Haley: Go after human rights violators & lay off of Israel
US Ambassador to UN Haley warns UN Human Rights Council that it cannot keep covering up for egregious human rights violators while attacking Israel; 'When the council passes more than 70 resolutions against Israel and 7 against Iran, you know something is seriously wrong.'
The US Ambassador of the to the United Nations Nikki Haley condemned the UN's Human Rights Council for what she described as its disingenuous stances on human rights, noting the council's condoning of human rights violations from some of the world's most violent despots while incessantly criticizing Israel. Haley described her dissatisfaction in an article published Friday by the Washington Post.
"The council must end its practice of wrongly singling out Israel for criticism," wrote Haley. "When the council passes more than 70 resolutions against Israel, a country with a strong human rights record, and just seven resolutions against Iran, a country with an abysmal human rights record, you know something is seriously wrong."
Haley is due to speak before the council in Geneva next week and then visit Israel. While in the past, she has repeatedly referred to the council's biased attitude toward Israel, in her article she stressed that the council's biased activity is not limited to Israel alone.
"The president of Venezuela, whose government shoots protesters in the street, recently thanked the international community for its 'universal vote of confidence' in that country’s commitment to human rights.
The Cuban deputy foreign minister, whose government imprisons thousands of political opponents, once said Cuba has historic prestige 'in the promotion and protection of all human rights.'
"Cuba’s government strictly controls the media and severely restricts the Cuban people’s access to the Internet. Thousands are arbitrarily detained each year, with some political prisoners serving long sentences. Yet Cuba has never been condemned by the council; it, too, is a member.
"How can these people get away with saying such things? Because they have been elected to the UN Human Rights Council, whose members are—on paper—charged with 'upholding the highest standards' of human rights.
She warned that in its current course, the UN Human Rights Council is running the risk of being a cover for some of the worst atrocities being carried out.
"Last month, a US Senate subcommittee met to consider whether the United States should remain a part of the council. Expert witnesses shared their viewpoints, not on the question of whether America supports human rights—of course we do, and very strongly. The question was whether the Human Rights Council actually supports human rights or is merely a showcase for dictatorships that use their membership to whitewash brutality."
Haley hinted that if changes to the council's approach are not made, the US may withdraw from it completely.
"Next week, I will travel to Geneva to address the Human Rights Council about the United States' concerns.
I will outline changes that must be made. Among other things, membership on the council must be determined through competitive voting to keep the worst human rights abusers from obtaining seats. As it stands, regional blocs nominate candidates that are uncontested. Competition would force a candidate's human rights record to be considered before votes were cast.
"I believe the vision of the Human Rights Council is still achievable, but not without change. It is the responsibility of the United Nations to reclaim this vision and to restore the legitimacy of universal human rights," concluded Haley.
