While a new year can mean new beginnings, Steerpike would hate for anyone to forget some of 2015’s more ‘interesting’ incidents. So Mr S thanks the Geneva-based UN Watch for the following list which highlights the ten worst moments of 2015 when it comes to the United Nations:
10. Iran elected to UN Women Executive Board
‘Electing the Iranian regime to the UN women’s rights board is like making a pyromaniac into the town fire chief,’ said UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer.
9. Genocide warnings aside, Burundi wins seat on UN Human Rights Council
Although a 2010 Transparency International report named Burundi as East Africa’s most corrupt country, the country won a seat on the UN Human Rights Council.
8. UN Human Rights Council elects Venezuela regime, rolls out red carpet for Maduro special address
A standing ovation for Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, as he launched into a 40-minute speech with no right of reply at a UN event.
7. Bribery: Former General Assembly president arrested in UN corruption scandal
John Ashe, the former United Nations General Assembly President, was arrested on charges that he accepted over $1.3 million in bribes from Chinese businessmen — and subsequently used it to live the high life, natch.
6. Genocidal Sudan elected to leadership position at UNESCO
Even though Sudan’s president Omar al-Bashir stands accused of genocide by the world body’s top war crimes court, the country was elected to the esteemed UN Human Rights Council.
5. UNGA condemns Israel 20 times, 3 on rest of the world combined
While not one UN General Assembly’s 2015 session this year was aimed at China, Sudan or Saudi Arabia, Israel was singled out for criticism and received 20 resolutions. Only three resolutions were not aimed at Israel, with one on Syria, one on Iran and one on North Korea.
4. Nemesis of UN rights experts is himself elected a UN rights expert
The UNHRC appointed Idriss Jazairy as one of its human rights monitors. This is the same Idriss Jazairy who during his time as Algerian ambassador attempted to impose a ‘Code of Conduct’ on the Council’s human rights monitors.
3. Paris attacks: UN rights expert says it was a response to ‘grave injustices’ perpetrated by developed countries
Alfred de Zayas — the UN Human Rights Council’s ‘Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order’ — wrote a 1500-word essay in response to the Paris attacks. In it, he argues that ‘terrorism, albeit neither justified nor justifiable, is partly a response to grave injustices and on-going abuses perpetrated by the dominant, primarily developed countries, against populations of less developed countries’.
2. UN re-elects Syria to leadership post on Decolonization Committee, fighting “subjugation of peoples”
Once again Syria is re-elected to the Decolonization Committee which opposes the ‘subjugation, domination and exploitation’ of peoples.
1. U.N. elects Saudi Arabia to be head of Human Rights Council panel
Saudi Arabia may be notorious for its human rights record when it comes to freedoms for women, minorities and dissidents, but that didn’t stop Faisal bin Hassan Trad — Saudi Arabia’s ambassador at the UN in Geneva — being elected as chair of a panel of independent experts on the UN Human Rights Council.
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