardizing, integrating, and comprehensively managing data and product information in the country.

Abstract Rainwater harvesting is one of the very low-cost and more effective techniques for water resources management designed and implemented to increase the possibility of collecting rainwater. This strategy is receiving increasing attention for adaptation to water scarcity in water-limited areas. With climate changes and land use transformations, a large part of precipitation becomes destructive floods, imposing costs on the country and becoming inaccessible. The volume of discharged floods in some years, such as 2019, is reported at about twenty billion cubic meters, which is more than seven times the total water consumption in the industrial sector in the country (2.6 billion cubic meters). Proper rainwater management can increase available water and preserve water resources, reduce flood risk and soil erosion, and improve water quality. More than 70% of precipitation in Iran, which exceeds 250 billion cubic meters, becomes inaccessible through evaporation, and rainwater harvesting can partially store non-useful evaporation and make it available to aquifers, soil, or plants. Of course, in this regard, attention must be paid to evaporation control challenges and related technical-financial issues (including precipitation and runoff patterns). In this report, challenges and requirements for success of rainwater harvesting plans are explained, and specific suggestions are provided in line with implementing the Law on Increasing Productivity in Agriculture and Natural Resources and Article (3) of the Law on Development and Optimization of Urban and Rural Drinking Water in the country. An important point in rainwater harvesting is the necessity of adopting a basin approach and evaluating rainwater harvesting policies and actions on water balance components.

Abstract Utilizing the capacities of local elites, universities, and provincial governance think tanks can play a significant role in enhancing the efficiency of the policy consultation system in the Islamic Consultative Assembly. This research examines and analyzes ways to optimally use provincial capacities to improve the policy consultation system of the Islamic Consultative Assembly. Given the numerous existing challenges, including: lack of effective interactions between local institutions and representatives, absence of appropriate infrastructure for collecting local evidence in legislation, and weakness in provincial issue identification and territorial planning in the country's legislative and governance system, this research aims to propose an innovative approach to systematic interactions between local elites and decision-makers in the governance and legislative system, by providing suggestions and executive mechanisms to enhance the policy consultation system at the provincial level, to increase the legitimacy of policy decisions and their effectiveness. The results of this research show that provincial think tanks, if their financial and scientific capacities are strengthened, can act as one of the most important players in providing accurate and specialized consultations to assembly representatives and other national officials. Moreover, since creating data-driven consultation and oversight systems can provide more suitable platforms for collecting and analyzing local information; oversight and evaluation of policy and legislative processes at national and local levels will see significant improvement.

Abstract Rearing sheep and goats along with camels, which is mainly in the form of grazing-based livestock rearing systems in rangelands, while having the least dependence on imported feed inputs, plays a role in supplying about 46% of total red meat production. Appropriate livestock grazing with rangeland carrying capacity has other functions such as providing diverse ecosystem services, preventing soil erosion, fire prevention, and producing local and quality products. In recent decades, reduced precipitation as well as lack of comprehensive view and sectoral and one-dimensional look of planners to the issue of livestock-rangeland balance, land use change and reduction of rangeland area, grazing permit problems, shortage of resources and human resources and ineffective protection and safeguarding of rangeland quantity and quality, overgrazing, along with failure to engage participation and cooperation of stakeholders which has occurred in the context of the tragedy of the commons, has severely affected production sustainability and rangeland resilience. It seems that establishing a value chain in livestock rearing in rangeland-based systems, diversifying livelihood sources for beneficiary households, and special introduction and valuation of rangeland-based products will help reduce livestock breeders' reliance on income from livestock farming. Also, rangeland rehabilitation and utilization of efficient grazing systems with effective participation of local beneficiary communities and supporting them, resolving grazing permit problems and livestock identification deficiencies, smart monitoring of livestock and rangelands, allocating appropriate credit lines, and supplying needed human resources in rangeland rehabilitation should be on the government's agenda.

