Although many countries are now trying to deny that they had any option other than to quietly endorse the nomination of the Islamic Republic of Iran to a UN committee that addresses budgetary priorities on critical issues such as women’s rights and terrorism prevention, the record shows that the European Union, the UK, Canada, New Zealand, and other Western states have in the past taken the floor to disassociate themselves from consensus decisions to elect or nominate brutal and repressive regimes to UN committees.
On April 13, 2022, ECOSOC elected by acclamation Aslan Abashidze of the Russian Federation to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Germany was also then a member of ECOSOC, and with all the other members joined in the election.
However, at that time, France — “speaking on behalf of the European Union and its member states” — took the floor to dissociate from consensus, and criticized Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine, saying violated the fundamental principles of the UN Charter, and inflicted unspeakable suffering on the Ukrainian population.
In addition, the UK, the US, Japan, and Canada (speaking also on behalf of New Zealand), likewise took the floor to make similar objections.
See UN summary, and video of the various objections made by the EU and other states.
For more on the misleading denials by EU member states that they nominated Iran, and failed to speak out and object as they could and should have, see here.
8/ The EU, France, Germany, Spain, Netherlands, and Finland all know how to dissociate from immoral consensus elections at ECOSOC. In April 2022, France for the EU objected to Russia’s candidate.⬇️
After protesters were massacred by Iran, why didn’t they object to their killers? pic.twitter.com/R7VfeSt2iW
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) April 16, 2026
6/ When it wants, the UK 🇬🇧 knows how to disassociate itself from consensus elections at ECOSOC.
In April 2022, the UK objected to a Russian candidate. ⬇️
Months after Iran’s massacre of protesters, this is exactly what the UK could have done to object to the election of Iran. pic.twitter.com/xpKpaXhpGy
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) April 16, 2026
