Back at the Wheel

It’s been a summer of car-related mishaps. The Swiss do many things well, though they must be among the best in the world when it comes to handing out speeding fines. I managed to pick up two tickets for going 1km and 2 km an hour over the limit and to add insult to injury, the last one was on my birthday.

We drove to Italy for our holiday this year, though long family car journeys are more of an endurance test than a rest. I like to think I got through it a stronger man, though at times it seemed simply a question of whether it would be the song from Frozen or the Pokemon theme tune that would break me first. As it turned out, it was the Ipad that broke first, when I accidentally left it on the car roof. There were one too many ‘gotta catch them alls’ and it went on a holiday of its own.

We spent some of the summer with my parents and siblings to celebrate my dad’s birthday. These things are important to do, though it gave my wife an idea for a new resolution at the Human Rights Council – ‘Protection from the Family’ which is coming to a Council near you soon.

September always starts off as the friendliest session in the Council calendar, with the nervous excited feeling of being back at school. I hope the niceties last longer than the suntans, as there’ll be no shortage of difficult issues over the next three weeks.

At the Council’s recent organisational meeting, both the Arab Group and the Netherlands announced resolutions to address the crisis in Yemen. Both tabled competing resolutions last year, but ultimately managed to agree on an investigation to look into reports of serious violations and abuses. Finding agreement on next steps looks like it will be even harder this year, though the situation in Yemen requires all at the Council to do their utmost to find common ground.

A range of troubling situations in Africa require a response from the Council, with Burundi the most pressing. The Commission of Inquiry on Burundi recently called on the International Criminal Court to investigate possible crimes against humanity in context of extrajudicial executions, arbitrary detention, torture, sexual violence and enforced disappearances. The authorities have refused to cooperate with the Commission and Burundi clearly falls well below the standards expect of a Council member. While the case for suspending Burundi’s membership ought to be obvious, it remains to be seen how the Council and the UN General Assembly will respond. The situations in DRC the Central African Republic and Sudan are also a major worry, though it should be possible to maintain ongoing monitoring by the Council with the consensus of all member states.

In Asia, the Council will hear a first update by the Fact Finding Commission looking into recent violations in Burma, including in Rakhine state. The Rakhine situation has deteriorated dramatically in recent weeks, with reports of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya leaving Burma for Bangladesh. The UN Security Council recently discussed the situation, with all members recognising its gravity, and there will be growing calls for Burma to address the plight of the Rohingya, and to engage with the Fact Finding mission.

Cambodia will also be in the spotlight, with the Council due to renew its Special Rapporteur on the country. The recent clampdown on freedom of expression, freedom of association and political opposition in the country has demonstrated why the Council must remain engaged in the build up to elections next July.

The new UK Minister for Human rights, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, is among several Ministers due to attend the session on Monday. But it is uncertain who may attend from Venezuela, with rumours circulating of a last minute surprise visit by President Maduro. The timing would look more than a little odd given the recent serious undermining of democracy and the rule of law. The country would be better served by allowing its human rights activists freedom to leave to discuss the situation. Regrettably Lilian Tintori, the human rights activist and wife of Leopoldo Lopez, was recently prevented from doing just that.

The commitment, bravery and determination of all human rights activists should be encouraged and supported. It’s more than 6 months since Sir Nigel Rodley passed away and there’s work underway on a commemorative video, both to honour him and inspire the next generation of human rights lawyers and activists. It still needs some funding though, and all donations are welcome.

I’ll keep you posted on the weeks ahead and I’m always keen to hear your council experiences. But please don’t get annoyed if you get caught behind me driving at a snail’s pace in the UN car park. I’m being extra careful these days.