Quietly, Norway has voted for Iran to become a member of the UN’s committee on economic and social rights, ECOSOC. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (UD) defends itself with procedural responses: There was no opposing candidate, and customary practice dictates that one then votes for the nominated country. 193 countries voted in favour. But not the United States, and that places the government in an awkward position.
The committee is intended to assist the UN in improving human rights. Progress Party (FrP) leader Sylvi Listhaug finds this absurd.
– That Norway, in the midst of the war in the Middle East, has participated in nominating the terror regime Iran to a committee that is to shape UN policy on women’s rights, human rights, disarmament, and the prevention of terrorism, is not to be believed, Listhaug tells VG.
Listhaug reminds of the situation in Iran.
– This is to trample on the many Iranians in Norway who are distraught over the conditions in their home country. The terror regime Iran should have been sidelined as long as the authoritarian terror regime governs the country, and Norway should cut its contact with the mullahs in Iran, not appear as their supporter.
Norwegian tabloid daily VG asks Listhaug whether she can define which countries may participate in such a committee. It is not the first time Iran has been elected to a UN committee dealing with rights.
Listhaug does not consider it acceptable. She does not want countries that do not comply with the values the UN claims to represent.
She also states that China is not a democracy or a state governed by the rule of law.
– What about democracy in the United States under Trump, which is currently accused of violations of international law and goes to war against Iran without UN support?
– The United States is a democracy even if developments are not moving in the right direction at present. The United States remains Norway’s most important and closest ally.
It is striking that the largest opposition party, which politically leans towards the Republicans, considers that developments in the United States are moving in the wrong direction. Were developments on the right track under Biden?
State Secretary Kravik appears uncomfortable with Norway’s vote and places the majority before himself.
But that does not include the United States, which voted against Iran. No one asked Kravik whether Norway could have followed the example of the United States. Or is it the case that the United States is tainted for the government?
Similarly, Listhaug could have been asked the same question with a slightly different angle: Are developments moving in the wrong direction when the United States, as the only country, dares to challenge the UN system?