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GENEVA, October 30 — Iran will become chair of a UN human rights forum on Thursday, sparking an international protest campaign from human rights activists who say Tehran’s record of oppression, torture and executions make it ill-suited for the post.
The regime was appointed in May by the president of the UN Human Rights Council, to be Chair of the UN Human Rights Council Social Forum.
EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell defended Iran’s appointment as a matter of regional rotation, “in consistency with established UN procedures.”
But UN Watch research shows in fact that the Asian group, to which Iran belongs, has held the position four times in the past six years, to the exclusion of other regional groups.
Iran’s appointment can be overturned by a special meeting of the council before Thursday, said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, an independent non-governmental human rights organization based in Geneva, which has drafted a resolution for countries to adopt.
UN Watch has been a leading voice at the United Nations on human rights in Iran.
UN Watch’s campaign is backed by a global petition signed by more than 90,00 people, calling on the UN to overturn Iran’s chairmanship of the UN human rights forum.
The group today launched a social media campaign, and a video of Neuer’s recent appearance before the UN human rights council, where he challenged Iran’s appointment, is going viral with more than a million views since its release this afternoon.
“We are calling on Mr. Borrell to take action. It’s time for all democracies at the UN to stop legitimizing murderous regimes, in violation of the world body’s founding principles, and instead to begin holding the perpetrators to account,” said Neuer.
“The murderous regime in Tehran is responsible for a surge in executions, disproportionately applied to minorities, and for oppressing women and girls. The recent death of 16-year-old Armita Geravand, after being assaulted on the subway by the Iranian morality police for not wearing the compulsory hijab, is a reminder that this is a cruel regime that does not belong on any UN human rights body, let alone as chair.”
“It is unimaginable that on Thursday at the UN human rights council, Ayatollah Khamenei’s representative will be holding the gavel, with UN human rights chief Volcker Turk and other dignitaries at his side,” said Neuer.
“These appointments send the wrong message at the wrong time, enabling the Islamic Republic of Iran — even as it is shooting protesters in the face, raping human rights defenders in prison, and sponsoring Hamas atrocities — to strut on the international stage as a respected and influential actor.”
“No less, the regime is able to proclaim victory to its people — witness the instant declarations in state-controlled Mehr News Agency and Islamic Republic News Agency — in order to dishearten, dispirit and demoralize dissidents,” said Neuer.
“Iran’s regime never should have been chosen. Sadly, inside the UN, too many country delegations seek to go along to get along. In their closed world of backroom deals, a bloody dictatorship is every inch the equal of a liberal democracy. Democracies that pay lip service to the high principles of the UN Charter too often ignore them when making critical UN decisions.”
I asked the UN: “Why did you name the Islamic Republic of Iran as Chair of the UN Human Rights Council Social Forum, starting on Nov. 2nd? How can you elevate a regime that beats, blinds, tortures & rapes women who demand their rights? Where is the logic? Where is the morality?” pic.twitter.com/tWefa4qA50
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) October 30, 2023
✍️ No joke, but the UN is a increasingly a joke… https://t.co/NJdeTUBJUt
— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) October 30, 2023
In two days, the Islamic Regime in Iran will become Chair of the U.N. Human Rights Council Social Forum.
Don't be silent. Tell the United Nations: Stop Legitimizing This Murderous Regime!
Join over 100,000 others who have signed our petition:
🖊️ https://t.co/dSFXra0tBO pic.twitter.com/l8gyr488wg— UN Watch (@UNWatch) October 31, 2023
Program for tomorrow's UN Human Rights Council Forum:
1. Iran's Ali Bahreini, Chair
2. Cuba's President, Keynote Panel
3. Iran Vice-President, head of Academic Jihad
4. Cocktail by Iran
5. Iran chairs panel on equality
6. Alena Douhan, UN's Iran apologist https://t.co/WWjdW1gUkx https://t.co/PuQzZHiGbR pic.twitter.com/b0ieRW9QzD— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) November 1, 2023
Why is Iran, one of the world’s most abusive regimes, about to chair the UN Human Rights Council Social Forum?
Why is taxpayer money supporting this?
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) October 31, 2023
Letter from 34 Members of the European Parliament to Mr. Václav Balek, UN Human Rights Council President:
Dear President Václav Balek,
We, the undersigned Members of the European Parliament, would like to express our great concern and deep regret about the decision to appoint…
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) September 1, 2023
.@telegraaf: “Iran has been elected by the United Nations as chairman of the Human Rights Council's social forum, which starts Thursday. UN Watch started a petition. According to them, Iran is unsuitable, and the UN is condoning its record of repression.” https://t.co/Z1GVpLWhxj https://t.co/9H0cdAmagE pic.twitter.com/NA8XCWqa1w
— UN Watch (@UNWatch) October 31, 2023
“It is quite extraordinary that at the very moment when the Human Rights Council mandates an investigation into very serious allegations of human rights violations by a country, it chooses to take decisions which appear quite contradictory by the majority of the public.”
— Sara Hossain, Chair of the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran
“The United States is appalled that the Iranian Ambassador in Geneva may serve as the Chair-Rapporteur of the Social Forum… The appointment of a representative to a country with such a deplorable human rights record severely undermines the credibility and purpose of both the UN Human Rights Council and the Social Forum. It is abhorrent that Iran…would serve at the helm of this or any human rights-related event. We call upon all UN Human Rights Council member and observer states to prioritize the credibility and integrity of the Council by making decisions that truly embody the principles and values this body stands for.”
Naming Iran as chair of the UN human rights social forum is like calling the arsonist to put out the fire. It shows just how broken the UN Human Rights Council is today. Thank you to @MariaBartiromo for bringing attention to this gross hypocrisy. https://t.co/Sexw4AY06R
— Rep. Claudia Tenney (@RepTenney) May 14, 2023
Shocking news: #Iran has been appointed Chair of the U.N. Human Rights Council Social Forum. This year's theme is the role of science and technology in promoting human rights. This appointment is an outrage and should be retracted immediately! pic.twitter.com/1Gydu5BHQ8
— David Lega (@DavidLega) May 18, 2023
CHM @RepMcCaul: “The appointment of Iran’s Ambassador as chair of the UN Human Rights Council’s 2023 Social Forum is absurd and shameful. No regime engaged in such widespread human rights abuses should be in a leadership role at the UN, much less it’s leading human rights body.”
— House Foreign Affairs Committee Majority (@HouseForeignGOP) May 17, 2023
Après la décision du président du Conseil des droits de l’homme de l’ONU de désigner l’Iran pour présider le prochain Forum Social 2023, @Valerie_Rabault (SOC) demande au Gvt de "faire entendre la voix de la France pour annuler cette nomination".#DirectAN #QAG pic.twitter.com/o42DpP6a7D
— Assemblée nationale (@AssembleeNat) May 30, 2023
@JosepBorrellF You said Iran’s appointment was due to regional rotation “consistent with established UN procedures.” https://t.co/NmHrstzV4f
Yet the group to which Iran belongs held the position 4 times in last 6 years—to the exclusion of other regions. https://t.co/mzVgQK56aD pic.twitter.com/sr8vC2eYMX
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) November 1, 2023
