Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-06-06-Speech-3-112"
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"en.20070606.14.3-112"2
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".
Mr President, respect for human rights is of universal value and importance and is of course a fundamental principle of the EU. This House, not surprisingly, pays particular attention to this principle, as shown by the regular production of reports and resolutions dealing with human rights violations around the world.
It was with great sadness that for years we watched the rather ineffective work of the Human Rights Commission, and it was with much relief that we welcomed, approximately a year ago, the replacement of the Human Rights Commission by the Human Rights Council. In the words of a Human Rights Watch representative, the Human Rights Commission in effect became the abusers’ club, because abusive governments were eager to be part of it in order to block action on themselves and on countries elsewhere. Unfortunately, our hopes for changes for the better were somewhat shaken after the Council elections, when Angola, Egypt and Qatar gained seats. Those three countries have a well-known, atrocious record of human rights abuses. The non-election of Belarus to the Council was a relief, although this occurred only by a tiny margin.
During the Human Rights Council’s first year, we have seen some changes which have improved its function, but it has to be said that these changes were not spectacular. We expect and hope that more promising improvements are on the way. The Geneva-based Council has so far shown eagerness to deal with worldwide problems promptly and repeatedly if necessary, but the effectiveness of its work has to be looked at more critically. An example is the fact that last year the Council adopted no less than eight resolutions criticising Israel for its military actions in the Palestinian territories in Lebanon. These resolutions had some, but not much, usefulness in practical terms. This is not the fault of the UN Human Rights Council, but that Council has to assume some responsibility for not finding ways to make its voice heard more seriously. Other examples include the Council’s problematic dealings with Uzbekistan and Iran.
As the next session of the Council is due to ..."@en1
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