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-Pacific group, to which Iran belongs, has monopolized the position in recent years, with five ambassadors from the group holding the post in the past six years, to the exclusion of other regional groups.
If established UN procedures of regional rotation were truly applied, Iran would have been the last country eligible this year to be appointed as Chair of the UNHRC Social Forum.
See full story here: Iran to Chair UN Human Rights Forum on Thursday, Sparking Protests.
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Chair of UNHRC Social Forum, 2008-2023
Asia-Pacific Group representatives: 8
Latin American Group representatives: 5
Western Europe & Others Group representatives: 2
Eastern Europe Group representatives: 2
African Group representatives: 2
| 2023 | Islamic Republic of Iran (Amb. Ali Bahreini) | Asia-Pacific |
| 2022 | Spain (Amb. Aurora Díaz-Rato Revuelta) & Bolivia (Amb. Maira Mariela Macdonal Alvarez) | Western Group & Latin America |
| 2021 | Iraq (Amb. Abdul-Karim Hashim Mostafa) | Asia-Pacific |
| 2020 | Mongolia (Amb. Purevsuren Lundeg) & Azerbaijan (Amb. Vaqif Sadiqov) | Asia-Pacific & Asia-Pacific |
| 2019 | Djibouti (Amb. Kadra Ahmed Hassan) | Africa |
| 2018 | Sri Lanka (Amb. A.L. Adbul Azeez) | Asia-Pacific |
| 2017 | Brazil (Amb. Maria Nazareth Farani Azevêdo) & Belarus (Amb. Yury Ambrazevich) | Latin America & Eastern Europe |
| 2016 | Mexico (Amb. Jorge Lomonaco) & New Zealand (Amb. Allan Reaich) | Latin America & Western Group |
| 2015 | Qatar (Amb. Faisal bin Abdulla al-Henzab) | Asia-Pacific |
| 2014 | Argentina (Amb. Mónica Roqué) | Latin America |
| 2012 | Qatar (Amb. Alya Al-Thani) | Asia-Pacific |
| 2011 | Ethiopia (Amb. Minelik Alemu Getahun) | Africa |
| 2010 | Urugauy (Amb. Laura Dupuy Lasserre) | Latin America |
| 2009 | Slovenia (Amb. Andrej Logar) | Eastern Europe |
| 2008 | Jordan (Amb. Mousa Burayzat) | Asia-Pacific |
(Source: Reports of the Annual UNHRC Social Forum)
Dear EU Foreign Policy Chief @JosepBorrellF: You defended Iran’s appointment tomorrow as Chair of the U.N. Human Rights Council Social Forum, as a matter of regional rotation. In fact, there was no rotation: https://t.co/O3R6vxi3OO
Will you take action now to stop this outrage? https://t.co/PuQzZHiGbR pic.twitter.com/VNJ4kj8I9V
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) November 1, 2023
