The United Nations Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations has voted against granting consultative status for United States NGOs the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center (IHRDC) and the US Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK).
The decision for accreditation can be reconsidered and potentially reversed by the UN Economic and Social Council as early as April. US UN Ambassador Nikki Haley responded to the vote by saying, “It’s a shameful day at the UN when Iranian and North Korean human rights violations are protected. A UN committee that is supposed to give a voice to those who most need it is instead being steamrolled by countries with terrible human rights records themselves. The United States stands with human rights defenders and will continue to fight for access for qualified NGOs to the United Nations system.”