November 23, 2005

Voting Record on the no-action motion on the Draft Resolution on the situation of human rights in Sudan

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A shock to all those who care about human rights. The UN General Assembly's Third Committee, which is the lead body for humanitarian affairs, could not even bring the situation of human rights in Sudan to a vote. A vote on the substance was prevented from taking place following a successful motion to take "no action" on the matter. The no-action motion was adopted by 84 votes for to 79 against. The draft resolution would have condemned "continued violence against civilians, including sexual violence, extrajudicial killings, disappearances, arbitrary detention and torture, widespread displacement, denial of religious freedom and other violations of human rights throughout the country." And it would have called for a cessation of violence, immediate safe humanitarian access, and the disarming of the Janjaweed militias.

But Nigeria, speaking for the African group, objected that the resolution would "divert attention from the urgent humanitarian situation." One more example of using the UN platform to turn human rights precepts on their head. The motto of those states standing against country-specific UN resolutions might well be "appropriate and subvert." Obviously it is the adoption of the resolution that would have drawn attention to the urgent situation.

Once more in its sorry history in this context, the UN has proved itself incapable of taking action against genocide and ethnic cleansing.