The UN Human Rights Council, ECOSOC, and NGOs
The United Nations Commission on Human Rights, whose activities were widely acknowledged to be extremely biased, particularly against Israel, was replaced in 2005 by a Human Rights Council. However, as predicted by the UN and Israel, which voted against the new framework and sought fundamental changes that would prevent political abuse and exploitation of human rights, the UNHRC has turnout to be no better than the old model.
The new framework also continues to give selected NGOs that enjoy consultative privileges at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) a major influence in promoting anti-Israel agendas. Accreditation to ECOSOC is based in large part on political affiliation, rather than commitment to human rights. For example, China blocked the application of the NGO "Human Rights in China", and the Arab bloc was able to overcome the specific objections to the application from BADIL (a Palestinian political NGO promoting "right of return" claims). After condemning American and Israeli objections to the proposed structure of the UNHRC, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have become strident critics of its biases and failures. However, these NGOs have refused to acknowledged their failed judgment in promoting the new framework, and through their own biased reports and campaigns, have contributed to the failure of the UNHRC.
- NGO Monitor’s Submission to the United Nations Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review– Israel – December 2008, NGO Monitor, July 21, 2008
- Analysis: How Reform Jews almost got kicked out of UN., Haviv Retting, Jerusalem Post, June 10, 2008
- Bracing for Dugard, Malvina Halberstam, New York Sun, June 6, 2008
- HRW publishes criticism of Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iran; but vague on UNHRC abuses, April 14, 2008
- Ronan Farrow, The Wall Street Journal, The U.N.'s Human-Rights Sham, January 29, 2008
- NGO Monitor, European Parliament Hosts UN NGO Anti-Israel Propaganda Conference - August 30-31, 2007
- The U.S. Role in UN Human Rights Reform: Correspondence between Peggy Hicks and Anne Bayefsky, Council of Foreign Relations, July 31, 2006
- Jackson Diehl, "A Shadow on the Human Rights Movement", The Washington Post, June 25, 2007.
- "Cotler addresses UN Human Rights Council in Geneva", June 13, 2007.
- Warren Hoge, "New Human Rights Agency; same old problems", The New York Times, March 11, 2007.
- UN Watch, "NGOS urge European leaders in Geneva to protect Iranian abuses", March 12, 2007.
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