---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Suhas Chakma <suhaschakma@achrweb.org>
Date: Thu, Mar 11, 2010 at 1:28 PM
Subject: OHCHR's Damning Silence: It needs a new approach to spea k out
To: suhaschakma@achrweb.org
Asian Centre for Human Rights
[ACHR has Special Consultative Status with the UN ECOSOC]
C-3/441-C, Janakpuri, New Delhi-110058, India
Tel/Fax: +91-11- 45501889 25620583
Website: www.achrweb.org; Email: achr_review@achrweb.org
Embargoed for: 11 March 2010
Dear Sir/Madam,
The Asian Centre for Human Rights has the pleasure to share its latest
review, "OHCHR's Damning Silence: It needs a new approach to speak out".
It is available at:
http://www.achrweb.org/Review/2010/229-10.html
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
(OHCHR) is facing a crisis of its own making. In its website, the OHCHR
states "As the principal United Nations office mandated to promote and
protect human rights for all, the OHCHR leads global human rights efforts
speaks out objectively in the face of human rights violations worldwide".
Instead of speaking out, it has shown a preference for silence.
The High Commissioner has failed to publicly condemn many critical issues
and lend voice to the international community. On Sri Lanka, it maintained
silence from 13th March 2009 to the end of the war on 19 May 2009 when
worst violations of international human rights law and international
humanitarian law took place.
Stunningly, the High Commissioner also failed to condemn the coup d'etat
in Niger by the military led by Major Adamu Haruna on 19 February 2010
which was condemned by the African Union.
The High Commissioner also failed to condemn the recent killings of
indigenous tribal peoples in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) of
Bangladesh that the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon found the killings in
the CHTs sufficiently important to express concern.
The UN General Assembly resolution 60/251 establishing the UN Human Rights
Council provides that "the Council shall review its work and functioning
five years after its establishment and report to the General Assembly".
One of the ideas floating around is to make the OHCHR just another UN
agency. The prospect of the OHCHR turning into a UNDP type agency - with
its mandate of engagement with the government at any price - is a
troubling thought.
Irrespective of these ideas, Navi Pillay must take the leadership before
it is too late.
We thought you would find this Review of interest.
With kind regards,
Yours sincerely
Suhas Chakma
Director
Encl: As above.
From: Suhas Chakma <suhaschakma@achrweb.org>
Date: Thu, Mar 11, 2010 at 1:28 PM
Subject: OHCHR's Damning Silence: It needs a new approach to spea k out
To: suhaschakma@achrweb.org
Asian Centre for Human Rights
[ACHR has Special Consultative Status with the UN ECOSOC]
C-3/441-C, Janakpuri, New Delhi-110058, India
Tel/Fax: +91-11- 45501889 25620583
Website: www.achrweb.org; Email: achr_review@achrweb.org
Embargoed for: 11 March 2010
Dear Sir/Madam,
The Asian Centre for Human Rights has the pleasure to share its latest
review, "OHCHR's Damning Silence: It needs a new approach to speak out".
It is available at:
http://www.achrweb.org/Review/2010/229-10.html
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
(OHCHR) is facing a crisis of its own making. In its website, the OHCHR
states "As the principal United Nations office mandated to promote and
protect human rights for all, the OHCHR leads global human rights efforts
speaks out objectively in the face of human rights violations worldwide".
Instead of speaking out, it has shown a preference for silence.
The High Commissioner has failed to publicly condemn many critical issues
and lend voice to the international community. On Sri Lanka, it maintained
silence from 13th March 2009 to the end of the war on 19 May 2009 when
worst violations of international human rights law and international
humanitarian law took place.
Stunningly, the High Commissioner also failed to condemn the coup d'etat
in Niger by the military led by Major Adamu Haruna on 19 February 2010
which was condemned by the African Union.
The High Commissioner also failed to condemn the recent killings of
indigenous tribal peoples in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) of
Bangladesh that the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon found the killings in
the CHTs sufficiently important to express concern.
The UN General Assembly resolution 60/251 establishing the UN Human Rights
Council provides that "the Council shall review its work and functioning
five years after its establishment and report to the General Assembly".
One of the ideas floating around is to make the OHCHR just another UN
agency. The prospect of the OHCHR turning into a UNDP type agency - with
its mandate of engagement with the government at any price - is a
troubling thought.
Irrespective of these ideas, Navi Pillay must take the leadership before
it is too late.
We thought you would find this Review of interest.
With kind regards,
Yours sincerely
Suhas Chakma
Director
Encl: As above.
--
Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
http://nandigramunited-banga.blogspot.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment