|
|
March 9, 2007
Canada leads the way
We set an example at the UN, says activist.
REBECA KUROPATWA
The executive director of Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights
Watch was recently in Winnipeg, speaking about the UN's new Human
Rights Council, Israel and Canada, to an audience at the Asper Jewish
Community Centre.
The UN has been touting the council as one that represents a great
new chance for the world to set the struggle for human rights along
a positive path.
But Hillel Neuer said that human rights in the UN are under assault
at every turn. "The council in Geneva and the General Assembly
in New York are increasingly forming alliances with oppressive regimes,"
he said. "This doesn't only stand in the way of reform, it
also undermines the few meaningful mechanisms of UN human rights
protection that already exist."
Human rights at the council are under assault for several reasons,
explained Neuer. "Almost half of the new council are non-democracy
members. According to Freedom House [which does an annual survey
of freedom in the world], at least 47 per cent of the council members
fail to meet the basic democratic standards - countries like China,
Algeria, Pakistan, Cuba, Russia and Saudi Arabia. At the UN, if
these regimes do not want to speak out against human rights abuses
in their own countries, you can be sure that the same goes internationally."
In terms of how people regard the UN Human Rights Council, there
are extremist positions on both sides, said Neuer: "This is
especially true in the United States. One extremist position is
that it is worthless and can accomplish nothing, because of the
other countries that are there and the problems that exist. The
other extreme view is international jingoism that says there are
no problems at all at the UN. Both extreme views are false. There
are problems that we need to make better, and we need to have a
new approach. The Canadian approach is the one that all of us should
adopt. That is, we should have a pragmatic approach."
Extremist views get you nowhere, Neuer continued. "The council
exists for a reason, and it is the most influential body now in
existence," he said. "As things stand, about half of the
UN members are non-democratic. Therefore, the UN body can never
really seriously address human rights violations. The myth that
the 'spoilers have it' when it comes to the council is true. A good
example of this is the Danish anti-Semitic cartoon controversy.
The council is not impartial or effective now. But if it can be
improved, it can be very effective. There is hope."
Some say that the council never agrees on country-specific situations.
"I think everyone knows that is certainly not the case regarding
one country," said Neuer. "There is a special agenda just
for Israel. The General Assembly voted for a resolution that was
passed that said you should not cite any countries for abuses. Yet
Israel is cited for abuses regularly."
Neuer commended Canada for its leadership on Darfur. "But,
unfortunately, the resolution that resulted was very weak,"
he said. "It was negotiated with Sudan, so that Sudan was celebrated
for its co-operation. But, outside of this, resolutions have been
those against Israel, with nothing said about Hamas or Hezbollah
terrorism. This shows its politically motivated bias."
Despite all of this, Neuer maintained that we should not give up
on the council. "We just have to be honest about what the problems
are," he said. "The council is the foremost human rights,
intellectualized body, and it is not going away. This is not to
say that it is the most authoritative, from an objective point of
view, but we can work to improve that."
At the council, Canada has stood in a class all its own, according
to Neuer. "Canada is at the forefront in supporting every positive
motion, both in the Human Rights Council and in the General Assembly,"
he said. "It also consistently abstains or votes against biased
and malicious motions. Overall, it leads in standing up for what
is right, and for speaking out against what is wrong. It should,
though, speak out more in debates, especially about North Korea,
China, Cuba, Saudi Arabia and Belarus.
"Canada needs to seize the imperative and the opportunity,
speaking out on more issues, more vigorously. It can marshal the
considerable respect it enjoys in the U.S. and Europe. With united
initiative, conviction and energy, we [can] make sure that the world's
human rights body lives up to their cause."
Rebeca Kuropatwa is a Winnipeg freelance writer.
^TOP
|
|
