Hypocritical UN Human Rights Council Members Exploit George Floyd Killing

By Joseph A. Klein, CFP United Nations Columnist —— Bio and Archives June 21, 2020

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The dysfunctional United Nations Human Rights Council, which the United States exited for good reason two years ago, is exploiting the tragic killing of George Floyd. The Council decided to hold a U.S. bashing fest entitled “Urgent debate on systemic racism and police brutality in the United States.” The debate, which concluded on June 18th, followed on the heels of a harsh anti-American statement issued by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. That statement denounced the United States for alleged “systemic and structural discrimination” which “disproportionately promotes racial disparities against African Americans.” It called for the United States to make what would amount to a public confession of the alleged “existence of structural racial discrimination” in American society.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said, after referencing George Floyd’s killing specifically, that it was “necessary to make amends for centuries of violence and discrimination, including through formal apologies, truth-telling processes, and reparations in various forms.” UN Special Rapporteur E. Tendayi Achiume urged the Human Rights Council to create a UN Commission of Inquiry on Systemic Racism and Law Enforcement in the United States, which was also advocated by the UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent and anti-American so-called human rights groups. The UN Human Right Council’s “urgent debate” was requested by Burkina Faso on behalf of over 50 African countries. “The tragic events of 25 May in Minneapolis in the US which led to the death of George Floyd led to protests throughout the world against injustice and police brutality that persons of African descent face on a daily basis in many regions of the world," Dieudonné W. Désiré Sougouri, Permanent Representative of Burkina Faso, said in a statement. Why, Mr. Sougouri, were you and the world silent about police brutality in your own country when Burkina Faso’s security forces allegedly executed 31 unarmed detainees on April 9, 2020 in the northern town of Djibo? George Floyd's brother, Philonise Floyd, asked the Council members for their help to “get justice for my brother George Floyd." He told them via video, “You in the United Nations are your brothers and sisters’ keepers in America, and you have the power to help us.” If George Floyd’s brother is seeking justice for his brother from the UN Human Rights Council, he will be sorely disappointed. Members of the Human Rights Council who are the most vociferous in railing against the United States are among the world’s worst serial human rights abusers. Current non-member dictatorships Iran, North Korea, and China, equipped with plenty of experience in killing, torturing and imprisoning their own citizens at will, added their voices to the Council's open debate targeting the United States. In a statement delivered to the United Nations Human Rights Council on June 16, 2020 by Hillel Neuer, the executive director of the Geneva-based independent human rights group UN Watch, Mr. Neuer cited several examples of African members of the Council with horrendous records of racism and oppression. Yet these countries dare to sit in judgment of the United States.

Yet these countries dare to sit in judgment of the United States

Mauritania, Mr. Neuer pointed out, has “an estimated 500,000 black slaves, with CNN referring to Mauritania as ‘slavery’s last stronghold.’” Libya, Mr. Neuer said, “subjects up to a million African migrants to virtual slavery—trapped in a terrifying cycle of extortion, imprisonment, forced labor and prostitution,” while Cameroon “crushes protests by the English-speaking population, and has committed atrocities, including massacring civilians, rape, and burning villages.” The Democratic Republic of Congo’s “police just 2 months ago killed 55 people, in a coordinated crackdown on a religious sect,” Mr. Neuer added. Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, was asked at a press briefing on June 17th how the opinions on police brutality in the United States by the likes of Venezuela and other Council members with atrocious human rights records can be taken seriously. Haq replied with the moral obtuseness of the typical UN bureaucrat that “there's no rule that says that, in order to take issues seriously, we must ourselves be perfect.” He added, “In order to deal with these issues, we ourselves have to take a critical look and a hard look at what each country does.” The United States does not claim to be perfect. No human being is perfect. However, the direction of U.S. history is towards creating a more inclusive society with equal opportunity and the equal protection of the law for all. The United States is dealing directly and openly with its past and present shortcomings. It is directly addressing race relations and police misconduct today, with remedial steps being taken at the federal, state and local levels. “We call upon all governments to demonstrate the same level of transparency and accountability that the U.S. and our democratic partners practice,” said the U.S. ambassador in Geneva, Andrew Bremberg. The United States certainly does not need the advice of UN bureaucrats, unaccountable globalist forums or mouthpieces representing psychotic dictatorships.