

Video above: Syrian ambassador Bashar Ja’afari was re-elected by acclamation as Rapporteur by the UN special committee, hugged by the new Venezuelan Chair, Rafael Darío Ramírez Carreño, and then spoke from the committee dais.

GENEVA, February 25, 2016 — A UN watchdog group is criticizing UN chief Ban Ki-moon for his blessings delivered today before an anachronistic UN committee charged with “decolonizing” the Falkland Islands and Gibraltar — at the same time as the 24-nation entity elected gross human rights abusers Syria and Venezuela to leadership posts. “I commend the leadership of all those committed to bringing new energy to its work,” said Mr. Ban.

UN Watch instead is calling on Ban Ki-moon, U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power, and the EU’s UN ambassadors to condemn the world body’s “absurd and morally obscene” election just of Syria and Venezuela to senior posts on a decolonization committee that is charged with upholding fundamental human rights in opposing the “subjugation, domination and exploitation” of peoples — a propaganda victory that—like before—is already being trumpeted by the Assad regime.



Syrian ambassador Bashar Ja’afari (photo above) was re-elected as Rapporteur.

The election of Venezuela’s UN ambassador as Chair—Rafael Darío Ramírez Carreño—took place this morning in the 2016 opening session of the UN’s Special Committee on Decolonization.

Twenty-five human rights groups led by UN Watch just spotlighted gross violations of human rights in Venezuela this week when they awarded the 2016 Geneva Summit Courage Award to two Venezuelan opposition leaders who are political prisoners.



Chile and India Failed to Vote Like Democracies

Hillel Neuer, director of the Geneva-based human rights group UN Watch, said that President Michele Bachelet of Chile should be “ashamed” that her country joined the consensus vote, as should India, despite repeated appeals. Both democracies sit on the 24-nation committee, to vote against the Assad regime’s candidate.