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Since Mahsa Amini’s death on September 16th, Iran has erupted in protests. The people of Iran, of all ages, ethnicities, and genders, have demanded a shift in leadership ideology and regime. The Iranian government has subsequently responded harshly. According to the United States-based Iran Human Rights Activists News Agency, “at least 458 people, including 63 children, have been killed, …and more than 18,000 people have been detained”. In light of these abuses, the United Nations Women’s Commission has ousted Iran from membership. This is what we know.
United Nations Involvement in Human Rights Abuses
The United Nations remains active in preventing human rights abuses. There are two commissions of interest relating to Iran's developments.
The first is the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (OHCHR). The OHCHR, established in 2006, is an inter-governmental body that is responsible for promoting and protecting human rights globally. The UN Human Rights Council has 47 member states, all of which are elected by the United Nations General Assembly. The council meets thrice a year to discuss pressing human rights issues and hears reports from independent experts and special rapporteurs. This council has the authority to issue reports, recommendations, and conduct investigations regarding human rights situations in specific countries.
The second commission's interest is the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). This is a functional commission of the UN’s Economic and Social Council, which has been dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women since 1946. The commission consists of representatives from each of the United Nations member states. The CSW meets annually in New York and evaluates the process of gender equality and formulated policies to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women.
The OHCHR and CSW Involvement in Iran
Take a look at our previous update here.
The Human Rights Council, a group of 47 states within the United Nations, took action against Iran’s mistreatment of its citizens late last month. This decision comes after the OHCHR chief, Volker Türk, expressed concern over Iran’s "unnecessary and disproportionate use of force". In the 35th special session of the Human Rights Council, 25 states voted to pursue an investigation into the deteriorating human rights conditions in Iran. The Iranian government has rejected the inquiry.
Since the beginning of the investigation, the abuses in Iran have continued. This encouraged the United Nations to remove Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women. The United Nations Economic and Social Council, with a majority, voted on a U.S.-drafted resolution that Iran remains ousted from the CSW until the end of the 2022-2026 term; 29 countries voted in favor of the expulsion of Iran. The 29 states that voted in favor of Iran’s removal have said that Iran’s membership in the Commission has negatively affected the image of the United Nations body. This has shown the United Nations' solidarity with the women and girls in Iran.
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