Exclusive: The U.S. Calls Iran's Presidency of the UN Human Rights Council's Social Forum 'Deeply Concerning'

On Thursday, the Deputy Spokesperson for the U.S. State Department responded to a question from the Persian section of Voice of America regarding Washington's stance on the Islamic Republic's appointment to head the UN Human Rights Council's Social Forum, calling it 'deeply concerning.' According to Vedant Patel, the appointment of the Islamic Republic's ambassador as a representative of a 'flagrant and persistent human rights violator' as the head of such a group undermines its limited utility. He noted the U.S.'s initial opposition to the establishment of the UN Human Rights Council's Social Forum in 2015 due to its limited usefulness and unnecessary additional costs, stating, 'The U.S. has not participated in previous sessions of this forum and does not intend to participate in the upcoming session this year.' Nevertheless, Patel expressed Washington's disappointment over the council president's decision, deeming Iran's leadership in an institution aimed at promoting and protecting human rights inappropriate. In response to another question from the Persian section of Voice of America regarding the need for reforms in the UN and the necessity for countries to qualify for certain positions, he referred to some 'inconsistencies' and the successful U.S. effort to expel Iran from the UN Commission on the Status of Women, stating, 'Washington is working to ensure that the values of these institutions align with the values supported by their member states.' Despite the bloody crackdown on protesters in Iran in recent months, the representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran was appointed as the head of the UN Human Rights Council's Social Forum on Wednesday, October 1. The expulsion of the Islamic Republic from a place it never belonged to was welcomed by Israel, and U.S. officials reacted to the 'expulsion of the Islamic Republic' from the Commission on the Status of Women; Kamala Harris stated: 'The world is listening and taking action.'