The Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy took place on March 13, 2012, organized by UN Watch and an international coalition of 20 NGOs. The Summit, which ran in parallel to the main session of the U.N. Human Rights Council, produced alternative draft resolutions for the Council to consider. These deal with urgent human rights situaitons that have so far been ignored by the international community. These are:
Rights groups to oppose bids by Pakistan and Venezuela for UN Human Rights Council
GENEVA, Feb. 22 – The governments of Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez and Pakistan are slated to run unopposed for seats on the UN’s 47-nation Human Rights Council this year, reported the independent monitoring group UN Watch, citing sources close to the UN.
“It’s an outrage,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of the Geneva-based UN Watch, who announced the formation of an international coalition of parliamentarians and human rights groups to block both candidacies, “due to their poor records on human rights protection at home and on human rights promotion at the UN.” Continue reading ‘Chavez running for seat on top UN rights body’
PDF of original letter
PERMANENT MISSION OF PAKISTAN
TO THE UNITED NATIONS AND
OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
56 me de Moillebeau
1211 Geneva 19
Tel: (4122) 7491930
Fax: (4122) 734 8085
E-mail: mission.vakistan@ties.ita.int.
Ambassador
No. Pol/S0/2012
14 February 2012
H.E. Ms. Laura Dupuy Lasserre
President of the Human Rights Council
Geneva
My dear President,
I am writing to you in my capacity as Coordinator of the OIC Group on Human Rights and Humanitarian Issues in Geneva.
2. I wish to explain the position taken by the Member States of the OIC onResolution 17/19 and the subsequent Panel on “Discrimination and Violence based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity” scheduled to be held on 7 March 2012 during the 19′th Session of the Human rights Council.
3. The OIC States are deeply concerned by the introduction in the Human Rights Council of controversial notions like “sexual orientation and gender identity.” The OIC countries have been consistent in their opposition to the consideration of these controversial notions in the context of human right at international fora. Continue reading ‘Letter from UN’s Islamic group to UNHRC President Opposing Panel on Violence Against Gays’
The Pakistan government sees the failure of the United Nations to issue a resolution regarding the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks despite unprecedented pressure from India, as its diplomatic win over its neighbour, reports Asian News International (ANI).
Pakistan’s U.N. Ambassador Hussain Haroon said Pakistan was emerging as the most important country on the world map due to Islamabad’s diplomatic efforts.
“It is shameful that U.N. bodies such as the Human Rights Council have ignored the victims of the Mumbai terror attack due to political pressure by Pakistan, which chairs the 56-strong Islamic group,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch. “Pakistan is cheering because the U.N. chose politics over victims.”
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