UN Watch

Exclusive: Under Arab pressure, UN set to reject vetted nominee, instead pick Indonesian with partisan record as next Palestine investigator

GENEVA, – According to an exclusive report by the Geneva-based UN Watch monitoring group, diplomats report that the UN Human Rights Council president, under intense lobbying from Arab states, is planning to reject a U.S. academic who was vetted to become the next human rights monitor for the Palestinian territories, and instead give the high-level post this Friday to Indonesia's former UN ambassador, Makarim Wibisono.

Palestinian delegation fails to block UN group revealing it tried to fire controversial investigator Richard Falk

GENEVA, March 24, 2014 -- The Palestinian delegation to the UN Human Rights Council three times interrupted the plenary testimony of a human rights activist today in a failed bid to block revelations that it had tried to fire the 47-nation body's controversial official Richard Falk, who delivered his final report today after serving the maximum term of six years as investigator into "Israel's violations of the bases and principles of international law." (Click for video; see Chapter 36 on right column.)

Falk's departure is victory for Palestinians and human rights

GENEVA, – One year after UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned Richard Falk's comments blaming the Boston Marathon bombings on “the American global domination project,” and three years after the UN chief addressed the council plenary and condemned Falk's "preposterous" support for 9/11 conspiracy theories, the controversial UN official will address the UN Human Rights Council today for the last time, as his six-year mandate comes to an end.

UN police catch Chinese agent spying on Canadian rights activist

GENEVA, – Security officers inside the UN human rights council yesterday caught a Chinese agent surreptitiously taking photographs of a Canadian rights activist and her computer screen, one day after she testified of her dissident father's plight in a Chinese prison, according to a complaint submitted to the world body today by UN Watch, the Geneva-based human rights group that hosted her.

Six Powers Must Heed Warnings of New UN Reports on Iran Rights Violations

GENEVA, – As the EU's Catherine Ashton concluded what she called "substantive and useful" nuclear talks with Iran at a 2-day session in Vienna, saying they would meet again on April 7th, world powers need to pay attention to two new UN reports on Iran that document worsening human rights violations, says Geneva-based human rights group UN Watch.

Clash at UN: China Tries to Stop Testimony by Daughter of Jailed Democracy Leader Wang Bingzhang

GENEVA, - China today interrupted testimony at the United Nations Human Rights Council by the daughter one of its most well-known political prisoners, prompting a high-profile international clash in the plenary, as the U.S., Britain, France, Germany, Ireland, Hungary, Switzerland and the Czech Republic squared off against China, Cuba, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela on whether she could be allowed to continue her remarks. See full speech below.

Venezuela Objects as Aunt of Jailed Opposition Leader Calls for Urgent Human Rights Council Debate

GENEVA, - Venezuela's representative to the UN Human Rights Council vociferously objected today when the aunt of jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, speaking on behalf of the non-governmental human rights group UN Watch, called on the 47-nation body to convene an urgent debate on the escalating situation and to dispatch a commission of inquiry. Click here for text and video.

UN Whistleblower: Head of World Intellectual Property Agency Stole Employees’ DNA Samples

GENEVA, - A senior UN official alleges that Francis Gurry, the Australian head of the world body’s intellectual property agency, engineered the theft of personal items from employees to extract DNA samples, and then covered it up by intimidation and by suppressing attempts to investigate it, according to a legal complaint filed recently at a UN tribunal in Geneva.

European MPs: “Suspend Russia and other dictators from UN human rights council”

GENEVA, – Today, as Russia increases its military threats against Ukraine, it also took its seat as one of the newest members of the UN Human Rights Council. This glaring irony has caused a global outcry: In response, a coalition of MPs, non-governmental organizations and human rights activists have launched a global campaign -- spearheaded by Geneva-based human rights group UN Watch -- to suspend the memberships of Russia and its fellow human rights abusers China, Cuba and Saudi Arabia, all of whom took their seats today as the UNHRC’s newest members.

Escaped North Korean Prison Guard to Address Geneva Rights Summit Ahead of UNHRC Debate on Damning Report

GENEVA, Feb. 17 – Today's unprecedented call by UN investigators for North Korea's leaders to be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court will receive a boost when one of the regime's most famous defectors -- a former guard at one of the regime's horrific prison camps -- will testify in Geneva next week, ahead of the critical debate by the 47-nation UN Human Rights Council.

Vietnam blocks journalist from attending UN review of its human rights record

GENEVA, Pham Chi Dung, a respected independent journalist and civil society advocate, was blocked by Vietnamese authorities from leaving the country yesterday evening to attend events in Geneva during the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on Vietnam. He was to be a featured speaker at a UPR side event on February 4th titled “With Membership Comes Responsibility: Ensuring Human Rights in Vietnam.”

Canada Tells UN to Fire Rep Who Called Israel "Genocidal"

GENEVA, – UN Watch applauded Canada for being the first country to condemn Richard Falk's latest remarks accusing Israel of "genocidal" intentions, and to call for his removal.

Reaction to Israel's Reported Acceptance into UN Human Rights Council's Western Group

GENEVA, Nov. 28 - In reaction to news reports that Israel was admitted into the UN Human Rights Council's Western Group, UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer emphasized that the decision is not yet final, and issued the following comment:

U.N. Must Remove Head of Intellectual Property Agency Implicated in DNA-Taking Scandal, Says Watchdog

GENEVA, -- In wake of a Geneva newspaper’s exposé of major wrongdoing by the head of the World Intellectual Property Organization, an independent watchdog organization today called on United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon to immediately remove WIPO director-general Francis Gurry as chair of the UN’s High-Level Committee on Management, and to ask for his resignation from the UN agency that oversees crucial international matters including global patent protection.

As UN chief visits Auschwitz, rights group urges action against antisemitism & gross rights abuses

GENEVA, - The Geneva-based human rights group UN Watch issued the following statement welcoming Ban Ki-moon's visit today to Auschwitz, the first visit of a UN secretary-general to the Nazi death camp, and urging the world body to do more against mass atrocities as well as to address rising antisemitism in Europe.

U.N. Interpreter Falls Victim to Dreaded Hot Mic

GENEVA, -- In a rare UN moment of candor now going viral worldwide on major news sites such as The Atlantic, on Thursday a United Nations interpreter, unaware that her microphone was on, uttered words of truth in reaction to the General Assembly’s adoption of nine politically-motivated resolutions condemning Israel, and zero resolutions on the rest of the world.

"Black Day for Human Rights": Global Outrage as UN Elects China, Cuba, Russia, Saudi Arabia to Top Rights Body

GENEVA, -- Today the UN General Assembly elected egregious human rights abusers China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Cuba, and Vietnam to the UN Human Rights Council, dealing a severe blow to the credibility and efficacy of a body that was supposed to improve on its discredited predecessor. (See below for reactions from parliamentarians.)

Black Day for Human Rights: UN Poised to Elect China, Russia, Cuba, Saudi Arabia to Top Rights Council

NEW YORK, - Today at 10:00 am in New York the UN General Assembly will hold an election to choose 14 out of 16 countries running for seats on the 47-nation Human Rights Council.

Backgrounder on Tomorrow's Election of China, Russia, Cuba, Saudi Arabia to UN Rights Council

GENEVA, - Tomorrow the UN General Assembly will elect 14 new member states to its 47-nation human rights council.

Comment on Saudi-Jordan Trade of UN Seats

GENEVA, - In reaction to news reports that Jordan's pull-out from next week's UN human rights council election (see below) was part of a deal that will see Jordan obtain the Security Council seat recently rejected by Saudi Arabia, UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer issued the following comment: