Reported by:
Cherry Meigh Timbol
News Content Editor
Published November 12, 2026
The U.N. General Assembly re-elected Iran on Wednesday to the Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC), which reviews and recommends priorities for U.N. programs, including disarmament, counterterrorism and women’s rights. Iran received 144 votes for another three-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2027. The vote was a secret-ballot election.
Iran was one of 19 members elected for terms starting Jan. 1, 2027. The others include the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Israel, India, Japan, Mexico and Argentina.
About the committee
Established in 1962, the CPC is a main subsidiary organ of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). It reviews U.N. programs, assesses their implementation and recommends priorities and coordination across the system. It has 34 members serving staggered three-year terms. Iran’s election does not give Tehran direct control over U.N. human rights investigations or counterterrorism operations.
How the election came about
ECOSOC, a 54-nation body, nominated Iran to the committee by consensus on April 8, 2026. The General Assembly’s November vote was the formal election. The advocacy group UN Watch has said that Western democracies on ECOSOC did not object at the nomination stage and could have done so.
Some governments disputed that characterization. Germany’s foreign ministry said the election would take place only in November at the General Assembly. UN Watch said Canada’s claim that it did not endorse the nomination was misleading, because Canada joined ECOSOC’s nomination.
Reaction
UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer criticized the outcome, saying the General Assembly had elected a government with a poor rights record to a body that shapes U.N. priorities on women’s rights and counterterrorism.
Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee condemned the vote, describing Iran as the world’s biggest exporter of terrorism. In the U.K., Lord Goldsmith also condemned the result. The U.K. government said it strongly regretted the election, citing Iran’s threats to its regional neighbors and its human rights violations.
Iranian state-aligned outlets such as Press TV reported the election in straightforward terms. I did not find a formal statement from Tehran in the coverage reviewed.
