The UN General Assembly resolution that established the Human Rights Council
states that members shall uphold the “highest standards” of human rights, but
Sudan and Ethiopia fall far short of that threshold, the organizations said.
“States like Sudan and Ethiopia with records of grave human rights violations
should not be rewarded with seats on the Human Rights Council,” said Hassan
Shire Sheikh, director of the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders
Project. “By endorsing their questionable candidacies, the AU would undermine
the work of the council by tarnishing its membership, and turn its back on
victims of abuses in these countries.”
The makeup of the Human Rights Council reflects the UN’s geographic
composition, with seats allotted by regional group. Five of the 18 seats for
which new members are to be elected to the 47-member council in November are
allotted to African states. The African Group put forward a “clean slate” with
as many candidates as the number of reserved seats: Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia,
Gabon, Sierra Leone, and Sudan.
Without competitive elections, states are deprived of the chance to select the
candidates best suited to serve on the council. The civil society groups urged
the AU to support competition among African states for seats on the council and
ensure that candidates are elected on the basis of their human rights records.
“States should earn their seats on the Human Rights Council,” said Philippe Bolopion,
UN director at Human Rights Watch. “A little bit of healthy competition would
help ensure that only those most serious about human rights get a seat at the
table.”
“States should earn their seats on the Human Rights Council,” said Philippe Bolopion, UN director at Human Rights Watch. “A little bit of healthy competition would help ensure that only those most serious about human rights get a seat at the table.”
