Rights groups criticize China, Cuba, Russia, Saudi seats on UN Human Rights Council

Rights groups criticize China, Cuba, Russia, Saudi seats on UN Human
Rights Council
China, Cuba, Russia and Saudi Arabia have been listed among 14 new
members of the UN Human Rights Council despite concerns over their human
rights records. Rights groups have contested the appointments.

The 193-nation UN General Assembly appointed 14 new members to the
47-seat Human Rights Council on Tuesday in its annual election.
China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Algeria and Cuba were among those
who won three-year seats on the Geneva-based council. They were joined
by Britain, France, Mexico, the Maldives, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa
and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
In a statement issued after the vote US Ambassador to the United Nations
Samantha Power expressed concern over a number of the new appointments.
The new members include "some that commit significant violations of the
rights the council is designed to advance and protect," Power said. She
did not specify the nations to which she was referring.
"Today's election in the General Assembly is a reminder that the
Council's important work remains unfinished," she added.
Rights groups voice concern
Peggy Hicks of Human Rights Watch was more specific in her criticism.
She noted that five of the new council members - China, Russia, Saudi
Arabia, Vietnam and Algeria - have refused to let UN experts visit to
investigate alleged human rights abuses.
Since its foundation, the UN Human Rights Council has faced numerous
challenges. The mandate to monitor human rights in member countries
around the world remains a difficult task. (01.02.2013)
China, Russia and Algeria have 10 or more unfulfilled requests for
visits by UN investigators, some of which date back to 2000, Hicks said.
Saudi Arabia and Vietnam each have seven outstanding requests she added.
"Countries that haven't allowed UN experts appointed by the council to
visit have a lot of explaining to do," said Hicks, global advocacy
director of the New York-based non-government group.
"With the return of China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Cuba, human rights
defenders will have their work cut out for them at the Human Rights
Council next year."
"Fortunately, no states have a veto in Geneva so a hard-working majority
can still achieve concrete results," Hicks added.
Meanwhile Geneva-based UN Watch, an advocacy group that monitors the
United Nations, listed Britain, France, Macedonia and Mexico as the only
candidates qualified to be members of the council on the basis of their
human rights records.
One third of the UN Human Rights Council's membership is appointed by
region annually. This year competition in their respective regional
groups meant South Sudan and Uruguay were denied seats. The other
regions had uncontested ballots.
The newly elected countries will hold seats on the council from 2014 to
2016.
Iran and Syria had been planning to run for seats but pulled out over
criticism of their rights records.
Saudi Arabia runs uncontested
Until last week, Jordan had also been a candidate for the Human Rights
Council, but stepped aside in order to allow Saudi Arabia to run
uncontested.
Jordan is vying to become a member of the UN Security Council in place
of Saudi Arabia, which rejected its seat for 2014-2015 in an
unprecedented move last month.
Saudi envoy to the United Nations Abdullah al-Mouallimi wrote to UN
leader Ban Ki-moon to officially confirm the move on Tuesday. The
kingdom said it was protesting the 15-nation body's inaction over the
Syrian conflict, the Middle East peace process and Iran.
A new UN General Assembly election will have to take place to allow
Jordan to replace Saudi Arabia on the Security Council. Jordan is said
to be wary of taking up the two-year seat due to its sensitive position
on the frontier of the Syrian civil war.

ccp/ch (AFP, AP, Reuters)

Source: "Rights groups criticise China, Cuba, Russia, Saudi seats on UN
Human Rights Council | News | DW.DE | 13.11.2013" -
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