U.S. ends boycott of UN Human Rights Council
The UN Human Rights Council started a new session marked by the return of the U.S. and deep divisions over the council’s outlook.
The meeting held on Monday.
The crackdown on political dissent in Myanmar and Belarus and the ongoing violations amid Syria’s decade-long civil war were among the top agenda items for the month-long meeting that is taking place online instead of in Geneva.
Washington gave up its seat in the top UN rights body in 2018 while Donald Trump was U.S. president.
President Joe Biden’s new administration decided to end the U.S. boycott and attend the Human Rights Council as an observer country.
However, Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has made it clear that the U.S. still has deep misgivings about the council’s unrelenting focus on Israel and some council members’ problematic human rights records of some council members.
Mr. Blinken is scheduled to address the session on Tuesday.
Council members China and Russia, along with previous member Saudi Arabia, recently nearly derailed the appointment of Fijian diplomat and former high court judge Nazhat Shameem Khan as Human Rights Council president.
According to diplomats in Geneva, the stand-off over Khan highlights the different attitude towards human rights among council members such as Russia, China, Cuba, Venezuela, the Philippines, and Pakistan.
These members frequently argue that the council should not meddle in other countries’ internal matters by censuring them for rights abuses or by launching investigations.
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette
Agriculture
FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology
The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices
Politics
Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku
“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”
Africa
Guterres demands Africa’s minerals create jobs, backs permanent UN seats
António Guterres has demanded an end to the plundering of Africa’s mineral resources, insisting the continent’s wealth must create jobs and prosperity for Africans.
Economy
Nigeria push for end of exploitation of Africa’s mineral resources at UNGA81
President Bola Tinubu has called for a fresh continental push to end the exploitation of Africa’s critical mineral resources.
Heading 4
Lawyer Ikeni Mbako-Allison suspended after being found guilty of harassing woman in UK
“Ikeni Mbako-Allison, a barrister, behaved in a way which is likely to diminish the trust and confidence which the public would place in him or in the profession,” the BSB said.
Abuja
Dangote Refinery: Abuja motorists, commuters decry delay in petrol price cuts
Motorists and commuters across Abuja have decried petrol stations’ failure to reduce petrol prices following the Dangote Refinery’s latest N25 per litre cut.
Anti-Corruption
Crown Medical Solutions, owners reach agreement with U.S. govt over fraudulent billing scheme
Crown and its owners, Michelle and Philanzo King, have agreed to pay $825,000 to resolve allegations of submitting false claims to Medicare for payment.
World
UK govt charges Vincent ‘Bajinya’ Brown with crimes linked to Rwandan genocide
The UK police, in a statement on Monday, said Mr Brown was the first to be charged in the UK over a link to the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
