Community of Democracies Urged to Support Strong Candidates for UN Human Rights Council
Freedom House, together with the Democracy Coalition Project and the Transnational Radical Party as well as over fifty other organizations, sent a letter today to member countries of the Community of Democracies, urging them to elect to the UN Human Rights Council only those countries that support and promote human rights.
The text of the letter is below.
April 11, 2006
To: Foreign Ministers, Community of Democracies
Cc: U.N. Permanent Representatives in New York, Community of Democracies, and U.N. Missions in Geneva, Community of Democracies
Re: Elections to the U.N. Human Rights Council
We, the undersigned organizations, call on the governments of the Community of Democracies (CD) to work together in the U.N. General Assembly on the occasion of the elections to the newly established Human Rights Council on May 9, to elect governments that have demonstrated a clear commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights, both within their own borders and internationally. An improved membership of the new Human Rights Council is essential in ensuring that human rights violations and breaches of democratic practices are properly addressed by the United Nations.
In particular, CD governments should cooperate inside the regional groupings and within the U.N. Democracy Caucus at the General Assembly to oppose candidacies of governments that do not meet the basic international human rights standards contained in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other relevant human rights treaties. We urge democratic states to show leadership by announcing their candidacies in advance, supporting governments based on their merits, and considering countries' public commitments and pledges regarding future actions on the Human Rights Council, as well as their past records on human rights promotion at the United Nations. We call on CD nations to oppose candidates that have poor human rights records or that fail to make sufficient pledges and
commitments. CD governments are also strongly encouraged to pledge against engaging in vote trading.
Now is the time for the Community of Democracies to fulfill the commitment made at the Santiago Ministerial Meeting to support the candidacies of countries contributing effectively to the promotion and protection of democracy and human rights. In doing so, democratic governments will set a new standard for international human rights monitoring and ensure that this critical reform of the UN's human rights system is realized.
Sincerely,
Thandi Henson, Coordinator
African Women in Developing Economies, South Africa
Fatiha Azzabi, Director
Africa Women in Development Southpanafrican International, Morocco
Debbie Stothard, Coordinator
Alternate ASEAN Network on Burma
Albert Musliu, Executive Director
Association for Democratic Initiatives, Macedonia
Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, President
Bahrain Center for Human Rights
Lauryn Oates, Director
Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan
John D. Podesta, CEO and President
Center for American Progress, U.S.A.
Ahmed Jazouli, President
Center for Democracy, Morocco
Yuri Dzhibladze, President
Center for the Development of Democracy and Human Rights, Russia
Todd Howland, Director
Center for Human Rights Robert F. Kennedy Memorial, U.S.A.
Mukhtar Ahmad Ali, Executive Director
Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives, Pakistan
Abukar Abdukadir Thabit, Director General
Center for Youth and Democracy, Somalia
Tolekan Ismailova, Director of Human Rights Center
Citizens Against Corruption, Kyrgyzstan
Charles J. Brown, President and CEO
Citizens for Global Solutions, U.S.A.
Vicente Garcia-Delgado, UN Representative
CIVICUS World Alliance for Citizen Participation
Dick Rowson, President
Council for a Community of Democracies
Alfredo Mesa, Executive Director
Cuban American National Foundation
Ted Piccone, Executive Director
Democracy Coalition Project
Wasef Tubishat, Director
Democracy Watch, Jordan
Samuel Bizen, Chairperson
Eritrean Movement for Democracy and Human Rights
Inna Pidluska, President
Europe XXI Foundation, Ukraine
Ilona Mihaies, Executive President
Euroregional Center for Democracy, Romania
Oumar Makalou, President,
Executive Secretariat Non Governmental Process Community of Democracies, Mali
Djingarey Maiga, Executive Director
Femmes et Droits Humains, Mali
Omar Lopez, Executive Director
Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba, U.S.A.
Jennifer Windsor, Executive Director
Freedom House
Mukete Tahle Itoe, Global Secretary General
Global Network for Good Governance, Cameroon
Jamils Richard Achunji Anguaseh, Program Director
Global Welfare Association, Cameroon
Mrinmoy Das, Coordinator
HUMAN Network, India
Zohra Yusuf, Vice-Chairperson (Sindh)
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
Iain Levine, Program Director
Human Rights Watch
Irena Lasota, President,
Institute for Democracy in Eastern Europe
Nadezhda Mihaylova, Chairperson of the Managing Board
Institute for Democracy and Stability in South-East Europe
Robert Arsenault, President
International League for Human Rights
Hassan Al-Ukaily, Executive Director
Iraqi Organization for Human Rights Coordination
Nozima Kamalova, Chairperson
Legal Aid Society of Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan
Alfredo Libombo Tomas, National Director
Media Institute of Southern Africa, Mozambique
Amina Bouayach, President
Moroccan Organisation for Humans Rights
Phil ya Nangoloh, Executive Director
National Society for Human Rights, Namibia
Morton H. Halperin, Director of US Advocacy
Open Society Institute
Riad Malki, Director General
Panorama Center for Dissemination of Democracy and Community Development, Palestine
Andrea Sanhueza, Executive Director
Participa, Chile
Isagani R. Serrano, Senior Vice President
Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement
Natalia Taubina, Director
Public Verdict Foundation, Russia
Vo Van Ai, President
Quê Me: Action for Democracy in Vietnam
Carol Bower, Executive Director
Resources Aimed at the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, South Africa
Abdinasir Nur, Director
Somali Youth for Peace and Democracy, Somalia
Augusto N. Miclat Jr., Regional Initiator
South East Asia Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict
Atamao B. T. Kane, President
South Panafrican International, Germany
Aleksander Smolar, Chairman of the Board
Stefan Batory Foundation, Poland
Charlie Szrom, President
Students for Global Democracy International
Michael Ying-mao Kau, President
Taiwan Foundation for Democracy
Matteo Mecacci, UN Representative
Transnational Radical Party
Roberts Putnis, Executive Chairperson
Transparency International, Latvia
Hillel Neuer, Executive Director
UN Watch Geneva
Bo Tedards, Coordinator
World Forum for Democratization in Asia
Seng Xiong, Executive Officer
World Hmong People's Congress
Byron D.S. Wilson, Executive Director
YAEHD, Liberia