UN Human Rights Council meets: criticism of Russia’s treatment of opponents of the war
Status: 12.09.2022 4:06 p.m
Many conflicts are the focus of the new session of the UN Human Rights Council. Interim High Commissioner Al-Nashif, with a view to Russia, criticized the punishment of opponents of the aggressive war in Ukraine.
“The coming months are a crucial test of political will,” Acting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif said in Geneva. At the start of the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council, Al-Nashif presented an overview of the human rights situation worldwide. Since the previous meeting of the Council in June, there were further serious concerns about the human rights situation in countries – action was urgently needed. Al-Nashif called himself Afghanistan, Belarus, Myanmar and Ukraine, among others.
Criticism of Russia, warning to the EU states
With regard to Russia, she criticized the intimidation and punishment of opponents of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. “Fundamental human rights and liberties are being undermined in the Russian Federation, including the right to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly. Information is masked, journalists are put under pressure, and the Internet is censored. The right to access information is being violated.”
The Acting UN Human Rights Commissioner referred to the continuing suffering of the civilian population in Ukraine, but also to the serious international consequences of the war, such as the food crisis in the world’s poorest countries and the energy crisis. Here, Al-Nashif warned the EU states in particular to consider the consequences of investments in fossil fuels. In the climate crisis there is no room for regression.
Beijing declares cooperation over
Al-Nashif only briefly mentioned the UN Human Rights Office’s report on China’s serious human rights violations in the Xinjiang region. “On August 31, my office released its report on China’s Xinjiang region with recommendations for the government and other stakeholders.”
It is unlikely that the Chinese government will follow these recommendations from the United Nations. Last Friday, the Chinese UN ambassador told journalists in Geneva that cooperation with the UN human rights office was more or less over. The Bureau closed the door on cooperation with the publication of the “so-called report”.
Xinjiang report off agenda
The government in Beijing reacted to the UN report with massive resistance and rejected the portrayal of human rights violations as interference in internal affairs and as defamation.
The controversial report is not yet on the agenda of the session of the Human Rights Council that began today. The German UN Ambassador Katharina Stasch told the ARD studio Geneva, they are waiting for the new UN human rights commissioner, Volker Türk, to present the report in Geneva. The report documents very clearly that China has committed blatant human rights violations.
Kick-off of the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council
Kathrin Hondl, ARD Geneva, September 12, 2022 3:43 p.m