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Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
World
New York - Asharq Al-Awsat

UN to Vote on Iran's Future on Women's Rights Body in December

Protests in Tehran over Mahsa Amini's death (Reuters)

Diplomats said on Monday that the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) would vote on December 14 on a US draft resolution to oust Iran from the UN's Commission on the Status of women. Washington presses to punish Tehran for its denial of women's rights and brutal suppression of protests. On Monday, the US circulated a draft resolution on the move, seen by Reuters, that also denounces Iran's policies as "flagrantly contrary to the human rights of women and girls and the mandate of the Commission on the Status of Women." Iran has just started a four-year term on the 45-member Commission, which meets annually every March and aims to promote gender equality and women's empowerment. The draft resolution would exclude Iran with "immediate effect" from the Commission on the Status of Women for the "remainder of its 2022-2026 term." The 54-member Council would vote on whether to oust Iran from the Commission. "The US and others have been working the phones to garner support to remove Iran from the UN Commission on the Status of Women," said a UN diplomat, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "It seems like they're making traction – including with some initially hesitant countries." Iran has been witnessing protests since the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, in police custody in September. The unrest has turned into a popular revolt by Iranians from all layers of society, posing one of the boldest challenges to the clerical leadership since the 1979 revolution. Iran haDiplomats said on Monday that the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) would vote on December 14 on a US draft resolution to oust Iran from the UN's Commission on the Status of women.

Washington presses to punish Tehran for its denial of women's rights and brutal suppression of protests.

On Monday, the US circulated a draft resolution on the move, seen by Reuters, that also denounces Iran's policies as "flagrantly contrary to the human rights of women and girls and the mandate of the Commission on the Status of Women."

Iran has just started a four-year term on the 45-member Commission, which meets annually every March and aims to promote gender equality and women's empowerment.

The draft resolution would exclude Iran with "immediate effect" from the Commission on the Status of Women for the "remainder of its 2022-2026 term."

The 54-member Council would vote on whether to oust Iran from the Commission.

"The US and others have been working the phones to garner support to remove Iran from the UN Commission on the Status of Women," said a UN diplomat, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

"It seems like they're making traction – including with some initially hesitant countries."

Iran has been witnessing protests since the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, in police custody in September.

The unrest has turned into a popular revolt by Iranians from all layers of society, posing one of the boldest challenges to the clerical leadership since the 1979 revolution.

Iran has blamed its foreign enemies and their agents for the unrest.s blamed its foreign enemies and their agents for the unrest.

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