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Session of the UN Human Rights Council, file photo.
China, Russia and Saudi Arabia will be elected to the UN Human Rights Council today (October 13). These three countries themselves are accused of being the world’s biggest human rights violators. Britain and France are also members of the council in today’s vote.
Human rights activists say the three countries cannot be members of the Human Rights Council and have asked member states to reconsider today’s vote.
The UN Human Rights Council was born on March 15, 2006. Its purpose and objective is to protect basic human rights and freedom of expression, religious freedom, women’s rights, etc. in member countries. It has 47 members.
Before the Human Rights Council, the UN Commission on Human Rights, or OHCHR, monitored these issues. But the controversy that arose over the commissioning of some countries with poor human rights records led to the abolition of the institution.
Now, similar accusations have been made against the UN Human Rights Council, with China granting membership to Russia and Saudi Arabia. The accusations come in the context of the widespread persecution of the Uighur Muslim minority in China, the repression of the opposition in Russia and the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the behest of the Saudi royal family.
UN Watch, an organization that monitors United Nations activities, says responsibility for firefighters is being left to a group that is setting the matter on fire.
The opposition British Labor Party has opposed China in particular in the elections.
According to the BBC’s James Landl, diplomats hope that if the three countries become council members, they will be held accountable for the accusations against them. But there is still a big risk, he says. The risk is that by becoming members, these countries may block any action against them.
Source: BBC.
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