Israel’s Foreign Ministry Condemns Iran’s Election to UN Programme Committee

Israel’s Foreign Ministry condemned Iran’s election to the United Nations Committee for Programme and Coordination in a statement on Thursday, November 12. The ministry said 144 countries had voted by secret ballot to give the Islamic Republic a role in shaping UN priorities, including counterterrorism, disarmament and women’s rights. The ministry criticized the Iranian regime’s record, saying it “sponsors terrorism, executes dissidents, brutalizes women…”. It also accused the regime of killing its own people, as it challenged the decision to grant Iran a place in the UN’s programme-planning body. The General Assembly elected 19 committee members on Wednesday, November 11, following nominations by the Economic and Social Council. Iran, Pakistan, India and Japan won the four Asia-Pacific seats. Israel was also elected, alongside Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, to four seats assigned to the Western European and Other States Group. One remaining seat in that group is to be filled later. The elected members will serve three-year terms beginning January 1, 2027. Established in 1962, the 34-member committee is the General Assembly’s and the Economic and Social Council’s main subsidiary body for planning, programming and coordination. It reviews UN programmes, assesses their implementation and recommends priorities and coordination across the UN system.