The United Nations General Assembly voted Wednesday to keep Iran on the Committee for Programme and Coordination, drawing criticism from countries that say Tehran’s record should rule it out of a role reviewing programs on human rights, women’s rights and counterterrorism.
Before the vote, Hillel Neuer, executive director of human rights watchdog UN Watch, said the decision could become another talking point for Iranian state propaganda.
“They’ll use it,” Neuer said, predicting Iranian media would quickly present the election as proof of the country’s standing in international bodies. He questioned what message the decision sends while Iran is repressing its own people.
Neuer argued that retaining its seat lends Tehran a measure of international legitimacy amid its ongoing conflict with the United States. He said the UN can sometimes help address global problems, but at other times its actions can strengthen authoritarian governments.
He also criticized what he described as the organization’s focus on condemning democracies, including the United States and Israel. Neuer said that last year the UN passed 15 resolutions concerning Israel, compared with one each on Iran, North Korea and Myanmar, and said Hamas, Islam and jihad were not mentioned.
Iran received 144 votes in the General Assembly. The committee has 34 member states, elected for three-year terms. It reviews the UN’s plans and priorities and makes recommendations about their design, coordination and effectiveness.
The decision also drew criticism from U.S. lawmakers. The House Foreign Affairs Committee said the UN had elected Iran, which it called the world’s leading exporter of terrorism, to a body that helps set priorities on disarmament, counterterrorism and women’s rights. The committee added that the UN had lost its moral authority.
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said Canada voted against Iran’s inclusion. She argued that committee members should be trusted to guide the UN’s work and uphold its charter, adding that Iran’s government suppresses dissent at home and contributes to instability across the Middle East.
Australia also voted against Iran’s confirmation. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the country opposed the nomination, citing Iran’s human rights abuses and actions that she said undermine multilateral cooperation.
Neuer said governments beyond the West would be watching how the UN responds to Iran. He argued that countries accused of aggression pay attention to whether the international community pushes back, pointing to the response to Syria’s use of chemical weapons and Russia’s later invasion of Ukraine as examples of how perceived inaction can send a message.
He added that, although many Americans view the UN skeptically, countries in other parts of the world often regard it as a source of international legitimacy.
Neuer questioned what Iran’s leaders would take from the vote, given allegations of mass killings, executions of dissidents, abuse of women and mistreatment of political prisoners. He asked whether the international community had rewarded the government or imposed consequences.