Abstract The Principle 90 Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, as the supervisory institution over the performance of the Judiciary, Executive, and Legislature, possesses unparalleled legal capacity for strengthening non-judicial oversight. Despite successful experiences in some periods, this commission has not fully realized its capacities. This report provides a set of practical lessons learned designed within the SOAR analytical model (Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, and Results). The most important proposed solutions include: strengthening specialized human resources, emphasizing the preservation of the position of permanent representatives of the Principle 90 Commission (preventing removal and conversion of permanent members to non-permanent), alongside participatory involvement of other representatives, utilizing intermediate circles and social platforms, structured cooperation with official supervisory institutions, utilizing lawyers for judicial follow-up, increasing independence in the structure of selecting permanent members, and creating permanent investigation and inspection structures. The goal of these lessons learned is to transform the Principle 90 Commission from a passive supervisory institution to an intelligent, accountable, and transformative actor in the governance system of the Islamic Republic of Iran; an institution that, by strengthening public communications and interacting with elites, can play an effective role in policy reform, law improvement, and enhancing public trust.

Abstract Under Article (55) of the Civil Service Management Law, the Administrative and Employment Affairs Organization is obligated to create a managers' information bank to preserve human capital and identify individuals qualified for managerial positions. However, despite about eighteen years since the approval of this law, this information bank has not yet been established. One of the factors for the non-establishment of the managers' information bank is the presence of legislative weaknesses in the text of this article. Among the existing weaknesses in this article are the unclear duties of executive agencies regarding completing managers' information, ambiguity in the scope of application to authorities under Article (71) of the Civil Service Management Law, lack of update timeframe, unclear required information for forming the system, lack of public access to managers' information, and absence of sufficient enforcement guarantees for realizing the legal provision. In this report, in addition to examining weaknesses, a draft bill to amend Article (55) of the Civil Service Management Law is provided to remove obstacles to establishing the managers' information bank through legislative amendments. It is worth noting that the managers' information bank, if established, can provide grounds for identifying managerial talents and appointing qualified individuals to managerial positions and a platform for improving accountability and making managers' records memorable.

Abstract "Power" is one of the most fundamental concepts in political thought from ancient times to the modern era. Many philosophers from Plato to postmodern thinkers have explained the concept of "power" according to social, political, and cultural structures and contexts. In the present era, the emergence of cyberspace and digital technologies has shaped a new architecture of power known as "cyber power". This type of power is a combination of soft and hard elements of national power and, as the most important sources of power in the 21st century, plays a determining role in global equations. Cyber power has not only redefined traditional power tools such as diplomacy and military, but by creating new opportunities in informational, economic, and cultural domains, has expanded countries' role-playing possibilities worldwide. The aim of this article is to deepen understanding of the nature, dimensions, and capacities of cyber power to provide a clearer understanding of its opportunities and challenges, laying the groundwork for national lining and planning. This model helps countries, especially our country, to strengthen national security and international position by utilizing cyber power. In subsequent reports, the requirements of cyber governance in Iran, including infrastructure, defensive and offensive policies, and legal and ethical necessities, will be addressed to provide a comprehensive framework for developing this power.

Abstract The penetration of new public management approaches into administrative systems has created challenges regarding their neutrality and efficiency. This report examines various dimensions of new public management and their impact on the politicization of the administrative system. New public management, with emphasis on efficiency, focus on results, customer orientation, and competition, provides grounds for political actors' penetration into the administrative system and their influence on decision-making and executive processes. This undermines the neutrality and independence of the administrative system and fuels its politicization. New public management, despite potential advantages in administrative efficiency and effectiveness, may also have negative consequences. Politicization of the administrative system is one of these consequences that may endanger its efficiency and legitimacy. It is necessary to minimize the negative effects of new public management on the politicization of the administrative system by adopting appropriate measures, including strengthening supervisory institutions, enhancing organizational culture, and institutionalizing ethical values.