FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UN Human Rights Council Membership Must be Earned by Upholding Highest Standards: Clean Slates Permitted Empty Pledges by Asian States

(Geneva/Bangkok, 13 November 2012) - Yesterday's elections of members to the Human Rights Council by the United Nations General Assembly in New York has demonstrated the unfortunate continuation of reproachful practices in electing Asian member States to the UN's principal body which is responsible for promoting universal respect for the protection of human rights, as only 5 candidates were put forward to fill the 5 vacant seats for the Asia group. "The clean-slate practice has become the rule rather than the exception. We reiterate time and again that it is contrary to the spirit of competitive elections and undermines any genuine opportunity for the UN General Assembly to select Council members based on their demonstrated commitment to uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights", stated Yap Swee Seng, executive director of Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), a regional human rights organization representing 49 non governmental organizations across Asia.]

Japan, Pakistan and South Korea have garnered membership at the Council for 2013-2015, which has followed from their most recent Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group sessions of 22 October-5 November 2012. "Civil society expects governments to engage in open and inclusive consultative processes with stakeholders, not just during the UPR, but also in the process of drafting their voluntary pledges when seeking Council membership. Furthermore, pledges and commitments made to the Council on international contributions to human rights should be based on structured and principled positions which are inclusive of the views and expectations of civil society", stressed Kazuko Ito, secretary-general of Human Rights Now (HRN), Japan.

Civil society in South Korea also expressed their deep disappointment with their government's responses during the recent UPR, in which the government presented a skewed view of the implementation of its human rights obligations[1]. "The voluntary pledges made by the government for the Council membership are as hollow as those presented during the UPR. The government must take further efforts to ensure realistic, measurable and time-bound concrete action points which streamline recommendations from various UN human rights mechanisms", urged Taeho Lee, secretary-general of People's Solidarity for Participatory Democrac  (PSPD), South Korea.

Pakistan outlined in its voluntary pledges as well as during its UPR, the influential role it has played at the Council, particularly as the coordinator of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). "Pakistan's redirection at the Council towards forging consensus on contentious issues such as the incitement to hatred and the right to freedom of expression must be strengthened further through principled approaches that do not undermine existing universal human right norms and standards. Such developments at the Council should also be applied at the national level, particularly as the government is increasingly adopting a strategy of digital censorship and surveillance in the name of safeguarding national security, religious values and morality[2]", expressed Shahzad Ahmad, country director of Bytes for All, Pakistan.

Meanwhile, highlighting the joint letter of 35 human rights organizations dated 9 November 2012,[3] which was addressed to all candidates of the 12 November elections to the Council membership, FORUM-ASIA once more urged that member States of the Council fully cooperate with the UN human rights mechanisms, particularly Special Procedures, and ensure free and safe engagement of all human rights defenders and NGOs with these mechanisms without the fear of reprisals. [END]

For further inquiries, please contact: