Outcry as Iran tries to join UN women's board
IRAN, where a woman convicted of adultery has been sentenced to death by stoning, is poised to become a board member of the new United Nations agency to promote equality for women.
The move has sparked outrage from the US and human rights groups.
Some rights groups are also upset that Saudi Arabia, where women are not allowed to drive and are barred from many facilities used by men, is also trying to join the governing body of UN Women.
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Hide AdA General Assembly resolution, adopted in July, merged four UN bodies dealing with women's issues into a single agency.
Mark Kornblau, spokesman for the US Mission, said "We and many other countries are concerned by the negative implications of Iran's potential board memberships, given its poor record on human rights and the treatment of women."