UN refuses to accredit US groups fighting for human rights in Iran, North Korea

Haley said its “shameful” that a UN committee has denied accreditation to US groups focusing on human rights in Iran and North Korea.

By: AP and World Israel News Staff

US Ambassador Nikki Haley said its “shameful” that a United Nations committee has denied accreditation to American groups focusing on human rights in Iran and North Korea.

Haley said Monday the 19-member UN Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations that accredits non-governmental organizations supporting those in need is “being steamrolled by countries with terrible human rights records themselves.”

She said the US will continue to fight for UN access for the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center (IHRDC) and the US Committee for Human Rights in North Korea.

Haley noted the rejection can be reversed by the 54-member UN Economic and Social Council, the committee’s parent body, which meets in April.

She said the members of the NGO committee that voted against accreditation include Burundi, China, Cuba, Iran, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia, South Africa and Venezuela.

The UN General Assembly and the Human Rights Commission have repeatedly condemned prior and ongoing abuses in Iran in published critiques and several resolutions.

According to IHRDC’s Chart of Executions 525 persons were executed in Iran in 2017. Iran maintains one of the highest execution rates in the world.

Israeli humanitarian organizations have encountered similar UN bias regarding accreditation.