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Sep 26 (IPS) –
CIVICUS discusses the upcoming election of latest members of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council with Madeleine Sinclair, New York Workplace Director and Authorized Counsel on the Worldwide Service for Human Rights (ISHR).
The Human Rights Council performs a vital function in addressing world human rights points and serves as a platform for activists and victims of violations. Its 47 members symbolize totally different regional teams. In October, 19 states will stand for 18 seats, with the Asia-Pacific area the one group with extra candidates than seats. Most of the candidates have poor human rights information, and one – Saudi Arabia – stands out for its extraordinarily severe rights violations. Civil society calls on UN member states to reject Saudi Arabia’s candidacy and uphold human rights requirements when deciding on members of the UN’s prime human rights physique.
As occurs yearly, the Human Rights Council will quickly renew one third of its membership by a secret poll election. On 9 October, all 193 members of the UN Common Meeting will vote for the 18 members who will sit on the UN’s most important human rights physique from 2025 to 2027.
Elections ought to present a chance to elect candidates with a robust human rights report. In accordance with the Council’s membership standards, candidate states ought to exhibit a real dedication to the promotion and safety of human rights by home and worldwide motion. They need to additionally exhibit a willingness to handle rising challenges and crises to make sure the Council’s effectiveness.
How aggressive will this yr’s election be?
Sadly, this election might be nowhere close to as aggressive correctly, with solely 19 nations standing for 18 seats. These seats are divided among the many UN’s 5 official regional teams, every of which presents its personal slate of candidates. However solely the Asia-Pacific slate is aggressive, with six candidates vying for 5 seats, whereas the opposite 4 slates are closed, that means they’ve as many candidates as seats accessible. Africa has 5 candidates for 5 seats, Latin America and the Caribbean has three for 3, Jap Europe has two for 2 and Western Europe and Others has two for 2.
This election is much less aggressive than final yr’s, when 17 candidates contested 15 seats. Solely Latin America and the Caribbean and Jap Europe had extra candidates than seats, ensuing within the defeat of Russia. In 2021, all 18 candidates working for 18 seats had been elected, receiving between 144 and 189 votes out of a potential 193, regardless of some having extraordinarily problematic human rights information.
Sadly, non-competitive elections are widespread, with totally closed slates being offered 4 instances since 2008. Different elections have seen just one or two aggressive slates. The issue with non-competitive races is that they deprive voting states of the chance to scrupulously consider and choose candidates based mostly on their information and commitments, doubtlessly compromising the standard of the Council.
However even in closed slates, it is nonetheless potential for unopposed candidates to fail if they do not obtain at the least 97 out of 193 votes. In 2023, for instance, Burundi and China acquired the bottom variety of votes of their regional teams, sending a message that their candidacies weren’t totally supported. ISHR encourages voting states to guage all candidates fastidiously and withhold votes from problematic ones, even in closed slates.
Who’re the candidates within the October election?
Candidates on this yr’s election embody Benin, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, The Gambia and Kenya from the African group. Within the Asia and Pacific group, Cyprus, South Korea, the Marshall Islands, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Thailand are working. Latin America and the Caribbean is represented by Bolivia, Colombia and Mexico. Iceland, Spain and Switzerland are the candidates from Western Europe and Others, whereas the Czech Republic and North Macedonia are working for Central and Jap Europe.
This yr, one candidate has a very poor human rights report: Saudi Arabia. It has closed civic area and has been repeatedly included within the UN Secretary-Common’s reprisals report and accused by UN consultants of committing battle crimes in Yemen. Because of these severe considerations, we’re actively campaigning in opposition to its election within the Asia and Pacific group.
What is the function of civil society on this course of?
Civil society, together with ISHR, has a vital function to play in advocating for a simpler and accountable Human Rights Council. One of many key areas the place reform is required is closed slates. Aggressive elections are important to make sure that solely states with a real dedication to human rights are elected.
ISHR has created scorecards to evaluate and evaluate the candidates based mostly on their historical past of cooperation with human rights mechanisms such because the Common Periodic Evaluation and their engagement with civil society, UN treaty our bodies and particular procedures. These standards present a strong understanding and clear overview of a rustic’s human rights report and due to this fact its suitability to take a seat on the Council. Whereas we perceive no nation has an ideal report, these standards goal to offer helpful insights into every state’s dedication to upholding human rights and its potential function on the Council.
Along with our scorecards, our annual joint pledging occasion with Amnesty Worldwide supplies a platform for states to current their candidacies, make robust, public commitments as potential members and obtain direct suggestions and significant questions from civil society. If all candidates participated on this occasion, it could improve the political value of refusing to take part or failing to submit formal pledges and commitments. Such engagement would make it more durable for states with poor human rights information to hunt a seat with out dealing with scrutiny.
What needs to be the Council’s priorities?
The Human Rights Council is important in amplifying the voices of rights holders, victims and human rights defenders, offering them with a platform to show violations and demand accountability. To fulfil this function successfully, its priorities should deal with being credible, efficient and accessible. It ought to proceed to deal with upholding worldwide legislation universally, supporting the distant and hybrid participation of civil society and making certain that calls for for accountability are promptly addressed.
A reputable and efficient Council can solely operate if its members totally cooperate with its mechanisms and cling to goal human rights standards. At a time of accelerating battle and disaster, usually rooted in repression and human rights violations, the Council’s function in selling accountability and justice is extra vital than ever. States ought to help the work of human rights defenders, whose efforts to stop violations, doc abuses and supply important companies are important to disaster decision.
To handle these conflicts, states should apply human rights requirements constantly. Selective or inconsistent software of requirements undermines the worldwide framework and the credibility of these concerned. Worldwide human rights legislation, when utilized constantly and in a principled method, stays the most effective information to reaching a extra simply, peaceable and inclusive world.
Get in contact with ISHR by its web site or Fb web page, and comply with @ishrglobal on Instagram and @ISHRglobal and @Madeleine_ISHR on Twitter.
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© Inter Press Service (2024) — All Rights ReservedAuthentic supply: Inter Press Service
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