UN women's rights body to decide on Iran's potential removal on December 14

A push led by the United States to remove Iran from the United Nations women’s rights body is set to be decided on in a matter of weeks. The potential decision follows Washington’s push to have Iran removed from the body as a result of its crackdown on the ongoing protests and denial of women’s rights.

Washington on Monday introduced a draft resolution that would result in Iran’s removal from the UN women’s equality and empowerment body which was seen by Reuters. The draft resolution also condemned Iran’s policies as “contrary” to the rights of women and girls as well as the mandate of the body. The drafted resolution also would call for Iran’s immediate removal from the body for the remaining 2022 to 2026 term.

The resolution would be voted upon by the 54-member UN Economic and Social Council.

“The US and others have been actively working the phones to garner support to remove Iran from the UN Commission on the Status of Women,” said a diplomat. “It seems like they’re making traction – including with some initially hesitant countries.”

The resolution follows the UN Rights Council’s vote last week to establish an independent probe into Tehran’s crackdown on the ongoing protests. Tehran said it does not intend to cooperate with the investigators, accusing the West of using the council to target Iran and exert political pressure.

Iran has been plagued with widespread protests since September after the death of Kurdish-Iranian Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police. Amini was arrested and detained for allegedly flouting the Islamic Republic’s dress code for women. Tehran has blamed local agents of its adversaries such as the United States for the unrest, the biggest show of opposition to the clerical establishment since 1979.

The niece of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said in a video message calling on foreign governments to cut diplomatic ties with Iran over its crackdown on the ongoing unrest. Activist Farideh Moradkhani, whose mother is Khamenei’s sister, said that foreign governments must stop supporting the Islamic Republic.

Moradkhani added that the governments must also expel Iranian representatives from their countries and to recall their own ambassadors to Iran in a show of opposition against the Islamic Republic.