UN Watch

Dutch Diplomat Should Be Fired for Defending Iran’s Election to UN Women, Tweeting “Iran’s Not Misogynist”

GENEVA, – The Geneva-based human rights group UN Watch today called on Dutch foreign minister Bert Koenders (see letter below) to fire a senior human rights diplomat for a series of embarrassing tweets defending the election of Iran’s regime to the board of UN Women because, in her words, “Iran is not misogynist,” its “main religious structure was built for a woman,” and “in [the] metro people stood up for me and gave me all the presents.”

Whistleblowers Urge Ban Ki-Moon and U.N. Executives to Strengthen Anti-Retaliation Measures

WASHINGTON, – Today, a group of nine whistleblowers from the U.N. system sent a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Directors of U.N. Specialized Agencies urging them to do more to protect whistleblowers.

UN Watch statement on today's urgent session on Boko Haram

GENEVA, – UN Watch is participating today at the UN Human Rights Council's Special Session on Boko Haram. Please find below the full UN Watch statement.

N. Korean Defectors visiting Geneva Human Rights session, N. Korea Foreign Minister label them "scum"

GENEVA, - To respond to attacks from North Korea's Foreign Minister, who last week called defectors "scum," a delegation is visiting Geneva to participate at the Human Rights Council, meet UN officials and diplomats, and will be available for interviews next Monday and Tuesday, March 16-17.

Ban Ki-moon must investigate tainted Gaza probe

GENEVA, – The Geneva-based human rights group UN Watch welcomed the resignation of William Schabas from the UN inquiry on Gaza, who had solemnly denied all conflicts of interest in a related UN application, and called on UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to create an independent inquiry to investigate the extent to which Schabas' undeclared conflict of interest has now irretrievably tainted the probe, the integrity of the process by which Schabas was selected, and whether anyone at the UN rights office in Geneva knew about his paid legal work for the PLO.

Comment on Today's UNGA Anti-Semitism Session

GENEVA,– The Geneva-based human rights group UN Watch lauded the United Nations General Assembly for holding a rare special meeting today on the rise of anti-Semitism, yet urged the world body to examine its own actions that, said Executive Director Hillel Neuer, "aid and abet a global culture of demonizing the Jewish state, pouring fuel on the fires of hatred."

Rights group calls for UNHRC to expel Saudi Arabia after today's 50 lashes to rights activist Raif Badawi

GENEVA, – The U.S., France, Germany and the UK should lead a United Nations effort to finally expel Saudi Arabia from the 47-nation UN Human Rights Council after the fundamentalist regime publicly flogged blogger Raif Badawi today for "insulting Islam," said Geneva-based rights group UN Watch.

NGOs hail today's 'historic' UN debate on North Korean abuses

GENEVA, – NGOs hailed the convening today of the first-ever meeting of the UN Security Council on North Korean human rights abuses.

NGOs hail UN resolution seeking referral of N. Korean abuses to ICC

GENEVA, – NGOs hailed the UN adoption today of a draft resolution, introduced by the EU and Japan in the UNGA’s 193-member Third Committee, asking the Security Council to refer the situation of North Korean rights abuses to the International Criminal Court, and to initiate sanctions against perpetrators of crimes against humanity.

North Korean Defector in Geneva and available for interviews, as North Korea tries to water down key UN resolution

GENEVA, - As North Korea tries to water down a key UN General Assembly resolution on North Korean crimes, famous North Korean defector Mr. Ahn Myeong Cheol will visit Geneva to meet UN officials and diplomats and will be available for interviews on Monday and Tuesday, November 17-18.

Swiss president responds to N. Korean defectors’ appeal: won’t freeze regime bank accounts unless U.N. requests

GENEVA, – As reported by the Wall Street Journal, Swiss president Dider Burkhalter has written in a letter to UN Watch that it will take no action to freeze Swiss bank accounts held by North Korean regime figures unless “new developments take place at the Security Council.”

Iranian victims react to UN's review of Tehran's human rights record

GENEVA,Iranian victims and activists who attended today's UN review of Iran in Geneva today reacted sharply to the presentation of chief Iranian delegate Mohammad Larijani, who blamed the West and its "media blitz" for Iran's execution on Saturday of 26-year-old Reyhaneh Jabbari, and insisted she had a fair trial.

Rights abusers win coveted UN rights posts

• Elected to ECOSOC: Misogynistic Pakistan, slave-holding Mauritania, gay-bashing Uganda, repressive Zimbabwe

GENEVA, - UN Watch today called on UN chief Ban Ki-moon, rights commissioner Prince Zeid, U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power and the EU’s Catherine Ashton to condemn yesterday's UN election of slave-holding Mauritania, misogynistic Pakistan, gay-bashing Uganda and repressive Zimbabwe to its 54-member Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), a top U.N. body that regulates human rights groups, shapes the composition of key U.N. women’s rights bodies, and adopts resolutions on subjects ranging from Internet freedom to female genital mutilation.

Victims, activists, experts to expose violations on eve of Iran's UN review

Human rights in Iran

UN Watch condemns EU majority for backing Venezuela's Security Council bid

GENEVA, – Despite Venezuela's record of human rights abuses against judges, students and peaceful protesters, and its backing of Syria's Assad regime, a majority of EU member states today were among the 181 states that voted Venezuela onto the UN Security Council, drawing the ire of human rights activists.

Controversial Israeli Arab Priest to Address UN Tomorrow

GENEVA, – A Greek Orthodox priest from Nazareth who is one of the most controversial public figures in Israeli Arab society will tomorrow address the 47-nation UN Human Rights Council.

Today: As UN debates North Korean human rights, 20 famous survivors of atrocities urge Switzerland to freeze regime bank accounts

GENEVA, – When the UN rights council this morning debates North Korea's record, a human rights NGO will take the floor to present an open letter sent today by 20 North Korean defectors to Swiss president Didier Burkhalter calling to freeze the regime's bank accounts held in the country.

Rights group criticizes UN resolution for giving free pass to Baghdad abuses

GENEVA, – A 21-year-old Iraqi Christian woman made an impassioned appeal today before a UN meeting on ISIS atrocities, speaking on behalf of the Geneva-based human rights group UN Watch, which spearheaded this month's campaign by rights activists, MPs and Iraqi minority leaders calling for the emergency session, with a rally, press conference and diplomatic marathon featuring Iraqi Christian and Yazidi leaders. (See Maryam Wahida’s testimony below.)

Rights coalition welcomes UN urgent session on Iraq, demands "concrete outcomes"

GENEVA, – The Geneva-based human rights group UN Watch, which spearheaded this month's campaign by rights activists, MPs and Iraqi minority leaders for an emergency UN Human Rights Council session on Iraq, welcomed the news that a meeting will likely be held next Monday, but demanded an outcome with "concrete actions to help the desperate people on the ground."

Iraqi Minorities in Geneva Meet UN, US, EU, Demand Emergency Session

GENEVA, - The following statement was issued today by Mr. Breen Tahseen, the son and spokesman of Prince Tahseen, leader of the Yazidi people, at the conclusion of Geneva diplomatic meetings: