Reporting from Beirut —
Iran and Saudi Arabia, which have been criticized for their records on women’s rights, are on track to join the board of a new U.N. agency devoted to women.
Activists have expressed concern that the two Islamic states could interfere with the work of the agency, U.N. Women.
“We are hopeful that Iran or Saudi Arabia would not be able to significantly obstruct the work of U.N. Women,” said Philippe Bolopion, the United Nations advocacy director for Human Rights Watch. “There are certainly other countries we have concerns with, but Saudi Arabia and Iran have such dismal records on women’s rights that their presence on the board would be seen as provocative by many… >>>
