Some Things We're Getting Right
There are some internal governing issues with which the current Government of Canada is earning a barely-passing grade. But when it comes to other, vital, external events on the international scene, no one could fault this current Conservative government for its discerning, even noble stance on human rights. For this they deserve high praise. For this we Canadians can hold our heads high.It is right and meet that a country like Canada, not a world power, but a respected middling presence on the world stage, has the courage of its convictions in opposing an shamelessly politicized venture on the part of human-rights abusing states to shield themselves from public opprobrium.
That Canada's opposition to the scheme failed was to be expected; there is no humiliation in failure. The shame would have been in not raising our voice against moral corruption.
Out of a 192-nation membership, the vote stood at 165 to 7 with several abstentions, to stave off disreputable rule changes for the United Nations Human Rights Council. The vote was part of the UN's social, humanitarian and cultural committee's oversight. One of the UN's six key policy bodies, of which Canada is into the second year of a three-year stint.
Under the proposed new rules meant to represent initiatives geared toward "institution building" (setting ingratiating new rules to protect the reputations of nations given to severe misdemeanors in human rights protections) there would no longer exist human rights investigators for countries like Cuba and Belarus. They would be exempt from finger-pointing criticism and public naming.
Under the same rule changes, it would become difficult to institute council criticisms of any member country - with the sole exception of the State of Israel. For Israel has been selected for special status in this regard. Islamic and Arab states having gone out of their way to ensure she was selected as being in obvious need of censure. Crudely partisan politics in an supposedly otherwise-neutral setting.
The original council was formed for the purpose of upholding the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It was re-named and re-constituted with a promise inherent in the change to more fairly reflect its purpose, having earned the contempt of Western countries by its usurpation of commitment through the invasion of abuser states which were also incidentally anti-Israel.
In its newer incarnation it is obvious that nothing has changed.
The council has in its great wisdom and dedication to universal human rights, considered the situation ongoing in Sudan and events in Burma. No actionable decisions have been taken against oppressor states like Zimbabwe, North Korea, Iran, Belarus and Cuba, regularly criticized for their human rights abuses against their citizens by human rights groups.
Yet the council sees nothing untoward in dedicating entire sessions to discussing and condemning Israel. Canada made an effort toward reversing this travesty, but failed to succeed. UN-based Canadian officials deplored the manner in which the council chair misused "procedural manoeuvring" last June to sideline the Canadian delegates seeking to call a vote on the rules package.
"The proceedings of all United Nations bodies should be models of fairness and transparency", claimed Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. ambassador to the UN. Stating what is obvious to any impartially just observer. However, this clear purpose of detached justness represents a non-issue to too many of the world body's representatives.
Labels: Canada, Political Realities, Traditions
posted by Pieface @ Sunday, November 18, 2007
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