Germany’s foreign ministry made a misleading statement on X.com (see details below) to mask the fact it allowed the nomination of the Islamic Republic of Iran to a UN committee that addresses critical issues including women’s rights and terrorism prevention - failing to object as the US did, and as EU states have done in the past.
The fact is that Germany, as a member of the 54-nation UN Economic and Social Council, participated in the consensus nomination of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the UN Committee for Programme and Coordination on April 8, 2026.
This committee deals with budget priorities and program coordination on critical issues, and will meet soon to address women’s rights, human rights, and terrorism prevention.
At a minimum, Germany should have taken the floor to object that it is wrong to nominate a regime that only months ago massacred thousands of protesters, and that brutally oppresses women, tortures political prisoners, and systematically violates basic human rights.
This is exactly what the United States did in that meeting. It was the only country that formally objected and disassociated itself from the consensus decision, citing Iran’s appalling record on women’s rights.
Germany and other Western democracies, however, remained silent and allowed the consensus to pass in ECOSOC, a body of which Germany is a member.
Notably, in a similar scenario in April 2022, the EU and several other democracies took the floor to object to the election of a Russian candidate, months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Speaking on behalf of Germany and all other EU member states, France took the floor to object and disassociate the EU states from the decision. This precedent from 2022 confirms that Germany clearly had the option to object to the nomination of Iran’s regime, but it made the decision not to do so.
Germany’s Reply is Misleading
The German foreign ministry’s recent reply to criticism of its actions is misleading.
On X.com, @AuswaertigesAmt posted: “The election of the members of this UN committee will only take place in November at the UN General Assembly. This refers to the nomination of candidates by the Asia-Pacific regional group, which was accepted by acclamation. An election of Iran by did not take place.” (Translation.)
The truth:
• It is false and misleading to claim that the “nomination” of Iran was done by the Asia-Pacific regional group. Although it is the regional groups that first propose candidates, the UN procedure is very clear that the formal “nomination” is effected by the members of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). It is a fact that the nomination of Iran was done by Germany and the other members, in a consensus decision. Saying or suggesting otherwise is false and misleading.
• Saying that the “nomination” of Iran “was accepted by acclamation” is wrong and misleading in two ways: first, there was no “nomination” for ECOSOC to “accept” because, as explained above, while the regional groups propose candidates, it is only Germany and the other ECOSOC members who have the power of “nomination”; second, the foreign ministry here uses passive language to imply that Iran’s name was merely “accepted” by some anoymous entity, in a disingenuous attempt to mask Germany’s active decision to participate in the consensus nomination of Iran.
• Saying that “an election of Iran by did not take place” is a straw-man argument, because UN Watch never claimed there was an “election.” Rather, what happened on April 8th - as UN Watch first exposed in this viral tweet - is that Germany and the others decided to nominate Iran, and then failed to take the floor to object - as the US did in that meeting, and as the EU, UK, and Canada had done in a similar scenario in April 2022.
• The German foreign ministry is correct that “the election of the members of this UN committee will only take place in November at the UN General Assembly.” However, the decisive step in this process was the ECOSOC nomination of Iran, supported by Germany, on April 8th. Past practice shows that the formal election by the UN General Assembly in November 2026 will almost certainly rubber-stamp the nomination of Iran.
.@AuswaertigesAmt This is misleading. As the UN video clearly shows, it was 🇩🇪 Germany that nominated the Islamic Republic of Iran to the committee - joining the consensus decision with 53 other members of the UN Economic and Social Council.
Though Asia put forward its slate,… pic.twitter.com/9czugsw6sC
- Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) April 18, 2026
13/ Germany could have taken the floor at that meeting to object. We know that because that is exactly the US did.
Bravo to the 🇺🇸 for taking a stand: “The regime threatens its neighbors and has, for decades, infringed on the Iranian people’s ability to exercise their basic… pic.twitter.com/DToEnD3rmO
- Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) April 18, 2026
