The outgoing UN human rights chief has said the five permanent members wield too much power as they can veto resolutions even in cases of alleged injustices. Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein has been outspoken during his term.
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Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, the outgoing UN human rights chief, warned on Monday that the world body could "collapse" if the imbalance caused by the excessive powers wielded by the Security Council's five permanent members is not corrected.
"There's a feeling within the UN that there is a sort of pentarchy — the P5 (permanent members) running too much of the business at the expense of the organization itself," Zeid said in reference to the US, Russia, China, France and the UK.
Zeid was alluding to the countries' ability to veto resolutions in cases such as alleged injustices in Syria's war, or actions by Israeli forces against Palestinians.
"When they cooperate things can move, when they don't, everything becomes stuck and the organization in general becomes so marginal to the resolution of these sorts of horrific conflicts that we've seen," he said. "And I think that has to change. In the end the organization can collapse at great cost to the international community."
Washington, on the other hand, has been critical of Zeid for unfairly targeting the Israeli government.
"There is a sense that the permanent five have created a logjam by dint of their proclivity to use the veto, and the paralysis — less so the UK and France — but of course, the US, Russia and China quite frequently," Zeid said on Monday in a discussion with journalists in his office.
Zeid told reporters earlier this month that he did not seek a new four-year term as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights because he did not believe the US, China, and Russia would support him.
In 2006, the United Nations established the Human Rights Council to look into human rights violations across the globe. The council has had its fair share of controversy, mainly due to accusations of anti-Israel bias.
Promote and protect
The United Nations Human Rights Council was established in 2006 to replace the UN Commission on Human Rights. Its purpose is to promote and protect human rights around the world. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, it meets three times per year — in March, June and September.
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Members worldwide
The HRC has 47 member countries, with the seats spread throughout five different global regions. The UN General Assembly elects members directly by secret ballot. Elected countries serve three-year terms, and are not eligible for immediate re-election after serving two consecutive terms.
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Addressing human rights issues
The main function of the HRC is to coordinate the UN's human rights activities and promote international cooperation on human rights issues. It has mechanisms in place to process complaints submitted by individuals, groups or NGOs and investigate human rights abuses. The HRC also works closely with the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein.
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Reports and resolutions
HRC resolutions are passed as political expressions of Council members. They are not legally binding, but often carry moral weight and promote "soft law" principles. They cover human rights issues ranging from freedom of expression, to torture, poverty and justice. Resolutions can lead to the creation of a special rapporteur (e.g. in Myanmar) or inquiry committees (e.g. on Syria or North Korea).
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Controversy
In its most recent annual report in 2017, the OHCHR listed a record 29 nation states that took retaliatory action against citizens working to uncover human rights violations. Nine of those countries were actually on the Human Rights Council. Current members accused of violating human rights in the 2018 Human Rights Watch World Report are Venezuela, Rwanda, China, Saudi Arabia and the DR Congo.
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Accusations of anti-Israel bias
Israel is the only country with a dedicated item on the Council schedule. Agenda Item 7 has existed since 2007 to discuss rights abuses in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Britain has called it "disproportionate and damaging to the cause of peace." Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson threatened to vote against all resolutions "unless things change." And another Council member went even further...
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United States withdraws
On June 19, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said Washington was leaving the HRC; the first time a member has quit before its term was up. "For too long the HRC has been a protector of human rights abusers and a cesspool of political bias," Haley said, citing "unrelenting bias" against Israel. A day earlier, the Council denouced the US policy of separating children from their migrant parents.
