Day: October 14, 2021

Today, 14 October, the UN General Assembly elected Argentina, Benin, Cameroon, Eritrea, Finland, The Gambia, Honduras, India, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Montenegro, Paraguay, Qatar, Somalia, United Arab Emirates and the United States of America to the Human Rights Council (HRC) for the 2022-2024 term. With the elections of Argentina, Finland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Paraguay, Qatar and the United States of America, 19 of the 47 Council members in 2022 will be “Friends of the Responsibility to Protect” – having appointed an R2P Focal Point and/or joined the Group of Friends of R2P in New York and Geneva.

The Human Rights Council and its mechanisms and procedures – including the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), investigative mechanisms, special procedures and treaty bodies, as well as the technical assistance provided by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) – all play an essential role in providing early warning of the risk factors that can lead to crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and genocide, and provide recommendations to prevent their recurrence.

The election of Cameroon, Eritrea and the United Arab Emirates – states that have a history of violating human rights and perpetrating atrocities at home or abroad – undermines the credibility of the HRC. States elected to the HRC are supposed to demonstrate their commitment to the highest standards of human rights, including their full cooperation with all UN mechanisms. These are conditions set forth in UN General Assembly Resolution 60/251. The fact that potential mass atrocity crimes are being perpetrated by a number of HRC member states is deeply disturbing.

Since 2008, the HRC has referred to states’ responsibility to protect their populations in 62 thematic and country resolutions. But more work needs to be done to turn early warning into timely preventive action. In this regard, the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect encourages all HRC members to:

Improve the link between human rights and peace and security:

Ask the UN Secretary-General to bring to the attention of the Security Council relevant decisions and reports by the HRC;

Encourage the UN General Assembly to ensure information collected by HRC-mandated special procedures and international investigative mechanisms, is relayed to the Security Council in a timely manner;

Encourage the Security Council to request regular briefings by OHCHR and relevant HRC mechanisms and procedures;

Promote continued dialogue on human rights and the prevention of mass atrocities.

Make better use of the UPR to detect early warning signs of potential mass atrocity crimes:

In preparation for your national report, consider what action your government has taken to uphold its primary responsibility to protect all populations in your territory;

Use the UPR to ask relevant questions regarding the ratification and implementation of core human rights treaties, as well as regarding risk factors related to systematic violations and abuses of human rights.

Ensure the HRC responds in a timely and effective manner to atrocity situations:

Actively support the adoption of resolutions addressing serious violations of human rights;

Support HRC-mandated investigative mechanisms;

Mandate that special procedures and investigative mechanisms conduct country-specific atrocity risk assessments, including by utilizing the UN Framework of Analysis for Atrocity Crimes;

Where an imminent risk of mass atrocity crimes is detected, hold a special session in order to help mobilize appropriate international diplomatic action.

Make use of the Irish Principles, which lay out independent and objective considerations to guide decisions on whether and when the HRC should respond to a country-specific situation.

The Global Centre has compiled profiles on each of the newly elected Human Rights Council members. These provide a basic overview of their commitment to prevent mass atrocities by protecting and promoting human rights.

Source: Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect

NEW YORK — The United States is set to return to the United Nations Human Rights Council in January, reversing the former Trump administration’s withdrawal from the controversial body in 2018.

“The United States stands ready to work with partners and allies to help lead the world toward a more peaceful, prosperous future, grounded in respect for human dignity,” U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement after the vote. “Together, we will stand up for the rights of all, including women and girls, members of LGBTQI+ communities, members of ethnic and religious minorities, those living with disabilities, and members of other marginalized groups.”

Washington secured 168 votes, far more than the simple majority of 97 needed. Even so, only Eritrea, with 144 votes, polled lower among the 18 countries elected to the council.

U.S. envoy Linda Thomas-Greenfield said returning to the council fulfills Biden’s campaign pledge to rejoin the body to ensure it lives up to its mandate.

“We will use every tool at our disposal, from introducing resolutions and amendments to wielding our vote when needed,” she said in a statement. “Our goals are clear: stand with human rights defenders and speak out against violations and abuses of human rights.”

One of the main criticisms of the Human Rights Council is that some of those rights abusers are members of the body, a criticism Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged.

