Criticism of Iran’s presidency of the UN human rights committee

In protest against Iran’s presidency of the Social Forum of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, American Ambassador Michèle Taylor remained absent from Thursday’s meeting. Given human rights violations in Iran, it is “absurd” and “unacceptable” for the country to preside over a human rights body, Taylor said.

Friederike Böge

Political correspondent for Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan based in Ankara.

Germany was also not represented. The Foreign Ministry in Berlin said it viewed staff “extremely critically”. “The President of the Human Rights Council appoints this presidency; Member States were not involved in the selection.” EU member states would critically follow Iran’s presidency and react accordingly if there were deficits, the office said.

Iranian Ambassador Ali Bahreini opened the meeting without responding to criticism of his role. The theme of this year’s forum is “the contribution of science, technology and innovation to the promotion of human rights”. Bahraini spoke about the corona pandemic and climate change. Criticism of the sanctions on Iran could only be read indirectly in his words. The transfer of knowledge and technologies must not be hampered, he said. Representatives from countries such as Syria and Cuba congratulated Iran on its presidency. The human rights organization Justice for Iran used the forum to criticize Tehran.

How were you nominated?

Bahraini was appointed in May by the president of the UN Human Rights Council, the Czech Václav Bálek. His letter to Member State representations said that he had received “a” appointment. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in July that the presidency “rotates regionally in line with existing UN procedures.” Thus, it would have been the turn of the Asia-Pacific regional group. However, Sarah Ultes of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Geneva points out that in the past the group “held the presidency disproportionately often”. Perhaps there was little interest from other sectors.

State news agency Mehr News Agency had previously described Bahrain’s nomination as a “victory for Iranian diplomacy over the US.” She also listed Iran’s other positions in the UN system, including Vice President of the UN General Assembly in September and Rapporteur of the Commission on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation. American Ambassador Taylor wrote that her country worked with others to have Iran excluded from the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. In a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi called on Iran to withdraw its presidency of the Social Forum. It is “confusing and disappointing” that the country was given this role.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, did not personally participate in the meeting. His speech was broadcast via video. No explanation was given for his absence. At the same time as the meeting, his office issued a press release in which UN special rapporteurs expressed “shock” at the death of 17-year-old Armita Gerawan, who is believed to have died after a clash with Iranian morality police . The rapporteurs complained about the “total impunity” for the persecution of women and girls in the country.