The New and ‘Improved’ United Nations ‘Human Rights’ Council

This week the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) passed a ‘reform’ package purportedly aimed at strengthening the organisation’s ability to combat human rights abuses around the world. The outcome however, was a return to the discriminatory practices of old. Israel’s actions have once again become a permanent item of the UNHRC’s annual agenda. At the same time they have removed Cuba and Belarus from the list of special mandates. It would seem that the more things are reformed at the United Nations the more they stay the same.

In other developments at the UNHRC this week, the council adopted 2 more resolutions condemning Israel raising its total condemnations of Israel to 11. Israel is the only country to be condemned by a UNHRC resolution. In response, highlighting the UNHRC’s sickening hypocrisy, UNWATCH Executive Director Hillel Neuer argued that

“After a week of slaughter by Palestinian gunmen that claimed some 100 lives—with Hamas and Fatah gunmen shooting hospital patients, throwing handcuffed men off of rooftops, and executing victims in mosques, universities and before their children’s eyes—and the firing of rockets into Israeli cities, it is all too typical of the Human Rights Council to slam Israel” (www.unwatch.org)

Deputy U.S. permanent representative at the United Nations, Alejandro Wolff, went even further accusing the council of "a pathological obsession with Israel".

South Africa is a major proponent of the UNHRC. South Africa has on numerous occasions argued that it should be strengthened at the expense of the ‘undemocratic’ Security Council. So adamant are our diplomats in this regard that they have even refused to condemn Burma’s human rights abuses at the Security Council, arguing that the issue belonged in the UNHRC. And yet South Africa voted for this latest ‘reform’ package.

This is shocking, but not surprising. South Africa’s voting record at the UNHRC has been even worse than its much criticised voting record in the Security Council. Human Rights Watchdog, UNWATCH, in their latest report ranked South Africa as having one of the most undemocratic voting records of any member of the council, including Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Cuba. This is a disgrace for a country that purports to champion of human rights.

Previously at IAS

• South Africa sets its UN voting record straight
• South Africa voting hall of shame continues
• South Africa backs UNSC move to condemn Israel
• South Africa supports one sided resolution condemning Israel after Gaza offensive
• UNSC convenes first session; Condemns Israel

Comments

[Gary]

I've said this before- there is no rational explanation for SA's support for every evil regime and terrorist movement in the world today, other than a Satanic attraction to the dark side.

[Hillel]

In the words of Iago, (Parrot in Aladdin) "I could just die of not-surprise"

Some reports are citing as many as 400 Palestinians killed in the week. What's more, the injuries and murders have been incredibly brutal and violent (if such things can be rationally graded) including numerous acts of torture. The reporting on the situation, as if we needed further proof and as if Lebanon wasn't proof enough, once again clearly shows the moral blindness.

One might ascribe the Liberal Left's reporting and comment as a form of deep seated, virulent and inextricable bigotry and racism. Not necessarily in the sense of anti-semitism but in the obvious message that they just don't think the Palestinians can be expected to live by human norms.

The same indifference to Darfur and Burma ostensibly confirms their Nietsche-like view of the world. "unter-menschen" just don't warrant attention, unless of course you can criticise those people you think aren't unter-menschen; perhaps we shouldn't consider it anti-semitism but rather an invitation to the realms of the ubermensch and a compliment?

[THE BLACKLISTEDICTATOR]

Steve,
Has The Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) criticized South Africa's
voting records at The United Nations? As far as I am unaware The FXI
has kept extremely quiet whilst spending an inordinate amount of its
time supporting/ justifying Ronno Einstein's campaign to publish his
"Israeli / Nazi" slur in The South African Jewish Report.
It is appalling to think that The FXI may be little more than a
government puppet, willing to flush other countries democratic freedoms
down The ANC toilet.

[Mike]

Great point Hillel. I think you are spot on. Jews and Israelis are now (at least on the left) seen as Westerners. And as such are held to a much hire standard. I went to a talk by the ‘revered’ professor John Dugard on his UN sponsored visit to the Palestinian territories. He made an interesting point. He claimed ‘Israel is the only Western nation engaged in the direct repression of non-Western people’. That is at the core of what disgusts them about the conflict.

[The Blacklistedictator]

Dear Jane Duncan and Na'eem Jeenah,

What was The "FXI / PSC" response to South Africa's support of the Burmese junta at The United Nations?

Why do you think that The ANC is hell-bent on supporting dictators?

Is the "FXI /PSC" colluding with The ANC?

[Gary]

How do you define Western?
Is Taiwan western because it is a democracy but Red China not western because it is a Communist dictorship?
Is South Korea western because it is a democracy but North Korea not western because it is a Communist dictorship?
Is Poland western because it is a democracy but neighbouring Belarus not western because it is a dictorship?
Why is Israel 'western' if the majority of Israelis are descendants of Jews from Arab countries?

