|
2007-06-10 International-UN-NGOs
|
|
UNs top rights assembly enters critical week
|
 GENEVA - The UN Human Rights Council faces critical choices in a session beginning on Monday that will determine the future of one of the world bodys most important rights watchdogs, a senior official said here. The largely discredited 47-member assembly formed last year to replace its largely discredited predecessor, the Commission, faces an end of month deadline to agree on the main mechanisms that will enable it to oversee human rights in the world in a more effective and impartial manner. They include a landmark proposal for a systematic and detailed review of the human rights record of each United Nations member state every four years.
| Except for Israel, which will be condemned monthly. |
However, a group of largely western nations and some Latin American countries are still at odds with African, Arab and many Asian nations over key issues despite progress in ongoing meetings behind the scenes, diplomats said.
The disagreements, which are expected to bubble to the surface in a public debate from Wednesday, largely revolve around the strength and scope of the Councils action and the way member states can influence its findings. We are entering a phase particularly from Monday which is going to be critical for the Council, the current chairman of the UN Council, Mexican ambassador Luis Alfonso de Alba, said. It will be effective in as much as its own political standing evolves, he told journalists.
| Translation: it's hopeless. |
The Mexican diplomat said he was optimistic that a consensus was building around a package he has been drafting in negotiations with each regional group of states.
The most contentious issues include the exact format of the scrutiny of the 192 UN members, maintaining experts that probe violations in specific countries which are regarded as extreme cases, and the Councils agenda, diplomats said.
De Albas proposal is a delicate balance between many positions, said Peter Splinter, Amnesty Internationals delegate in Geneva. Its an interesting basis but it shouldnt be weakened any further otherwise well end up with something thats even weaker than the Commission, he added.
African countries are also trying to impose a code of conduct on the UNs human rights experts or special rapporteurs. Human rights group have warned that the original African code amounted to a straitjacket. Meanwhile, China has also sought a two-thirds voting majority to accept resolutions that target specific countries, diplomats said. There is no possibility to get an agreement on that provision in the Human Rights Council, De Alba said.
The eight EU countries in the Council have repeatedly warned that they cannot give way on some basic principles even if significant progress has been made in shaping the fledgling body, diplomats said.
| Everyone's going to take their ball and head home. |
|
Posted by Steve White 2007-06-10 00:10||
||
Front Page|| [13 views ]
Top
|
|
00:54 Besoeker
00:41 Angealing+B.+Hayes4677
00:40 EMS Artifact
00:22 Angealing+B.+Hayes4677
00:20 Besoeker
00:11 Besoeker
|
