UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan told yesterday's opening session of the new human UN rights body, the Human Rights Council, that it must represent a break from the past.
Annan was one of the prime movers behind getting rid of the discredited Commission on Human Rights, the former UN forum for tackling rights abuse, where debate and action were hamstrung by a mood a confrontation, often pitting developed against developing countries. The old 53-state commission had also been packed with countries whose own rights' records were suspect and which combined to block effective action, rights activists said.
"The eyes of the world -- especially the eyes of those whose human rights are denied, threatened or infringed -- are turned towards this chamber and this council," Annan told the new council.
PHOTO: AFP
Annan reminded the council, whose 47 members were chosen for the first time by the General Assembly, that they had pledged to "respect human rights at home and uphold them abroad."
"The council's work must mark a clean break from the past," he said in his address to the opening session.
While some states whose rights' records have been questioned, such as Cuba, Saudi Arabia, Russia and China won election, others failed or did not even stand.
A host of ministers will be in Geneva to address the council, and much of the initial two-week session will be devoted to planning future work. Unlike the commission, which met annually, the council will meet at least three times a year.
Its chairman ambassador Luis Alfonso de Alba of Mexico has set aside time for rights' crises around the world, which will offer the first test of whether the change is real.
"If we really want to concentrate on building a stronger institution, we need to avoid confrontation as much as possible," de Alba has said.
"[But] we cannot avoid issues ... we need to be very certain that the council is dealing with real issues."
The Organization of the Islamic Conference has already made it clear the situation in territories under Israeli military occupation must be discussed.
It also wants a debate on respect for religion following the furore stirred up by the publication last year in some Western countries of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed -- something which is abhorrent to Muslims.
European countries have warned they will not allow Israel to be the only one signalled out for censure. Its routine condemnation, in resolutions repeated year after year, symbolised for many the sterility of the old commission.
European diplomats say there will certainly be discussion of Sudan, Myanmar and North Korea, although what form it will take and whether there will be resolutions was not decided.
The US-led war on terrorism and suspected abuse at US detention centres were also likely topics.
But the US declined to stand for membership, although it has not ruled out a future candidacy, because it said changes to the old commission did not go deep enough.
One of the other key changes is that the rights' records of all council members will be periodically reviewed.
Annan said that the new council is a "great new chance" for the global body to renew its struggle for human rights.
Annan told the opening session of the council that it should avoid the political point-scoring of its discredited predecessor, the Human Rights Commission.
"This council represents a great new chance for the UN and for humanity to renew the struggle for human rights. I implore you, do not let the opportunity be squandered."
The now-defunct Human Rights Commission was discredited in recent years because some countries with terrible rights records used their membership to protect one another from condemnation.
The first meeting of the 47-member council opened Monday and runs through June 30, will aim to set out its operating procedures, including how it should carry out its human rights reviews of all 191 UN member states, and how often.
"Never allow this council to become caught up in political point-scoring or petty maneuver," Annan said. "Think always of those whose rights are denied."
The council needs mature leadersip to inspire cooperation and commitment, rather than the confrontation and distrust which dominated the final years of the commission, Annan said.
The council has a chance to start its work with a tangible achievement, by passing two "vital documents" -- one against enforced disappearances, the other guaranteeing the rights of indigenous peoples -- and sending them for approval by the General Assembly, Annan said.
Republican US lawmakers on Friday criticized US President Joe Biden’s administration after sanctioned Chinese telecoms equipment giant Huawei unveiled a laptop this week powered by an Intel artificial intelligence (AI) chip. The US placed Huawei on a trade restriction list in 2019 for contravening Iran sanctions, part of a broader effort to hobble Beijing’s technological advances. Placement on the list means the company’s suppliers have to seek a special, difficult-to-obtain license before shipping to it. One such license, issued by then-US president Donald Trump’s administration, has allowed Intel to ship central processors to Huawei for use in laptops since 2020. China hardliners
Conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell, who pursued separate careers, interests and relationships during lives that defied medical expectations, died this month in Pennsylvania, funeral home officials said. They were 62. The twins, listed by Guinness World Records as the oldest living conjoined twins, died on April 7 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, obituaries posted by Leibensperger Funeral Homes of Hamburg said. The cause of death was not detailed. “When we were born, the doctors didn’t think we’d make 30, but we proved them wrong,” Lori said in an interview when they turned 50, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The
RAMPAGE: A Palestinian man was left dead after dozens of Israeli settlers searching for a missing 14-year-old boy stormed a village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank US President Joe Biden on Friday said he expected Iran to attack Israel “sooner, rather than later” and warned Tehran not to proceed. Asked by reporters about his message to Iran, Biden simply said: “Don’t,” underscoring Washington’s commitment to defend Israel. “We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,” he said. Biden said he would not divulge secure information, but said his expectation was that an attack could come “sooner, rather than later.” Israel braced on Friday for an attack by Iran or its proxies as warnings grew of
A prominent Christian leader has allegedly been stabbed at the altar during a Mass yesterday in southwest Sydney. Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was saying Mass at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley just after 7pm when a man approached him at the altar and allegedly stabbed toward his head multiple times. A live stream of the Mass shows the congregation swarm forward toward Emmanuel before it was cut off. The church leader gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, amassing a large online following, Officers attached to Fairfield City police area command attended a location on Welcome Street, Wakeley following reports a number