(Geneva, April 16, 2003) – The United Nations Commission on Human Rights
today condemned some of the world’s worst human rights violators, but let
others off the hook, Human Rights Watch said. Related Material Briefing to the
59th Session of the Commission on Human Rights HRW Briefing Papers, March 2003
U.N.: "Who's Who" of Human Rights Abuse HRW Press Release, April 3, 2003
U.N.: Human Rights Commission "In Crisis"
HRW Press Release, September 24, 2002 “Today’s voting shows that many
commission members are more concerned with protecting each other than protecting
the victims of human rights abuse. It also highlights how Western governments
have lost the political will to take action against abusive governments, particularly
their newfound friends in the fight against terrorism.”
Joanna Weschler
U.N. Representative
Human Rights Watach Resolutions were rejected on the situation in Chechnya
(15 yes, 21 no, 17 abstentions) and Sudan (24 yes, 26 no, 3 abstentions). The
defeat of the Sudan resolution ends U.N. human rights monitoring there despite
the ongoing conflict.
A resolution critical of Zimbabwe was blocked by a so-called no-action motion
(28 yes, 24 no, 1 abstention), which prevents the commission from even debating
the subject matter of a resolution and in effect amounts to a self-imposed ‘gag
order.’
Resolutions were not even tabled on several countries previously under scrutiny
at the commission, including parts of southeastern Europe (Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Serbia and Montenegro), Iran and Equatorial Guinea. A chairman’s statement
on Afghanistan, drafted for final adoption next week, fails to endorse a proposal
for an international commission of inquiry to address past crimes, or to call
for an increase in U.N. human rights monitors.
These results repeated the pattern set at last year’s session, when the
commission voted to stop monitoring of human rights abuses in Equatorial
Guinea and Iran.
The commission did adopt critical resolutions on some countries, including for
the first time on North Korea and Turkmenistan. The commission also expressed
concern about ongoing human rights abuses in Israel and the Occupied Territories.
“Today’s voting shows that many commission members are more concerned
with protecting each other than protecting the victims of human rights abuse,”
said Joanna Weschler, U.N. Representative at Human Rights Watch. “It
also highlights how Western governments have lost the political will to
take action against abusive governments, particularly their newfound friends in
the fight against terrorism.”
A growing bloc of repressive governments – including Algeria, China, Cuba,
Libya, Russia, Sudan, Syria and Zimbabwe – have become progressively more
aggressive in blocking or obstructing resolutions critical of any specific country.
The African group voted as a bloc against action on Zimbabwe and (with the exception
of Uganda) against the resolution on Sudan.
Western governments have weakened the commission’s response to some of the
worst human rights situations. In a sudden and deeply disappointing shift in its
approach, the United States decided not to co-sponsor a resolution on human rights
violations in the Chechen conflict in Russia. Neither the United States
nor the European Union tabled a resolution critical of China or Iran.
The European Union was nearly the only sponsor of country resolutions and took
welcome new initiatives on North Korea and Turkmenistan. But on other country
situations, the European Union showed internal discord, softening its criticism
for instance on Chechnya.
Resolutions on Belarus, Burundi, Cuba, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Iraq
will be voted on tomorrow.
“The commission is trapped between governments intent on undermining it
and those that lack the political will to take them on,” Weschler said.
“This year’s session underlines once again the urgent need to reform
the commission, starting with the establishment of clear criteria for membership.”
Human Rights Watch has argued that, as a prerequisite for membership of the commission,
governments should have ratified core human rights treaties, complied with their
reporting obligations, issued open invitations to U.N. human rights experts and
not have been condemned recently by the commission for human rights violations.