UN Watch welcomed the latest revelations by Canada, Australia, and Austria that they voted against the Iranian regime in the secret ballot held at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. The watchdog group is now calling on all other countries to show transparency with their citizens by likewise disclosing how they voted.
Despite massacring tens of thousands of its own people earlier this year, the Islamic Republic of Iran was elected by 144 votes to 39 in to the UN Committee for Programme and Coordination, which oversees the world body’s programs, plans and priorities on issues including women’s rights, disarmament, and terrorism prevention.
Iran’s overwhelming victory was largely due to the fact that Tehran faced no competition, as it was one of four names on an Asia-Pacific slate of only four candidates.
UN Watch led the opposition to Iran’s election, and revealed in April that major democracies had officially nominated Iran, and declined to speak out as the U.S. had done.
On April 8th, the UN’s 54-nation Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) nominated Iran to the committee by consensus.
All ECOSOC member states such as Britain, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, Norway, Netherlands, Spain, Austria, Finland and Switzerland silently joined the consensus decision to nominate Iran. It was this nomination that was approved by 144 to 39 votes in the secret ballot held Wednesday at the General Assembly.
After the nomination was approved on April 8th, the United States was the only member to object and disassociate itself from consensus, declaring the Iranian regime “unfit.”
By contrast, no other countries at ECOSOC took the floor. Member states Canada, Australia, Britain, France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland, Switzerland, and Austria all remained silent.
UN WATCH EXPOSES COMPLICITY OF DEMOCRACIES, LEADS THE OPPOSITION
UN Watch was the first to break the story in April and expose the silence and complicity of the democracies in Iran’s nomination, causing lawmakers and media figures worldwide to express outrage.
This week, ahead of Wednesday’s UNGA vote to ratify ECOSOC’s nomination of Iran, UN Watch again sounded the alarm and urged democracies to oppose Iran’s election.
In an op-ed published in Canada’s National Post, UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer called on Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand to request a vote at the General Assembly, and to rally fellow democracies to vote No.
SUDDENLY CANADA, AUSTRALIA, AND AUSTRIA REVERSE COURSE, CONDEMN IRAN’S ELECTION
Following the UNGA vote this week, Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand announced that “Canada is steadfastly opposed to giving Iran a seat on the UN Committee for Programme and Coordination,” and she revealed that “Canada voted against Iran’s inclusion today at the UN.”
The Canadian minister’s revelation — in wake of UN Watch’s op-ed and campaign — broke precedent as her predecessors had typically declined to say how the country voted in UN secret ballots.
Then came a similar statement and revelation from Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong. “Australia strongly opposes and voted against Iran’s appointment to the UN Committee for Programme and Coordination. Australia stands with the people of Iran.”
Austria’s Foreign Ministry also made their position clear: “Austria did not vote for Iran in the secret ballot for the UN Committee for Programme and Coordination.”
In the British House of Lords, faced with three different member questions, Baroness Rosie Winterton answered on behalf of the UK government that it “does not comment on how it votes in secret ballots at the United Nations. That said, we strongly regret that Iran has been elected to the UN Committee for Program and Coordination.”
DEMOCRACIES DENY THEIR COMPLICITY IN NOMINATING IRAN
In April, in an attempt to whitewash its role, the Canadian government claimedthat Iran had been nominated by the Asia-Pacific group, that Canada “did not endorse or vote for this nomination,” and that the committee was merely “an advisory body with no decision-making role.” The post was swiftly corrected by a Community Note on X.
Soon after in the Canadian Parliament, UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer testified on Canada‘s shameful role in the nomination. Deputy Opposition Leader Melissa Lantsman and Shadow Foreign Minister Michael Chong also took the floorto demand the government answer why it “supported Iran’s membership to a UN committee which oversees human rights.”
UN Watch commends Canada, Australia, and Austria for reversing course and voting this week against the murderous Iranian regime.
UN Watch is now specifically calling on all the other democracies that chose on April 8th not to join the U.S. in speaking and who instead silently endorsed Iran’s nomination — including Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Netherlands, Norway, Finland, and Switzerland — to state publicly whether they voted for or against Iran. Every other country at the UN General Assembly should likewise go on the record and inform their citizens how they voted.
BREAKING: U.K. “Strongly Regrets” Election of Iran to U.N. Committee@LordIanAustin: “Australia and Canada have both confirmed that they voted against Iran yesterday. So can the minister tell us: Why did we not do more to oppose the nomination in April? And will she confirm on… pic.twitter.com/Fy2HlCMqbJ
— UN Watch (@UNWatch) November 12, 2026
