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ECOSOC Advances Iran to UN Program Panel, Elects China and Others to NGO Committee

Critics warn routine approvals could tighten state control over UN policy, curbing civil society access.

Overview

  • ECOSOC nominated Iran to the Committee for Program and Coordination, which helps set UN policy on human rights, women’s rights, disarmament and counterterrorism.
  • In the same session, members elected China, Cuba, Nicaragua, Saudi Arabia and Sudan to the UN’s NGO Committee, which oversees which groups gain UN accreditation and entry.
  • The decisions passed by acclamation without a recorded vote, a practice the General Assembly usually affirms without balloting.
  • The United States alone disassociated from the consensus, as Ambassador Dan Negrea said several of the governments were unfit for the posts.
  • Watchdogs and roughly 70 civil society groups warned the new lineup could steer accreditation away from independent rights groups toward state‑backed fronts.