UN Watch

Top Rights Prize Nominee Tweets for Terror

UN Watch & Egyptian rights activists urge global human rights prize to cancel nomination of Mona Seif for advocating violence against civilians Amr Bakly: "The Martin Ennals Award is not for terrorist supporters. . . Mona Saif is a terrorist supporter!" GENEVA, April 30, 2013 – A jury comprised of 10 of the world's leading human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, has nominated an Egyptian activist for a premier human rights prize, even though she "Tweets for terror," said the Geneva-based UN Watch, a non-governmental human rights monitoring organization, which sent a letter today urging the cancelation of Mona Seif's nomination. (See below UN Watch letter to Hans Thoolen, Chair of the Martin Ennals Award jury.)

UN Watch urges event to be canceled after Falk was condemned worldwide

GENEVA, – A famous San Francisco tech finance pioneer is being called upon to cancel his sponsorship of a lecture tomorrow night that will honor a UN official who was denounced by world leaders last week for suggesting that the Boston bombings were somehow the fault of the U.S. and Israel.

Canada indicted by China, Russia, Iran at UN rights review

GENEVA, April 26, 2013 – Today's UN quadrennial review of Canada's human rights record quickly turned into a spectacle of hypocrisy and farce when the North Korean regime of Kim Jong-un took the floor to accuse the country of "torture and other ill-treatment," China, Cuba and Pakistan bewailed Canada's "racism," and Russia deplored "torture and cruelty against peaceful protestors." (See full quotes below).

UN Official Justifies Boston Bombings as ‘Retribution’, Blames America & ‘Tel Aviv

GENEVA, – In a letter sent today to UN chief Ban Ki-moon and U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice (see below), the Geneva-based non-governmental monitoring group UN Watch demanded the condemnation of top UN Human Rights Council official Richard Falk over his latest remarks blaming the Boston terrorist attacks on U.S. foreign policy and “Tel Aviv.”

UNESCO silent as Hamas bulldozes world heritage site to make terrorist training camp

GENEVA, – In an urgent letter sent today to UNESCO director-general Irina Bokova (see letter below), UN Watch demanded immediate action to stop the Hamas bulldozing of a 3000-year-old Gaza harbor for use as a terrorist training camp, as reported today by Al Monitor Palestine Pulse. A copy was also sent to EU foreign minister Catherine Ashton calling on the EU to take action.

U.S. condemns Syria sitting as U.N. human rights judge at Paris assembly

GENEVA, -- UN Watch welcomed U.S. condemnation of Syria's membership on a 30-country United Nations human rights committee that is meeting in Paris today and tomorrow, part of a two-week UNESCO Executive Board session that opened today.

Russian Dissident & Chess Champion Wins Human Rights Award

"UN Watch has decided to grant the Morris B. Abram Human Rights Award to Garry Kasparov for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in Russia," said executive director Hillel Neuer. "Mr. Kasparov is not only one of the world's smartest men, he is also among its bravest."

This morning: Nobel Peace Laureate to address UN debate on settlements

GENEVA, March 18, 2013 - Nobel Peace Laureate David Trimble, member of the British House of Lords, will be taking the floor shortly in this morning's UN Human Rights Council debate on a new report by a fact-finding mission on Israeli settlements, to deliver the following statement on behalf of the Geneva non-governmental organization UN Watch.

Havana tries to block UN testimony of Oswaldo Paya’s daughter

• Daughter of famous Cuban dissident cries foul play; appeal for UN inquiry into his death supported by 46 former presidents and world figures

GENEVA, March 12, 2013 - US intervention prevented Cuba and its allies from blocking a UN speech today by the daughter of Cuba's top dissident, Oswaldo Paya, allowing her to present an appeal, signed by former world leaders and other public figures, for a UN inquiry into his suspicious death in July.