“The council provides a forum where we can have open discussions about ways we and our partners can improve,” he said. “At the same time, it also suffers from serious flaws, including disproportionate attention on Israel and the membership of several states with egregious human rights records.”

Blinken said states must push back against attempts “to subvert the ideals upon which the Human Rights Council was founded.”

Domestically, the administration’s decision to rejoin the council drew political pushback.

“The United States should not be lending its legitimacy to a body that includes perpetrators of human rights abuses like China, Venezuela and Cuba,” said U.S. Senator Jim Risch, the senior Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “Additionally, the council continues to disproportionately spend the majority of its time and attention persecuting our ally, Israel.”

The council’s focus on Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians was one of the main reasons the Trump administration withdrew in 2018.

Uncontested vote

Eighteen countries ran for 18 available seats on the 47-member Geneva-based council, making the outcome a foregone conclusion and garnering some criticism.

“Today’s Human Rights Council vote, devoid of competition, makes a mockery of the word ‘election,'” said Louis Charbonneau, U.N. director at Human Rights Watch. “Allowing serial rights abusers like UAE (United Arab Emirates), Cameroon and Eritrea to waltz onto the council to join other serious abusers like China and Russia sends the wrong signal about the U.N.’s top rights body.”

The newly elected members are: Benin, Gambia, Cameroon, Somalia and Eritrea from Africa; India, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates from the Asia-Pacific region; Lithuania and Montenegro from Eastern Europe; Paraguay, Argentina and Honduras from Latin America and the Caribbean; Finland, Luxembourg and the United States from the group known as Western Europe and Others.

They will take up their seats January 1, starting their three-year terms.

Imperfect body

Countries that join the council are expected to “uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights” both at home and abroad.

Washington’s human rights record also came in for some domestic criticism.

“The United States’ uncontested election to the Human Rights Council doesn’t change the fact that we lag far behind on our international human rights obligations,” said Jamil Dakwar, director of the American Civil Liberties Union human rights program. “From ending mass incarceration to dismantling systemic racism to protecting immigrants’ rights, the Biden administration must take bold action to advance human rights and racial justice at home and abroad.”

“By rejoining the Human Rights Council, the U.S. will have an opportunity to demonstrate just how serious the Biden administration is about making human rights central to its domestic and foreign policies,” HRW’s Charbonneau said. “With a lot of missteps so far, they should use their time on the council to promote human rights among friends and foes alike.”

The council has a mixed reputation. Diplomats say it has produced some important and strong reports on war crimes in places like Syria, and spotlights domestic abuses in North Korea, Iran and Myanmar, among others. But it also is frequently criticized for its focus on Israel and the inclusion among its members of several countries with poor rights records of their own, like China, Russia and Pakistan.

The Human Rights Council was created in 2006 to replace the dysfunctional U.N. Human Rights Commission, which was disbanded. The administration of former U.S. President George W. Bush opted against seeking membership, and the United States did not join until 2009 when the administration of then-President Barack Obama said it sought to improve the council by working from within it. Washington withdrew again in 2018 under the Trump administration.

Source: Voice of America

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 14 — UMNO should not voice out views based on the party’s interests alone as it needs cooperation from many quarters, said Ketereh Member of Parliament Tan Sri Annuar Musa.

He said UMNO should consider its position as the party that is leading the government, adding that it would be detrimental to UMNO if relevant parties refused to cooperate.

“The politics of consensus, discussion and inclusiveness need to be given serious attention by UMNO,” he told the media after launching the Malaysian Family Youth Package and the Malaysian Family Device Package here today.

He was commenting on the statement made by UMNO president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who indicated that UMNO and Barisan Nasional (BN) would contest alone in the Melaka state election without the cooperation of other parties, including Bersatu and PAS which is its ally in Muafakat Nasional.

Annuar said UMNO should not forget that cooperation from other parties is crucial for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

“The Prime Minister needs support and good relations with other parties and no state elections or by-elections should ever jeopardise the Malaysian Family concept and the inclusivity that he introduced,” he said.

Annuar said tonight the party’s Supreme Council would decide on Ahmad Zahid’s stance on the Melaka state election.

“It is good to practice a culture of negotiation so that a decision can be made based on consultation and avoid personal views because it is driven by certain sentiments that are harmful (to the party),” he said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency