Blog: UN Confirms Iran to Womens Rights Council

Statement

Yesterday, the United Nations (UN) held it's elections to fill vacant seats on various councils. One of the most controversial was Iran's confirmation onto the UN's Commission of the Status of Women (CSW). Iran was one of 11 countries who ran unopposed for the vacant 11 seats and was confirmed by acclamation with no objection.

It is an outrage that a country who treats women in their country as second class citizens is now responsible for advocating women's rights across the globe. That a country who values a woman's testimony in court as half of a man's to be promoting policy on gender equality. This is not the type of representation the US should allow and it shows how broken the UN system has become.

Iran's placement on the Commission of the Status of Women is five steps backwards. The most concerning part is that the United States Ambassador, Samantha Power, was not present at the hearing to object. America is one of 53 countries on the UN's Economic and Social Council that had an opportunity to object, yet no one did and the election was over in 103 seconds. Iran is not our ally, and America should not be trying to make nice with a nation who strong opposes the American way of life.

I am a cosponsored a bill that reforms the way the US provides funding to the UN. H.R. 3155, the UN Transparency, Accountability and Reform Act of 2013 would allow the US to leverage the funding of the UN so that the interests of the American people are protected and represented, such as in cases with Iran on the CSW.

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