EU’s Ashton: Turkish PM’s Remarks are “Unacceptable now and ever”

GENEVA, - UN Watch, the Geneva-based human rights group that was first to expose and criticize the Turkish prime minister’s UN speech calling Zionism a “crime against humanity,” welcomed today's statement by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton calling Mr. Erdogan's remarks as attributed "unacceptable to the European Union now and ever." This was her first comment on the 2-week-old controversy.

Activists slam U.N. Human Rights Council tribute to dead strongman

GENEVA, - The Geneva-based human rights monitoring group U.N. Watch criticized the chief United Nations human rights body for holding a rare minute of silence today for late Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez, saying that the Cuban-led praise (see below) was "excessive, uncustomary, and disrespectful of its own experts' findings of gross and systematic human rights abuses committed by the Caracas government, and of testimony by Venezuelan victims whom UN Watch had brought before the Council."

Germany Condemns Turkish PM Erdogan for “Hurtful and Unacceptable” Remarks

GENEVA, March 3, 2013 - UN Watch, the Geneva-based human rights group that was first to expose and criticize the Turkish prime minister’s UN speech calling Zionism a “crime against humanity,” welcomed the latest statement by German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle condemning Mr. Erdogan's remarks as "hurtful and unacceptable."

“Erdogan must apologize” for Zionism slur, says rights group which first exposed controversy

GENEVA, - UN Watch, the Geneva-based human rights monitoring group that was the first to expose and urge world leaders to condemn the Turkish prime minister’s UN speech calling Zionism a “crime against humanity,” thanked the UN secretary-general and Washington for speaking out today, but continued to call on Mr. Erdogan to apologize.

Turkey’s Erdogan to UN Conference: “Zionism is Crime Against Humanity”

GENEVA, – UN Watch expressed shock over anti-Jewish remarks delivered by Turkish prime minister Tayyip Erdogan at a UN summit for tolerance, and urged UN chief Ban Ki-moon -- who was present on the stage yet stayed silent -- to speak out and condemn the speech. The Geneva-based human rights group also called on Erdogan to apologize.

Syria Trumpets UN Election to Senior Post

GENEVA, – UN Watch today called on Ban Ki-moon, US Ambassador Susan Rice and EU representatives to condemn the world body's "revolting and absurd" decision to unanimously re-elect the Assad regime to a senior post on a decolonization committee charged with upholding fundamental human rights in opposing the "subjugation, domination and exploitation" of peoples -- a propaganda victory now being trumpeted by Syria's state-funded SANA news agency.

UN Human Rights Council: Time for Concrete Action

GENEVA, – The time has come for the UN’s highest body on human rights to move from rhetoric to concrete action, UN Watch said in advance of the 22nd session of the UN Human Rights Council, a month-long meeting that opens this week with speeches by 100 foreign ministers and other dignitaries.

New UNHRC report on Israel astonishingly disregards UN Watch submission

GENEVA, – UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer issued the following comment on the UN Human Rights Council's latest report on alleged Israeli violations.

Georgetown University Bestows Highest Honor on Chair of UN Watch

"We applaud Ambassador Moses for this prestigious honor," said executive director Hillel Neuer, "and for his dedicated, exemplary and tireless work on behalf of UN Watch and its mission to uphold the founding principles of the United Nations Charter, protect universal human rights, and demand the equal treatment of all nations large and small."

U.N. Adopts Resolutions on Iran, Syria, N. Norea, Burma

GENEVA, – Today the U.N. General Assembly adopted its annual resolutions on the human rights situations in Iran, Syria, North Korea and Burma. Following are comments by UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer:

Human Rights Watch Expels Top U.N. Official Richard Falk

GENEVA, Human Rights Watch has just expelled top U.N. official Richard Falk from one of its committees, where he helped played a key role in the organization's global work. UN Watch, an unrelated non-governmental organization based in Geneva, had called for HRW to sack Falk from the post, noting he has been condemned for spreading antisemitism and 9/11 conspiracies by British Prime Minister David Cameron, U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay.