DAR AL HARB/ISLAM - U.N./O.I.C.: U.N.'S BAN HAS BEEN TOLD TO SHUT HIS MOUTH BY THE O.I.C. MEMBERS OF THE 'HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL'

Islamic states urge UN boss be quiet on rights body
By Robert Evans

GENEVA (Reuters) - Islamic states said on Wednesday that U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon should avoid criticising the world body's Human Rights Council where they and their allies hold a majority.

They said there was an apparent "disconnect" between Ban and the 47-nation Council and also hinted they would like to see a more "predictable relationship" between the body and U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour, who has made clear she does not approve of all its actions.

The message, described by Western diplomats as clear if low-keyed, was delivered by Pakistan in a statement to an informal Council session on behalf of the 57-nation Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC).

"It looks as though on rights at least they are trying to say they should set the line for the whole of the U.N.," said one European envoy, who declined to be identified.

On June 20 Ban voiced regret the Council -- created last year to replace the Human Rights Commission -- had picked on Israel and its role in the occupied Palestinian territories alone for continued special investigation.

A comment from the U.N. chief said he was disappointed at the Council's decision "to single out only one specific regional item given the range and scope of allegations of human rights violations throughout the world."

The written comment did not mention Israel or the Palestinian territories by name, but it was seen as aligning Ban -- a former South Korean foreign minister in the first year of his mandate -- with Western criticism of the Council.

It also followed a decision by the body -- which some Western countries and independent campaigning groups argue is even less effective in defending rights than the Commission -- to stop reporting on alleged abuses by Cuba and Belarus.

Cuba, also on the Council, generally lines up with the OIC and African members, together with Russia and China.

The OIC statement, delivered to an informal Council meeting by Pakistan's ambassador Masood Khan, said the Ban comment had "raised the question whether there is a disconnect between the Secretary-General and the Council."

It added: "We need to remove this anomaly through dialogue."

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Islamic countries criticize UN secretary general

New York - United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon came under attack on Wednesday for remarks that Islamic countries in the UN Human Rights Council had ignored abuses around the world and targeted Israel instead. Ban angered the 57-member Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) when he said in June that the Geneva-based council should look at all situations of human rights violations.

Pakistan, serving as OIC's chairman, told the 49-nation council at a resumed meeting on Wednesday in Geneva that Islamic countries should "streamline" its relationship with Ban.

UN Watch, a non-governmental organization monitoring UN activities in Geneva, said Pakistan criticized Ban for blaming Islamic countries of focusing on Palestinian-related issues while ignoring other human rights violations. Those countries have criticized Israel's mistreatment of Palestinians and occupying their territories.

UN Watch said Egypt, another council member, said Ban's remarks were a "very unfortunate development and we would seek further clarification on that statement and the appropriate means of the council to verify the authenticity of that statement and its context."

"We are witnessing a dangerous attempt to censor the highest official of the United Nations, an effort to silence anyone who exposes the council's repeated breaches of its own principles of equality, universality, and non-selectivity," said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch.

Since its establishment in Geneva in 2006, the council has adopted several resolutions censuring Israel and ignored human rights abuses in Sudan until it came under attack by the UN for singling out Israel.

The United States has refused to join the council, saying that criteria for selecting its 49 sitting members were flawed and countries known for severe human rights abuses could be elected members.

The council replaced the UN Commission on Human Rights, which was disbanded for failing to protect and promote human rights worldwide. But many governments, including the US, said the Human Rights Council could be worse than its predecessor.

UN Watch reported that Canada defended Ban at the session on Wednesday.

"We have to acknowledge that the secretary general is entitled to his views, and it would ill behoove this council to appear to be constraining or discouraging the exercise of freedom of opinion and expression, a fundamental freedom we are committed to uphold," Canada said.




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1) Islamic states urge UN boss be quiet on rights body

2) Human Rights Council

3) Islamic countries criticize UN secretary general