Venezuela, Burundi, UAE win UNHRC seats; Pakistan defeated

NEW YORK, — Despite widespread criticism of their human rights records in a report presented yesterday at the UN, Venezuela, UAE, Burundi, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, and Togo easily won election today to 3-year terms on the 47-nation UN Human Rights Council. (See full chart and voting results below.)

“It's a black day for human rights," said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, a Geneva-based non-governmental human rights group. UN Watch, together with two other human rights groups, released a report yesterday urging UN member states to oppose the election of nine countries committing egregious human rights violations. UN Watch welcomed the defeat of Pakistan, a major surprise, and Laos, but lamented the election of the other seven."The election of even more rights abusing regimes -- on a body that already counts China, Russia, Cuba and Saudi Arabia as members -- marks another severe blow to the credibility and efficacy of a body that was supposed to improve on its discredited predecessor." Virtually the entire EU voted for Ethopia and Togo as world judges of human rights. UN Watch presented the report at a press briefing yesterday at UN headquarters, together with the Human Rights Foundation and the Lantos Foundation.

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“With three out of the five regional groups having run uncontested slates, the elevation of oppressive governments sends the message that politics trumps human rights. The UN today is letting down millions of victims worldwide who look to the world body for protection." "When Venezuela can rule on freedom of assembly, Burundi on police accountability, and UAE on labor rights, we are turning the UN into a laughingstock," said Neuer. According to UN Watch's joint report, Venezuela, UAE, Burundi, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan and Togo have been cited by human rights groups for having committed serious violations of numerous articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including curbs on the freedoms of speech, press, religion, and assembly, along with disregard for fundamental due process. The candidate countries were also found to have voted against UN resolutions taking action for victims of human rights abuses in various hotspots.

WHAT THIS WILL MEAN FOR THE COUNCIL

"The election of more rights abusers — Saudi Arabia's representative was selected this year to be Chair of the UNHRC's influential panel that selects human rights experts — not only casts a dark shadow on the future of the Human Rights Council but also recalls its recent past," said Neuer. In 2006, the Council was created to replace its troubled predecessor, the Commission on Human Rights, criticized by former Secretary General Kofi Annan for its "politicization" and “declining credibility.” Neuer said: “Despite the much-vaunted 2006 reform – which scrapped the discredited human rights commission and created a new and supposedly improved council — the election of major human rights abusers means that we are back to square one. Instead of reform, we have regression.” Neuer expects the following negative impacts:

• The Council will continue to turn a blind eye to egregious abuses by violators like China, Cuba, Egypt, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Zimbabwe, which have never been addressed in any UN resolution.
• Mechanisms meant to help victims will be hijacked by politicization and selectivity.
• The core principles of individual human rights will be subverted by concepts that increase power for governments.

TOP WINNER: TOGO Togo won more seats that any other candidate, 189 out of 193. This means at least 24 out of 28 EU states voted for Togo. Human rights abuses in Togo include:

• Non-indenpendence of the judiciary
• Restrictions on freedom of press and assembly
• Rape, violence, and discrimination against women
• Child abuse, including female genital mutilation and sexual exploitation
• Trafficking in persons.
• Discrimination persisted against persons with disabilities, regional and ethnic groups, and LGBT
• Child labor, including forced child labor
• Failure to prosecute or punish officials who commit abuses

_____________ VOTING RESULTS African Group Togo (NOT QUALIFIED) 189 votes Elected Ethiopia (NOT QUALIFIED) 186 votes Elected Ivory Coast 186 votes Elected Kenya 180 votes Elected Burundi (NOT QUALIFIED) 162 votes Elected Asian Group Mongolia 172 votes Elected UAE (NOT QUALIFIED) 159 votes Elected Kyrgyzstan (NOT QUALIFIED) 147 votes Elected South Korea 136 votes Elected Philippines 113 votes Elected Laos (NOT QUALIFIED) 105 votes Not Elected Pakistan (NOT QUALIFIED) 105 votes Not Elected Eastern Europe Slovenia 179 votes Elected Georgia 177 votes Elected Latin American Group Panama 157 votes Elected Ecuador (NOT QUALIFIED) 152 votes Elected Venezuela (NOT QUALIFIED) 131 votes Elected Bahamas 113 votes Not Elected Western Europe and Others Group Switzerland 176 votes Elected Germany 174 votes Elected Belgium 172 votes Elected