An Iranian diplomat has been appointed to chair the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Social Forum in November 2023. 

UNHRC President Vaclav Balek announced the appointment of the Iranian foreign policy expert in a letter dated May 10, 2023. Ali Bahreini, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations, was chosen from among several regional candidates.

The UN Human Rights Council 2023 Social Forum, scheduled November 2 and 3 in Geneva, will focus on the contributions of science, technology, and innovations to the promotion of human rights, including in the context of post-pandemic recovery.

 

After seeing numerous human rights violations we can not accept nor understand how a country with such atrocities and human rights violations can chair a UNHCR forum.

In view of the ongoing crackdown on Iran’s civil society in response to nationwide protests sparked by the violent death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody in Iran, people are executed every day. More than 20,000 political prisoners are behind bars. Those who demand their basic rights are shot in the street.

Rewarding Iran the Social Forum chair is “a slap in the face” for all Iranians and anyone who has been fighting for their basic human rights in front of their bullets. Many men in Iran currently face the death penalty.

Contradictory messages from the UNHRC

In a November resolution against Iran, the UNHRC called for an independent investigation into the Iranian leadership’s violence against peaceful demonstrators.

“The appointment of an Iranian official to chair a UNHRC forum while the council investigates the deaths of hundreds of peaceful protesters in Iran reflects a shocking ethical blindness. In a bid to preserve the legitimacy and credibility of the UNHRC, we are calling on governments around the world to appeal to Czech UNHRC President Vaclav Balek and demand the immediate withdrawal of Iran’s appointment.