UN Watch

Breaking Development: Jordan Pulls Out, Creating 'Clean Slate' For China, Saudi Arabia & Vietnam

GENEVA, - Top European lawmakers today called on their own governments to oppose China, Russia, Cuba, Saudi Arabia and other "manifestly unworthy" countries running in next Tuesday's election of 14 new member states to the UN's 47-nation human rights council. See text below.

NGOs Release Report Urging EU & US to Oppose China, Russia, Cuba & Saudi Arabia in Next Week's Election to UN Human Rights Council

Maldives, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, South Sudan, Uruguay are "Questionable" GENEVA, - As the U.N. prepares to elect 14 nations next week to its highest human rights body, a coalition of non-governmental human rights groups sent a letter today to U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power and EU foreign affairs commissioner Catherine Ashton urging them to oppose the candidacies of China, Cuba, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Jordan, and Vietnam, which were found to be "Not Qualified" under the U.N.'s own membership criteria, in a report being presented right now at a UN breifing in New York before media, diplomats and human rights activists.

UN Reports Horrific Human Rights Abuses in North Korea: Now What?

GENEVA, - Geneva-based human rights group UN Watch applauded today’s report by the landmark UN Commission of Inquiry on North Korea, a vehicle that investigates human rights brutalities in North Korea and provides a forum for victims to educate the world about their suffering.

NGO Drives Saudi Women’s Protest the Extra Mile

GENEVA, -- Geneva-based human rights group UN Watch today applauded the dozens of brave Saudi women who got behind the wheel this weekend in protest of the world's only ban on female drivers, and called on world leaders to support their struggle for equal rights by blocking the "absurd" Saudi bid to join the UN Human Rights Council on November 12.

Comment on Israel’s Return to UN Human Rights Council

GENEVA, – The Geneva-based non-governmental group UN Watch today issued the following statement in reaction to Israel's decision to return to the UN Human Rights Council, two days before a scheduled review of the Jewish state's record on Tuesday.

Saudi Government to “Use Force” Against Women Protesting Driving Ban

GENEVA – A Geneva-based human rights group today called on world leaders to condemn the Saudi government's threat to "use force" against women who plan to get behind the wheel in the theocratic kingdom to protest its unique men-only driving law.

China praised in UN review of its human rights record

GENEVA, – Right off the heels of yesterday’s overwhelmingly glowing review of Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, today the UN Human Rights Council scrutinized China, which won equal praise from the same cohort of anti-democratic regimes, including Cuba, Russia, and Venezuela. (See below today's statements praising China's human rights record.)

Saudi Arabia praised in UN review of its human rights record

GENEVA, – As the UN Human Rights Council scrutinized Saudi Arabia's domestic rights record this morning, a minority of democracies such as Canada, UK, and the Czech Republic raised concerns about women's rights, while the vast majority of African, Asian and Latin American countries lined up to defend and praise one of the world's most repressive theocratic regimes. (See below today's statements praising Saudi Arabia's human rights record.)

NGO: Saudi Arabia refusal to take seat on UN Security Council is “victory for human rights”

GENEVA, – Saudi Arabia's refusal to take its seat on the UN Security Council, announced today via the Saudi Press Agency, is a "victory for human rights," said a Geneva-based human rights group today.

Rights abusers Chad, Saudi Arabia to win seats today on UN Security Council

GENEVA, – The expected election today of uncontested candidates Chad and Saudi Arabia to the UN Security Council prompted calls by a Geneva-based human rights group for the U.S., EU and UN chief Ban Ki-moon to protest.

UN “kowtows” to Iran, hides naked carving ahead of nuclear talks

GENEVA, – The independent non-governmental monitoring group UN Watch today called on UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Swiss government to order the removal of a curtain recently placed over a historic marble carving at the UN’s European headquarters in Geneva, and to “stop this dangerous kowtowing to Iran’s fundamentalist regime, an ominous sign as negotiations begin.” (See AFP story here, Tribune de Geneve here.)

UN Nominee Given 72 Hours to Confess Lies on Qaddafi Prize

GENEVA, – A controversial nominee to the U.N. Human Rights Council was today given a 72-hour ultimatum to confess that for the past month he has been engaged in a massive cover-up by lying to the Swiss media over his ties to the Qaddafi Prize, and to withdraw his nomination for the election to be held in the middle of next week. See below the letter sent today to Jean Ziegler.

British Academy Supporting Racist Lecturer Condemned by UK

GENEVA, – The British Academy is supporting a lecturer who has been strongly condemned for racism by British Prime Minister David Cameron and by the Foreign Office's anti-discrimination division, reported UN Watch.

Mugabe Hosting UN Summit for Zimbabwe “Rebranding”

GENEVA, – The non-governmental human rights group UN Watch expressed “grave disappointment” at the UN decision to make Zimbabwe co-host of a global tourism summit, which opens tomorrow, saying it’s a “disgraceful show of support — and a terribly-timed award of false legitimacy — for a brutal, corrupt and authoritarian regime.”

Swiss parliament declares U.N. nomination of Jean Ziegler “inappropriate”

GENEVA, – UN Watch applauded the Swiss parliament today for declaring the U.N. nomination of Jean Ziegler — co-founder, co-manager, and 2002 recipient of the Muammar Gaddafi Human Rights Prize — “inappropriate.”

Scandal: Switzerland Nominates Top Qaddafi Supporter to UN Human Rights Council

GENEVA, Aug. 13 - Switzerland has nominated the founding spokesman of the "Muammar Qaddafi Human Rights Prize" for a position on the United Nations Human Rights Council, a move already drawing sharp controversy.

NGO Applauds UK & Canada for Protesting Mugabe’s UN Tourism Summit

GENEVA, – The non-governmental advocacy group UN Watch welcomed reports that Britain and Canada will not be sending any representatives to a global UN tourism conference being hosted by Zimbabwe later this month.

NGO: UN must condemn Iranian incitement to religious hatred

GENEVA, August 5 -- The Geneva-based non-governmental organization UN Watch today send the following letter appealing for UN chief Ban Ki-moon and human rights commissioner Navi Pillay to condemn the latest incitement to religious hatred and to the elimination of Israel by leaders of Iran and Hezbollah.

UPDATED: Iran’s Rouhani must be condemned by UN for today’s “ugly incitement”

GENEVA, -- A Geneva-based human rights group urged UN chief Ban Ki-moon and the world body's human rights commissioner Navi Pillay to immediately condemn the Iranian regime's incitement to religious hatred in describing Israel today as "a sore" that "has been sitting on the body of the Islamic world for many years." (Source: updated NYT translation.)

UN announces Nov. 12th for Human Rights Council elections, releases names of candidates

• UN Watch calls on U.S., EU & UN’s Ban to end silence over “rogues gallery”
• China’s bid claims “unremitting efforts for promotion of human rights”

GENEVA, — The UN has announced that elections for 14 influential seats on its Human Rights Council will be held on November 12th, with the world body for the first time confirming UN Watch’s report from earlier this month that candidates include China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam and other regimes criticized for widespread human rights abuses.