Iran takes seat on U.N. Commission on the Status of Women

Barely hours after the news broke that Iran would be trying to gain a seat on the CSW, this press release from the United Nations was issued. Iran will take it's place on the Commission on the Status of Women at the first meeting of the 56th session in 2011.

Can't find it in that press release? It's there, but it's a long way down. Perhaps the U.N. were trying to keep it quiet, after a leading Iranian cleric declared that "immodest" women caused earthquakes.

Iran bidding for seat on U.N. Committee for Status of Women

In an attempt to cover up what Shirin Ebadi called a "heavy political defeat" when it was forced to withdraw from the Human Rights Council candidacy, Iran is bidding for a seat on the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women. Ebadi described the CSW as "unimportant", giving the Iranian government no powers - the CSW can only monitor women's rights issues. Another to see a possible upside was Parvin Ardalan, a leading activist for women's rights in Iran. Ardalan said it provided activists with a chance to criticise Iran's policies on the international stage.

Other Human and Women's Rights campaigners were taking a different view. Journalist Asieh Amini said a seat on the CSW would only provide "the Iranian government with a forum to defend its fundamentalist policies".

At this time, Iran look as if they will be elected uncontested to the CSW today after behind-the-scenes deals resulted in Thailand withdrawing it's candidacy in Iran's favour.

Iran withdraws from UN Human Rights Council bid

The growing storm over Iran's "deteriorating" human rights situation has seen the country withdraw it's bid for a place on the U.N. Human Rights Council. Sources revealed that Iran had informed the Asian delegations it was pulling out on "the grounds of solidarity", but that the underlying truth was that it seemed unlikely enough votes could be secured.

Full story here:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63M4GV20100423