Human Rights Watch Takes SA Foreign Policy to Task

Towards the end of last year the South African government was embroiled in a nasty slinging match with human rights NGO’s over its pro-totalitarian voting record (see South Africa's depraved Foreign Policy exposed) at the United Nations (UN). In typical fashion, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded not by addressing the concerns raised, but by maligning the messengers by accusing UN Watch and Human Rights Watch (HRW) of being the part of a racist Western anti-South Africa conspiracy.

Yesterday, I was sent a copy of Human Rights Watch's official response to these accusations—a scathing letter to Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad comprehensively detailing South Africa’s consistent failure to defend Human Rights at the UN.

The letter thoroughly debunks South Africa’s lame excuse that its voting record is the result of a technical position that only the UN Human Rights Council should be allowed to deal with human rights issues. HRW explains that the promotion of human rights is indivisible from international peace, security and development (the major other areas of UN concern). Ironically, this was a position that the ANC championed during the days of the global campaign against Apartheid and more recently in response to advancing economic development in the developing world.

The hypocrisy of the government’s position is further exposed by the fact that South Africa has failed to follow through on its rhetoric by pressing for action on human rights violations at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). In fact, it has been at the forefront of opposing the advancement of international human rights at the UNHRC. Examples include the following (many of which we have previously covered):

South Africa’s role on Darfur South Africa voted against a resolution calling for all parties, including the Sudanese government, to bring to justice those responsible for killing, raping, and injuring civilians in the Darfur region of western Sudan (28 November 2006) South Africa attempted to block the presentation of a high level report to the UNHRC on the situation in Darfur (March 2007) Human rights violations in Iran and Uzbekistan In spite of the worsening human rights situation in Uzbekistan and Iran, South Africa voted in favor of discontinuing UNHRC monitoring of the human rights situation in these countries (March 2007). The scope of UNHRC Human Rights Experts South Africa sought to limit the independence of all UNHRC experts by making them subordinate to council member states (June 2007) Woman’s Rights South Africa attempted to block a resolution aimed at ensuring that the UNHRC takes concrete steps to address the human rights of women (December 2007).

As we have said on numerous occasions, South Africa’s behavior at the UN is a disgrace. It is unfathomable to me how willingly this government has chosen to betray its own commitment to promoting human rights. Even if one looks at it from a realpolitik perspective, I can’t see what we could possibly get from supporting Burma et al to justify this.

Read the full HRW letter here.

Comments

[Gary]

I've heard of G-dzown country.
SA's foreign policy and UN voting record makes SA look like Satan's own country.
SA's foreign policy is 'support evil wherever you can!'