Iran at risk of being expelled from the UN Commission on Women

The Iranian security forces' crackdown on the population continues to bring consequences for Tehran at the international level. The independent investigation approved last month by the UN Human Rights Council into Iranian police violence has now been joined by the possible expulsion of Iran from the UN Commission on Women (CSW). The decision, which will be taken by the 54 member states that make up the organisation's Economic and Social Committee, was proposed by the United States.

Washington proposed leaving Tehran out of the Commission as it considers its policies to be "flagrantly contrary to the human rights of women and girls and to the Commission's mandate". US Vice Chairwoman Kamala Harris believes that the Iranian regime is "unfit" to be part of the commission because, she says, the violation of women's rights is a constant feature of the country. Even the announcement of the reform of the veil law does not serve as a guarantee for the international community that the country headed by Ebrahim Raisi will be left out of the commission.

The resolution drafted by the Americans calls for "the immediate withdrawal of the Islamic Republic of Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women for the remainder of its 2022-2026 term". However, before its expulsion was certified, Iran, along with 17 other countries, sent a letter to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to warn of the precedent that the expulsion of Iran, which is also in its mandate from this year until 2026, would set.

Tehran believes that this vote "will undoubtedly create an undesirable precedent that will ultimately prevent other member states with different cultures, customs and traditions... from contributing to the activities of these Commissions". The same letter calls on members to vote against the US proposal in order to prevent the start of a "new trend to expel sovereign and legitimately elected states from any organ of the international system, if it is ever perceived as inconvenient and a circumstantial majority can be obtained to impose such manoeuvres".

Early moves suggest that the will of the US will come to fruition as only five of the signatory countries are members of ECOSOC. In addition, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Guatemala and New Zealand have already announced that they will support Washington's proposal. However, the Iranians denounce "political offers" from the Americans aimed at gaining the necessary votes to expel Iran from the UN Women's Commission, which they claim is illegal and would call into question the voting rights of UN member states.

Tehran has found an unexpected ally in Europe in the form of the Netherlands. Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said that they see the Commission as a place where all countries should work together to improve and find consensus. Furthermore, he has made special reference to countries whose policies are less aligned with the rest, as he sees the CSW as a space to push for change in these states. However, Iran will not be present if, as all indications suggest, Tehran withdraws from the UN Commission on Women.