In response to UN Watch’s drafting of a UN resolution to expel Iran’s regime from the UN Commission on the Status of Women, which was submitted to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, spokesman Ned Price said that “Iran’s membership on the UN Commission on Women is contemptible… It is outrageous.”
“We’ve always been clear that some of the worst human rights abusers sit on certain UN commissions,” said Price, adding “we don’t believe Iran should sit on this commission.”
The spokesman of the State Department said the United States is “going to look at proposals to effect that outcome. We’re going to take a close look at ideas, and we’ll lend our support where it’s appropriate for us to do so.”
Others who have supported the removal of Iran include the governments of Canada and New Zealand.
QUESTION: Thanks, Ned. On what is happening inside Iran, there is growing calls for Iran to be expelled from the UN Commission on the Status of Women. And an NGO in Switzerland that advises ECOSOC has drawn up a draft resolution, and they say that they have also presented it to Secretary Blinken to present it to the council. Any thoughts on that? Any -
MR. PRICE: We’ve made our position on this very clear. Iran’s membership on the UN Commission on Women is contemptible. It is beyond inappropriate. It is outrageous. We’ve always been clear that some of the worst human rights abusers sit on certain UN commissions. I think this is, unfortunately, a good example of that. We have worked in the UN system beyond what we’ve done using our own authorities and with our own voice to condemn the violence that Iran is perpetrating against, in many cases, the brave women and girls who are doing nothing more but exercising rights that are as universal to them as they are to anyone else.
We were one of 54 countries that issued a joint statement at the Human Rights Council calling for Iran to cease the disproportionate use of force against what are undeniably peaceful protesters.
We don’t believe Iran should sit on this commission. We’re going to look at proposals to effect that outcome. We’re going to take a close look at ideas, and we’ll lend our support where it’s appropriate for us to do so.
BREAKING: The Parliament of Canada 🇨🇦 is first in world to adopt motion calling to remove the Islamic regime of Iran from the UN Women's Rights Commission “given the brutal death of Mahsa Amini at the hands of the IRGC, the subsequent crackdown in Iran on women's rights…” /1 pic.twitter.com/kxtMUgDhFu
- Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) October 31, 2022
BREAKING: New Zealand PM calls to expel Iran from UN Women's Rights Commission. “It is not sustainable for a country that continues to so brutally attack the rights of women to belong to a pre-eminent global body dedicated to promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment.” /1 pic.twitter.com/XQ2tNt8XOG
- Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) October 31, 2022
🇮🇷 Iran regime assault on protesters:
244 killed
898 injured
5974 arrested🇺🇳 U.N. Human Rights Council reaction:
0 resolutions
0 emergency sessions
0 commission of inquiryWhy, @NadaNashif?
- Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) October 14, 2022