[jp]

Surely these days western, is defined by a viewpoint rather than defined by geographical location, race or other physical factors. It is defined by how ones runs ones politics, freedoms, media, and beliefs. So South Africa becomes the most 'western' of Africa, Israel, the most 'western' of the middle east and perhaps hong kong a western city in Asia... and so on...

[Steve]

I agree jp. Its a viewpoint, not location, race or religion.

[Gary]

South africa is NOT the most democratic country in Africa-that is a fallacy.
Their is a big revival of vibrant multi-party democracy in many countries in Africa, while SA remains a one party state.
Their are also several African states that are pro-Western and pro-Israel while SA remains a de facto one party state under a revolutionary regime.
SA is not the best, the most democratic, or the freest country in Africa by a long shot.

[The Blacklistedictator]

Gary,

What country do you think is the most democratic in Africa?

[Gary]

South Africa is termed a dominant party system (i.e with one dominant party)by Wikipedia. As 1 part controls over 70% of eats in parliament with no chance of a reduction in it's share of power in the near to mid-term future.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_political_parties_by_country
Algeria, Benin, Burundi, Cape Verde, Comoros,Congo (Kinshasa) , Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Moroco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone and Somaliland all have proper multi-party or two party systems.
A 1 party state, like SA, is not a democracy.

[Gary]

As regards Israel, SA is the most hostile country to Israel in sub-Saharan Africa, Possibly the most hostile in all of Africa, with the exception of Libya and Sudan.
Sa has been publicly criticized for anti-Israel bias by Uganda, Rwanda, DRC, Togo, Ghana and Cote' de Ivoire,while Nigeria, Cameroon, DRC and Ethiopia actually attended the Jerusalem ceremony, that most of the world did not recognize.
Israel has good friends in Africa and does not need South Africa!

[Gary]

South Africa, together with Cuba. North Korea, Red China, Vietnam, Venezuela and Zimbabwe, is one of the last outposts of far-left revolutionary bolshevik government!

[The Blacklistedictator]

Gary,

If parliament allowed proper debate, if ministers were rigorously
questioned, if The ANC had more respect fro opposition parties, if The
SABC was not controlled by Snuki, if the press was more independent of
govt, if personal links to The ANC were not critical for BEE deals, if
NGO's like The FXI and SAHRC were not ANC puppets, if The ANC did not
want to control the judiciary etc.... then we might start to live in a
Western style democracy.

[Gary]

Exactly Anthony
also if we didn't have this fraudulent floor-crossing legislation that allows shamelss political whores, elected on an opposition platform to cross to the ANC with their seats.
And if the Independent Electoral Commission was not entirely staffed by ANC mebers, which makes me question whether the ANC's seizure of KwaZulu/Natal and the Western Cape in the 2004 election was really fair and square.

[Gary]

By the way, talking of Snuki, remember he said 'From the movement I come from we support PLO'.
What will he do now that the PLO is fighting Hamas, and the Minister of Totalitarian Affairs, Red Ronnie, is so close to Hams and their Iranian backers.
Oh the dilemmas of being a loony left revolutionary!

[Gary]

When you feel the need to always support in every conflict throughout the world, the most radical, the most revolutionary, the most totalitarian, the most anti-Western, without a second thought, then you have a problem.

[Mike]

Ha ha. Yes Snuki is in quite a bind. Particualrly see our government has now come out agaisnt Abu Mazen.

[Brett]

Sorry Dictator I disagree

Even if the ANC allthe above were to come true and even if the ANC were to start playing fair SA would still be what I call a functional Autocracy - Officially a democracy but functionally autocratic. A democracy works on the following principle: A ruling government does what it deems best for the people it serves, based on the opinions of the majority. What prevents corruption, power grabbing, theft, embezzlement, using goverment serices/funds/standing/power for personal gain (not that I am accusing the ANC of any of these....haha) is the fear/knowledge that you will be voted out at the next oppertunity. The ANC knows that that this will not happen - the population will vote for them regardless, which makes the difference between SA and North Korea, for example, one of simple semantics. As long as the SA popultion is not educated on how democracy works - thats it means voting for the party with the best policy for the future not voting out of gratitude for the past - SA has no democracy. And the ANC is happy that way. Vervoed said "Educate the black man at your peril". Ironically the ANC must hold by the same dictum

[Dsinc]

What it should be called.
The United-against Israel-Nations.

World Refugee-from Islam-Day.
What it should be called.

The UN is saturated with Muslims, or Muslim appeasers with money in their back pockets

[gary]

It's time to get serious about reform of the United Nations. This is what's needed:

http://www.UnitedDemocraticNations.org

As long as we expect dictatorships to solve human rights issues, we are only fooling ourselves.

gary

[Gary]

How does the ANC/SACP regime manage to support the side of evil in every single conflict around the world?

[Jak]

I know the article was mentioned in a different thread but I just noticed that the Chief Rabbi's op-ed made into the Jerusalem Post as well.

[Steve]

Just saw it as well. Thanks Jak. I think the article is slightly different from the previous.