UN picks Saudi Arabia to lead women's rights forum despite 'abysmal' record [View all]
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/27/saudi-arabia-un-womens-rights-commission
No paywall link
https://archive.li/0r2vn
Saudi Arabia has been chosen as the chair of the UN commission that is supposed to promote gender equality and empower women around the world, after an unopposed bid for leadership condemned by human rights groups because of the kingdoms abysmal record on womens rights.
The Saudi ambassador to the UN, Abdulaziz Alwasil, was elected as chair of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), by acclamation on Wednesday, as there were no rival candidates and no dissent at the CSWs annual meeting in New York.
Alwasil was endorsed by the group of Asia-Pacific states on the commission. When the outgoing chair, the Filipino envoy to the UN, Antonio Manuel Lagdameo, asked the 45 members if they had any objections there was silence in the chamber.
I hear no objection. It is so decided, Lagdameo said.
Normally a country holds the chair for two years, but the Philippines was put under pressure from other members of the Asia group to split its tenure and pass the post on to another country after one year. Bangladesh was expected to take over but late in the process, Saudi Arabia stepped in and lobbied for the chair, in what is widely seen as an attempt to burnish the kingdoms image.
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Wut??!??!