Monthly Archives: February 2006
Bloggers Weigh in on Human Rights Council
Rikomatic: “Nobel Prize Laureates support UN Human Rights Council”
Steve Clemons: “Bolton has Been Trying to Kill the Human Rights Council from the Beginning”
Paper Chase: “US Rejects Proposed UN Human Rights Council Reform”
Thomas Paine’s Corner: “Human Rights Hypocrisy”
Opinio Juris: “U.S. Will Oppose New U.N. Human Rights Council”
Nobel Laureates Support New UN Human Rights Council
TEXT:
We the undersigned Nobel Peace Prize Laureates and representatives of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate organizations urge the creation of a representative and effective UN Human Rights Council.
In virtually every armed conflict since the formation of the United Nations, gross human rights violations have preceded armed conflict. The stripping of rights and recognition of a people sets the stage for genocide and ethnic cleansing. In all continents, human rights violations have provided powerful fuel for the escalation of violence.
Blog Roundup #91
A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary
Daily Kos (DemFromCT): “Combining two favorite topics of mine (bird flu and polling), here’s a bird flu poll, courtesy of Harvard School of Public Health. Some of the interesting findings: “More than half of Americans (57%) report that they are concerned about the potential spread of bird flu in the United States (Figures available here in .ppt). However, only 15% are very concerned at the moment.” Meanwhile, H5N1 is becoming endemic in Europe. This means that the poultry may be exposed again and again to the virus, as has already happened in Hong Kong. The longer term approach may be a better vaccine for poultry and humans; short term, culling and other methods must be used. But senior flu researcher Robert Webster in this paper warns against killing migratory birds: “…culling migratory birds is not acceptable to any international authority (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [FAO], the World Organization for Animal Health [OIE], the World Health Organization [WHO]). The idea of culling migratory birds must be strongly discouraged, for it could have unknown ecologic consequences.”
News Roundup #75
Selected summary of United Nations related news and events
IAEA: Iran Wants to Expand Uranium Program
World Court Opens Landmark Bosnian Genocide Case Against Serbia
U.N. May Upgrade Darfur Peace Force
Empowering Women is Key to Development, Frechette Tells UN Commission
The Calm Voice of Reason
“Pointing out that Islam and the West are not inherently contradictory or monolithic, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan in Doha, Qatar, today called for replacing the loud shouts of extremists with the calm voice of reason.
Blueprint for New, More Effective UN Human Rights Body Unveiled
Jan Eliasson
“Seeking to dramatically bolster the protection of human rights around the world, the President of the United Nations General Assembly today unveiled (pdf) the draft blueprint for a new Human Rights Council with higher status and greater accountability than the much-criticized Human Rights Commission that meets yearly in Geneva.
“While we will build on the positive achievements and best practices of the Commission, some of the elements we are considering will make the Human Rights Council a truly new and different body – a fresh start,” Jan Eliasson of Sweden said in introducing the draft resolution for the body, which was called for by world leaders at the September 2005 summit in New York.” [Read more]
Also see:
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The SC; HRC; DPRK; South Sudan
The SC: The Security Council today held its last consultations under the Council Presidency of ROK. Tomorrow, Russia will take over the rotating Presidency of the Security Council for March under Ambassador Vitaly Churkin.
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The SG; Mali; Middle East; Palestine
The SG: At the Fifth Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations in Vienna, Austria today, the SG emphasized the role of youth in ensuring a “prosperous, equitable and peaceful future.”
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The SG; DRC; HRC; Palestinian Prisoner
The SG: In Ethiopia over the weekend, the SG is now in the United Arab Emirates. Today he met with Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, where the two discussed developments in the region, including Syria, Iran, Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan, and in the Middle East Peace Process.
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