Belgium’s PM regrets his vote to allow Saudi Arabia on Women's rights council

Belgium’s prime minister has admitted it was a mistake for his country to help elect Saudi Arabia onto a United Nations women’s rights committee.

In an address to parliament, Charles Michel argued that Saudi Arabia did not respect gender equality, and thus regretted the country’s ascension onto the rights committee. Michel added that last week’s vote -on Riyadh joining the committee- was unexpected and that an unnamed Belgian diplomat was forced into making a hasty decision without proper consultations with the government in Brussels. Last week, Saudi Arabia was elected onto the council, sparking widespread outrage. The Geneva-based human rights organization UN Watch has called Saudi Arabia "the world's most misogynistic regime."