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Sparks likely as UN votes new rights council members
United Nations— Sparks are set to fly Wednesday when
15 seats on the UN Human Rights Council come up for election, with
European nations vying for influence and NGOs warning some
candidates are unfit to take part. All of the United Nations’ 192
members have a say in Wednesday’s vote at the UN General Assembly in
New York, where candidate nations need an absolute majority, or 97
votes, to be elected.
The 47-member, Geneva-based Human Rights Council was created in 2006
to replace the Human Rights Commission, which was discredited
because governments with a record of abuse stifled concrete action.
The United States opposed its creation, saying the new body’s rules
would still not guarantee its effectiveness, and has refused to take
a seat.
Two years on, the council is under fire for failing to act on human
rights violations in places like Sudan’s Darfur region while at the
same time focusing on criticizing Israel for its treatment of
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
This year, only 19 countries are contesting the 15 seats up for
grabs across the geographical areas. Its critics say this
demonstrates the weakness of the system, as the lack of competition
clears the way for unqualified nations.
In reality, the allocation of seats in the African and Latin
American groups is usually decided long before votes are cast.
The number of candidates coincides with the seats available, with
Gabon, Ghana, Mali and Zambia vying for Africa’s four seats, and
Argentina, Brazil and Chile stepping up to take the three in Latin
America.
In eastern Europe, the Ukraine, Serbia and Slovakia are fighting
over two seats, while Japan, South Korea, Pakistan, Sri Lanka,
Bahrain and East Timor are competing for just four council seats in
Asia.
Under council regulations, candidates are evaluated on the political
rights, civil liberties and freedom of the press in their countries,
as well as their approach to human rights promotion at the United
Nations.
Non-governmental organizations UN Watch and Freedom House carried
out this evaluation and concluded that Bahrain, Pakistan, Sri Lanka,
Gabon and Zambia were not qualified for seats on the Human Rights
Council.
They lamented that lack of competition in the African group meant
Gabon and Zambia were guaranteed a seat. “Democratic countries are
squandering a golden opportunity to promote human rights through
this important UN body,” Hillel Neuer, executive director of the
Geneva-based UN Watch, told reporters.
The NGOs raised doubts about Brazil, Burkina Faso and East Timor,
but said the remaining 11 nations were qualified to sit on the
council.
Meanwhile, France and Britain have been on the diplomatic offensive
here in New York in a bid to keep their seats in the face of a
challenge by Spain for one of only two seats available for western
European countries.
Francois Zimeray, France’s ambassador for human rights, has visited
the UN twice. He told reporters earlier this month that his country
should keep its place on the council not by virtue of its history,
but its mediating role.—AFP
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