All victims of human rights abuses should be able to look to the Human Rights Council as a forum and a springboard for action. (Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General, 12 March 2007, Opening of the 4th Human Rights Council Session.)
Article
55 of United Nations Charter includes: “Universal respect for and
observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without
distinction as to race, sex, language or religion.”
In diametrical
opposition to these fine founding aspirations, the UN has appointed
Saudi Arabia’s envoy to the United Nations Human Rights Council to head
(or should that be “behead”) an influential human rights panel. The
appointment was seemingly made in June, but only came to light on 17
th September, due to documents obtained by UN Watch (1.)
…
Mr Faisal Bin Hassan Trad, Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador at the UN in
Geneva, was elected as Chair of a panel of independent experts on the UN
Human Rights Council.
As head of a five-strong group of
diplomats, the influential role would give Mr Trad the power to select
applicants from around the world for scores of expert roles in countries
where the UN has a mandate on human rights.
Such experts are often described as the “crown jewels” of the HRC, according to UN Watch.
The
“crown jewels” have been handed to a country with one of the worst
human rights records in the world. Saudi Arabia will head a Consultative
Group of five Ambassadors empowered to select applicants globally for
more than seventy seven positions to deal with human rights violations
and mandates.
In a spectacular new low for even a UN whose former
Secretary General, Kofi Annan, took eighteen months to admit publicly
that the 2003 invasion of, bombardment and near destruction of Iraq was
illegal, UN Watch points out that the UN has chosen: “a country that has
beheaded more people this year than ISIS to be head of a key Human
Rights panel …” (2)
In May, just prior to the appointment, the
Saudi government advertised for eight extra executioners to: “ … carry
out an increasing number of death sentences, which are usually
beheadings, carried out in public” (3.)
Seemingly: “no special
qualifications are needed.” The main function would be executing, but
job description: “also involves performing amputations …”
The advert was posted on the website of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ministry of the Civil Service.
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