Human Rights Watch called on UN member states not to vote for several countries, led by the UAE, in the elections of the Human Rights Council.
The international organization said - in a statement - that the United Nations elections are uncompetitive for members of the Human Rights Council, and actually guarantee seats for candidate countries that have a very poor human rights record.
The lack of competition in this year's Human Rights Council elections is a mockery of the word "elections," said Louis Charbonneau, director of the United Nations division at Human Rights Watch, and argued that the election of serious human rights violators such as Cameroon, Eritrea, and the United Arab Emirates sends a frightening message that UN members They are not serious about the council's primary mission of protecting human rights.
Today, Wednesday, Human Rights Watch published a statement on its official website in which it clarified that the uncompetitive United Nations elections for members of the "Human Rights Council" actually guarantee seats for candidate countries that have a very poor human rights record.
She stressed that UN member states should abstain from voting in favor of Cameroon, Eritrea, the United Arab Emirates and other candidates who do not meet the qualifications for membership in the highest human rights body in the United Nations.
The UAE ignored "human rights"
In its statement, Human Rights Watch said that UAE leaders have made great efforts to present the country as progressive, tolerant and respectful, but the human rights situation in it remains poor.
On Thursday, October 14, 2021, the United Nations General Assembly is scheduled to elect 18 members of the 47-country Human Rights Council for a 3-year term starting in January 2022.
UN General Assembly Resolution 60/251 - which established the Human Rights Council - urges countries to vote for members to "take into account ... the contribution of candidates to the promotion and protection of human rights."
Council members are required to adhere to "the highest standards in promoting and protecting human rights" at home and abroad, and to "cooperate fully with the Council."
Members of the 193-member General Assembly are not obligated to vote for all available seats, so they should not vote for incompetent candidates.
To win a seat, the candidate countries are supposed to obtain a majority of votes (97) in the elections by secret ballot.
Although there is no precedent, in theory a candidate could not secure a sufficient number of votes in a non-competitive election.
Human Rights called on UN member states to conduct a thorough review of the records of all candidates for council membership, and Charbonneau said, "UN member states should ensure that all regional lists in future Human Rights Council elections are competitive. This is the best way to keep violating candidates out of the council." .