Posted on 02/21/2010 10:19:23 AM PST by SJackson
At the UN’s Universal Periodic Review on Iran’s human rights record, the US’s Posner spoke for a grand total of 2 minutes.
The Obama administration revealed a major plank of its Iran plan this week at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. While Iranian dissidents are dying on the streets, locked up in torture chambers or corralled into show trials, the president is desperate to seem to be doing something. What better venue for keeping up appearances than the UN? Hence, during a concoction called the “universal periodic review” (UPR), Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Michael Posner gave a speech on Monday critical of various Iranian abominations – for a grand total of two minutes.
The UPR process is touted as the centerpiece of the operations of the Human Rights Council, the UN’s lead human rights body created over Bush administration objections in 2006. Posner did not use the occasion on the world stage to mention by name the American citizens now being held hostage in Iran or to demand their immediate release.
The whole UPR spectacle is structured so as to focus on one country for three hours once every four years. The country under consideration is allotted one of those precious three hours. In Iran’s case, the delegation, headed by Mohammad Javad Larijani, secretary general of the High Council of Human Rights, used the UN-provided opportunity to spend over an hour regaling the world about its glorious human rights record. The delegation included two women wearing heavy chadors who were permitted to exalt women’s rights in Iran, and a Christian brought in to applaud the situation of non-Muslims.
In addition, 54 states raced through their two-minute remarks, having time to do little else than line up pro and anti the regime’s behavior. The regime’s apologists had the last word – which was actually met by a round of applause.
Western states managed to list a few problems, like a criminal code which advocates stoning. On the other side, the likes of Sudan, China, Cuba, Syria and Zimbabwe spoke about Iran’s commitment to democracy. NGOs were not allowed to speak.
The UN secretariat from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights took great pains not to be perceived as taking sides, since apparently the Iranian human rights record was not sufficiently clear. They managed to ensure that there were exactly 27 states on either side of the debate over Iran’s human rights credentials.
Council President Alex Van Meeuwen of Belgium inserted himself into the proceedings only twice. The first came after Larijani referred to “Zionist terrorists.” Although the UN staff would have had the remarks in advance, only after the fact did Van Meeuwen announce that all statements should show respect. Then, without provocation, he made a similar statement following the two minutes of Israeli Ambassador to the UN Aharon Leshno-Yaar, who had merely called upon Iranian leaders to cease denying the Holocaust. The UN’s idea of even-handedness.
AFTER MONDAY, there are two more steps in the UPR process. An outline of Monday morning’s remarks will be prepared, including any recommendations made. Iran will then be given an opportunity to accept or reject such recommendations. And some months down the road a report containing a summary of the whole exercise will be adopted by the Human Rights Council. The council process will be carefully orchestrated to last one hour: 20 minutes’ speaking time for the country concerned, 20 minutes’ speaking time for states and 20 minutes speaking time for all NGOs.
After that, reports are immediately gaveled through, despite the fact that all human rights abusing states routinely reject all of the genuine recommendations.
Iran is not the slightest bit concerned that the council will translate Posner’s two minutes into anything that bites. The council has never adopted a resolution worried about human rights in Iran; it’s too busy condemning Israel more often than all the other 191 UN states combined. Back in 2002, the former commission eliminated the position of UN human rights investigator on Iran, and the chance of it reappearing as a consequence of these proceedings are zero.
So when the Obama administration touts its 120-second speech as evidence of its effort to get serious about Iran, or as an excuse for having joined the UN’s viciously anti-Israel Human Rights Council, be warned.
If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
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Perhaps we didn't want to hurt their feelings. Perhaps they're pretty good guys after all, stoning, genocide, most nations do that, don't they?
I’m a bit surprised that we criticized Iran at all. I thought Obama was on their side.
What a pathetic administration
The U.N., and the world, is going right back to where it was in the 1970’s. Reagan dealt with this by sending Jeane Kirkpatrick to the U.N., a tough as nails lady who utterly refused to compromise on moral clarity; and by insistently pursuing human rights issues through alternate venues, e.g. the Helsinki accords, and doing so with the open and shameless intent of shaming enemies of liberty.
As has been said before the Un is a useless money sucking beast that we need to get off our shores.
On a governmental level, we are a nation of weaklings, and our enemies don't necessarily understand our populace, irrelevant under their systems. A dangerous situation. From the mouth of Assistant SOS Michael Posner, representing America, the worlds Last Best Hope.
UN Human Rights CouncilTHE UPR WORKING GROUP SEVENTH SESSION
Consideration of UPR Reports
Report of the UPR Working Group on Iran
Statement by the Delegation of the United States of America
Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Michael Posner
(As prepared for delivery)
Thank you, Mr. President.
I am pleased to participate in the Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review of Iran.
The United States strongly condemns the recent violent and unjust suppression of innocent Iranian citizens, which has resulted in detentions, injuries and deaths. Since last June millions of Iranian people have sought to raise legitimate concerns about the 2009 electoral process and to exercise their universal rights. The Government of Iran has suppressed their protests, often resorting to violence.
The United States also strongly condemns the growing restrictions on freedom of expression. News organizations have been shut down and Iranian and foreign journalists arrested, detained, or prevented from doing their job. Access to the internet also has been curtailed.
What we are saying here echoes the blog posts, emails, and news stories written by Iranians who are struggling to exercise their very right to free expression that the government is trying so hard to curtail.
We are deeply concerned about the status of detainees in Iran, including foreign nationals and American citizens, and the lack of due process accorded them. In addition to last year’s clearly improper “show” trials, there are credible reports of torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment in Iranian prisons, including stoning and the execution of minors.
We also are deeply concerned about systematic government violations of religious freedom. Prominent reformers from the Shi’a community have received harsh prison sentences, many on charges of ‘insulting Islam.” More than 200 Baha’i leaders have been executed since 1979. We are concerned about the welfare and legal rights of seven Baha’i leaders imprisoned for more than a year and now on trial on unsubstantiated charges. Members of these religious communities, as well as Iran’s Sufi Muslims, are increasingly subject to surveillance, harassment, prolonged arbitrary detention, and unsubstantiated legal proceedings.
In light of these and related concerns the United States makes the following recommendations:
• That the Government of Iran respect all of its international human rights treaty obligations.
• That it provide due process of law for those charged with crimes, and discontinue the use of mass “show” trials.
• That the government end its severe restrictions on the rights to free expression, association, and assembly, and end the harassment and persecution of journalists and bloggers.
• That it also uphold its constitutional provisions guaranteeing freedom of worship.
• That the government take immediate action to cease the practice of torture in detention facilities and prisons, and take immediate measures to monitor, fully investigate, and prosecute allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
• That it allow UN Special Rapporteur on Torture to visit the country and provide him with access to its detention facilities and prisoners.
• Finally, that the Government of Iran allow for a visit by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and by other UN Special Rapporteurs and experts who have requested access to Iran
And we're proud of this statement, else an Embassy website wouldn't be posting it.
Bumping and bookmarking
Nothing was said that hasn’t been said and known for along long time....waste of time and money...same o’ same o’.
Yes. America did it to the Indians, and the ancient Hebrews did it to the Canaanites, and the Turks did it to the Armenians, and the Germans did it to the Jooos, so genocide is OK, so long as they say they’ll punish the Great Satan for its many crimes, including (pause for organ music) genocide (gasp!)./S
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