HUMAN RIGHTS: EU Resolution Strongly Condemns Russia on Chechnya

By Gustavo Capdevila Reprint | | Print |

Gustavo Capdevila

GENEVA, Apr 13 2001 (IPS) - The most harshly-worded resolution under consideration by this year’s annual sessions of the United Nations Human Rights Commission calls for a strong condemnation of the human rights violations committed by Russian military forces in Chechnya.

The European Union (EU) initiative, which also censures the disproportionate use of force by Russian troops, will be put to the vote next Wednesday by the commission, the UN’s highest human rights body, which is made up of 53 countries.

The other draft resolutions with political overtones, like those submitted against China, Cuba and Israel, take a more moderate tone. Indeed, the United States proposal against Beijing is mildly worded.

The European draft resolution on the situation in Chechnya, a Russian republic that is waging a war of independence, also “strongly condemns all terrorist activities and attacks as well as breaches of international humanitarian law perpetrated by Chechen fighters.”

In its sessions last year, the commission approved a more moderate resolution, which did not entail a condemnation, by a vote of 27-7, with 19 abstentions.

The U.S.-based lobby Human Rights Watch said it backed the “strong Chechnya resolution”, and urged the rest of the members of the commission to join in as co-sponsors.

The proposal was filed by the seven EU members sitting on the commission: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom.

The draft resolution on Cuba, presented by the Czech Republic, expresses concern over continuing human rights violations, and urges Havana to correct the irregularities.

However, the Czech initiative leaves out any reference to the 40-year-old U.S. embargo against the Caribbean island nation.

The U.S. blockade has drawn criticism from a number of countries, especially in Latin America and Europe, which also censure the Cuban regime on the specific issue of human rights, but want to make clear their opposition to unilateral economic sanctions.

However, the United States staunchly opposes the inclusion of any reference to the embargo in the resolution.

The United States heads the group of commission members sponsoring the Czech proposal, which also include Germany, the United Kingdom, Latvia and Poland.

A number of observer countries also back the initiative: Albania, Bulgaria, Denmark, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Poland, Slovenia and Sweden.

Last year’s resolution against Cuba was also submitted by the Czech Republic, and passed by a vote of 21-18, with 14 abstentions.

With respect to China, the U.S. delegation presented a draft resolution this week which leaves out the term “violations” and merely expresses concern over China’s “failure to protect internationally recognised human rights and fundamental freedoms.”

The U.S. initiative also mentions “increased restrictions on the exercise of cultural, linguistic, religious and other fundamental freedoms.”

When it announced the proposal, the U.S. delegation did not report the support of eventual co-sponsors. Reed Brody, with Human Rights Watch, noted that “the new Republican administration is not making a big effort at ensuring broad support” for the resolution against China.

Another of the draft resolutions to be voted on by the commission over the next week was presented by Kenya, in the name of the African bloc of nations, and proposes that the commission declare the examination of the situation of human rights in Rwanda closed.

After the 1994 genocide committed in Rwanda, the commission expressed its forceful condemnation and designated a special rapporteur, whose term has come to an end.

The African initiative led by Kenya recognises “the establishment and effective functioning of the National Commission of Human Rights of Rwanda.”

It also expresses its appreciation to the government of Rwanda “for the progress made to restore the rule of law, and the actions taken to consolidate peace, stability and to promote national unity and reconciliation.”

The representatives of the states currently sitting on the commission dedicated four of the six weeks of this year’s annual sessions to the debate on the validity of different aspects of human rights issues.

As of next Wednesday, the commission will vote on resolutions addressing violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms in various parts of the world.

In the debate on the question of the self-determination of peoples, the commission approved, by consensus, a resolution calling for an accord between Morocco and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro (Polisario Front).

The commission expressed its support for the holding of a referendum on self-determination by the people of the Western Sahara, the territory disputed by Morocco and the Polisario.

In another resolution approved by a vote of 48-2, with two abstentions and negative votes by the United States and Guatemala, the commission ratified the inalienable and permanent right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including the right to a sovereign and independent state.