Bahrain Elected Now Sits On UN Human Rights Panel: Syria Narrowly Misses Out
HURRAH for the United Nations. Having kicked Libya off the Human Rights panel (yep, it got in), the UN fielded applications for countries who wanted to sit in judgement. Syria applied. Others got in:
This year’s election for the U.N. Human Rights Council has, once again, produced a body that has fewer “free” countries – 21 of a total of 47 – and has more than one-third of the seats held by members of the Islamic bloc.
Among the 15 countries to win seats on the Geneva-based HRC on Friday was Congo, which joins 11 other countries ranked “not free” by the democracy advocacy group, Freedom House, based on an annual assessment of political freedoms and civil liberties…
Human Rights can be overrated:
Despite the requirement that governments take into account candidates’ human rights records, the General Assembly – voting under secret ballot – has ushered onto the council a total of 19 “not free” countries, some more than once.
In most cases, they obtained votes well in excess of the 97 required in the 192-member General Assembly.
The 19, along with the number of votes they scored, are: China (won two elections, with vote counts of 146 and 167), Russia (137, 146), Cuba (135, 163), Saudi Arabia (126, 154), Libya (155), Egypt (168), Pakistan (149, 114), Algeria (168), Tunisia (171), Mauritania (167), Bahrain (172), Qatar (170, 177), Jordan (178), Angola (172, 170), Cameroon (171, 142), Gabon (178), Kyrgyzstan (174), Azerbaijan (103) and newcomer Congo (176).
Maybe these fine countries want to learn about human rights so they are best able to recognise any nascent freedom movement and squash it..? Who polices the police?
Photo: one of the wounded when Bahraini security forces broke heads in a failed Arab Spring in Pearl Square.
Posted: 25th, May 2011 | In: Key Posts, Politicians Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
