Washington: Saudi Arabia, China, and Russia are set to join the UN Human Rights Council despite vehement opposition from activists and organisations who say the countries’ governments are among the worst offenders of human rights globally.
The United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday will elect 15 new members to the 47-nation council. Seats are allotted according to regional groups, and Russia, as well as Cuba, are running unopposed. China and Saudi Arabia are among five countries contesting four seats.
“Uncompetitive UN votes like this one make a mockery of the word ‘election,’” Louis Charbonneau, the UN director at Human Rights Watch, said. “Regional slates should be competitive so states have a choice. When there’s no choice, countries should refuse to vote for unfit candidates.”
The council has a long history of including members with checkered records on the very issue it’s supposed to help oversee. Venezuela was elected last year despite being accused by the UN of extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions and torture.
That doesn’t mean the council won’t shine a spotlight on human rights violators. A UN expert appointed by the council, for instance, recommended probing the role of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. A separate panel in March said Russia’s military conducted “indiscriminate” bombardments against civilians in Syria last year.
U.S. withdrawal
But rights groups say countries accused of violations try to use their seats to prevent scrutiny of their abuses. The U.S. has long argued that the council ignores widespread violations by several offenders while focusing too much on Israel, prompting President Donald Trump to withdraw from the group in 2018.
In addition to Saudi Arabia and China, Nepal, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan are vying for four seats in the Asia group. Ivory Coast, Malawi, Gabon and Senegal are vying uncontested for four African seats. Mexico, Bolivia, and Cuba are running unopposed for three Latin American seats while the U.K. and France are seeking the two Western European seats. Russia and Ukraine are seeking the two eastern European seats.
Russia’s ascension to the council would come as Europe takes steps to to retaliate against President Vladimir Putin’s government over the poisoning of Russia’s top opposition leader, Alexey Navalny. Meanwhile, 39 countries denounced China earlier this month for its treatment of ethnic minorities and for curtailing freedoms in Hong Kong.- Bloomberg
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