'Violators' Appointed to Oversee Human Rights, UN

[LifeNRA]

<font color="red"> Seems kind of funny that these countries are ahead of this subcommittee! </font>

'Violators' Appointed to Oversee Human Rights at UN
By Patrick Goodenough
CNSNews.com International Editor
February 07, 2005

(CNSNews.com) - China, Zimbabwe and Cuba are among five countries represented on a small United Nations subcommittee that on Monday will begin to discuss which cases of rights violations should be considered by the U.N. Commission on Human Rights at its annual meeting.

Just two months ago, a panel of experts investigating how to reform the U.N. said that its primary human rights body suffered from "eroding credibility and professionalism" and that gross rights violators sought membership in order to escape censure.

International human rights experts agree that China, Zimbabwe and Cuba are among the world's most egregious abusers of human rights.

In recent years, they and other countries with poor records have drawn comment by being elected to the 53-nation commission.

This time, however, the trio will not just participate at the commission's annual session in Geneva. They will, over the next week -- together with representatives of the Netherlands and Hungary -- decide which instances of rights violations should be discussed at the March 14-April 22 gathering.

Known as the "Working Group on Situations" (which appear to reveal a consistent pattern of gross violations of human rights), the current members were each nominated by their U.N. regional group -- Asian states (China), African states (Zimbabwe), Latin American and Caribbean states (Cuba), Eastern European states (Hungary) and Western European and other states (the Netherlands).

According to a U.N. document, the working group examines a confidential report on each particular situation and determines whether it should be brought before the commission session. If so, it presents to the commission a confidential report on the situation, usually accompanied by a draft resolution to be put to the vote by the 53 members.

The five-member group will review complaints brought over the past year by governments and other parties against dozens of countries accused of abuses.

China, Zimbabwe and Cuba are all countries which in the past have themselves frequently been the focus of such complaints.

In Beijing's case it has invariably succeeded in garnering enough support from allies to prevent its record from being debated in Geneva at all, via a mechanism known as a "no-action motion." Zimbabwe has also benefited from this device.

The human rights organization, Reporters Without Borders, said it was clear that no case involving violations in Zimbabwe, Cuba and China or any of their allies would feature at this year's session.

"This is a very grave matter and we don't understand why the United Nations allows it," the group said in a statement. "It would be comical if it wasn't so serious."

Reporters Without Borders called the latest development part of a "continuing farce." It noted that of the current 53 members of the commission, 25 had not ratified all international human rights treaties and conventions, and said doing so should be a criterion for membership.

The group also called for the scrapping of the "no-action motion" device, which enables large-scale abusers to get away unchallenged.

Mutual support

Apart from Zimbabwe, Cuba and China, several other countries among current commission members are frequently accused of violations, including Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Egypt, Congo, Mauritania, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Russia.

In 2003, Libya was named to chair the commission.

At last year's Geneva session, country-specific resolutions criticizing Cuba, Turkmenistan, North Korea and Belarus were passed, while one criticizing Russia over Chechnya failed.

China and Zimbabwe both dodged scrutiny via "no-action motions."

Voting records show that nations accused of violations were generally supported by other nations whose records are controversial.

For instance, among those voting against the Cuba resolution - that is, in favor of Cuba - were China, Egypt, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Zimbabwe.

A similar pattern was evident in all five country-specific resolutions, and in the two "no-action motions."

In all seven votes, China, Cuba, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Nigeria and Egypt voted in favor of the nation accused of violation (and contrary to the vote cast by the U.S.)

Also noteworthy from last year's session was the fact that among those members voting against Cuba were Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Peru - all members of the Latin American and Caribbean states regional group which has since then nominated Cuba onto the five-member working group.

'Double standards'

Late last year a panel of experts mandated by Secretary-General Kofi Annan to make recommendations on how to reform the U.N. released their report.

Among many other focus areas, the panel was highly critical of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights.

It expressed concern that some countries sought positions on the commission "not to strengthen human rights but to protect themselves against criticism or to criticize others."

"Standard-setting to reinforce human rights cannot be performed by states that lack a demonstrated commitment to their promotion and protection," the panel said, adding that "the commission cannot be credible if it is seen to be maintaining double standards in addressing human rights concerns."

It recommended that every U.N. member-state have a seat on an expanded body, unlike the current situation where 53 members are nominated by regional blocs to overlapping, three-year terms.

Among other recommendations, the panel also said member-states should be represented at the commission by experts in human rights, rather than by diplomats.

Human rights campaigners welcomed some of the panel's suggestions, but were critical of others.

Human Rights Watch agreed that gross violators sought seats on the commission in order to protect themselves from criticism, but disagreed with the recommended remedy.

Rather than expand membership to all 191 U.N. members, the commission should apply criteria for membership, based on a state's human rights record, the group said.

[LifeNRA]

NRA, USSP, and others! They are meant to inform you not piss you off!