PH on ‘list of shame’ for rejecting UN General Assembly condemnation of rights abuses in Iran

MANILA – Geneva-based United Nations (UN) Watch has included the Philippines on its “list of shame” after the country’s representative to the UN voted against a draft resolution in the UN General Assembly. condemning Iran for its alleged human rights abuses.

A total of 32 countries voted against the resolution produced by the UN Third Committee, which focuses on social, humanitarian and cultural issues.

In addition to the Philippines, those who voted against the draft resolution were North Korea, Russia, China, Pakistan, India and Iraq, the list published by UN Watch showed.

Seventy-nine countries, meanwhile, voted in favor of the resolution while 64 abstained.

The draft resolution would cause the UN General Assembly to sound the alarm about the human rights situation in Iran.

“A draft resolution on human rights in Iran would cause the General Assembly to express serious concern about the alarmingly high frequency of imposition of the death penalty, particularly against minors,” read a statement posted by the UN on its website. web on Wednesday.

That resolution was aimed at holding Iran accountable and would have asked the country to guarantee respect for human rights.

“I would call on Iran to ensure that no one is subjected to torture, or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and to end the widespread and systematic use of arbitrary arrests and detentions, including the practice of enforced disappearance,” said the organization. .

According to its website, UN Watch is a non-governmental organization that “monitors the UN on the basis of its own statute and influences decision makers, educates world opinion, and promotes reform, transparency and accountability. from the ONU”.

The organization also said that it aims to protect the human rights of victims globally.

Iran representative, other countries criticize UN for ‘country-specific resolution’

The representative of Iran noted that the draft resolution “for political reasons” reflected the behavior of those who manipulate human rights issues.

The representative also denounced the illegal unilateral coercive measures imposed in Iran, according to the statement.

Other countries also criticized the UN for using “country-specific resolutions” such as the one drafted against Iran, saying that “punitive action” does not promote human rights.

“Many delegations widely rejected the use of country-specific resolutions, and the representative of Cuba noted that ‘they are only used against developing countries,” he said.

“Similarly, the representative of the Russian Federation said that country-specific resolutions ‘have nothing to do with the protection of human rights’ and only undermine the principle of state sovereignty. The representative of Burundi also called them ‘counterproductive’ ”.

In October, the country called for an end to “weaponry and the use of human rights for political reasons,” amid continued calls from activists and experts in the country to investigate alleged abuses by the current administration.

Meanwhile, President Rodrigo Duterte has repeatedly criticized UN officials for expressing concern over the Philippines’ anti-narcotics campaign that has resulted in the deaths of thousands of people after allegedly confronting authorities, according to police figures.

Human rights groups say the death toll is higher and does not include state-sponsored killings of suspected “vigilantes,” which the government denies.