Nikki Haley: Human Rights Council remained silent on Iran's January protests
The US representative to the United Nations has accused the UN Human Rights Council of not paying attention to human rights violations and said that the council did not react during the nationwide protests in Iran in January.
Nikki Haley said at a meeting held Wednesday afternoon at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington: “In December and earlier this year, the people of Iran took to the streets and peacefully protested against their terrible government. The government responded with beatings, arrests, and killings, and the Human Rights Council remained silent.”
The nationwide protests in Iran last January left at least 25 people dead, hundreds injured, and about 5,000 people arrested.
Following these protests, at the request of the United States, a meeting was held at the UN Security Council regarding these unrest and the repression of the protesters, which ended without any specific results.
Speaking on Wednesday about the reasons for the US withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council, Ms. Haley emphasized the importance of human rights for the US, including the holding of this Security Council meeting on Iran.
Ms. Haley also cited Agenda Number 7 as one of the main reasons for leaving the council. According to this agenda, Israeli human rights violations against Palestinians must be discussed at every session of the Human Rights Council.
Ms. Haley said on Wednesday that the council has not considered such a permanent agenda for any other country, "not Iran, not Syria, not North Korea."
He emphasized that since the United States became a member of the Council in 2009, despite America's patience and efforts, the Council has not made the necessary "reforms," which has resulted in the United States' withdrawal from the Council.
The United States withdrew from the UN Human Rights Council in late June.
The US representative to the UN also cited the membership of countries such as "Cuba, Venezuela, and China" in the council as another reason for the US withdrawal, emphasizing that these countries are "among the worst violators of human rights."
He added that some member states were secretly expressing "disgust" at the membership of countries such as "Cuba, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, and Congo" in the council, but all of these statements were limited to behind closed doors and away from public view.
Without naming these countries, Ms. Haley said that although they also believe in the inherent dignity of human beings, "they do not have the courage to make change," adding: "They have a vote and a voice, but they choose not to use it."
Nikki Haley also emphasized that the US withdrawal from the council does not mean that the country is inactive in the field of human rights, and continued to prove her point by saying that this month the United States was able to thwart Russian and Chinese efforts to reduce the number of UN peacekeepers.
He accused the UN Human Rights Council of "political corruption and moral bankruptcy" and, while emphasizing America's desire to change the shape of the Council, stated that "correcting the shortcomings" of the Council has been and will be one of the UN's priorities.
Source: Radio Farda
