Big Fiji UN Win

Fiji has won big in a human rights vote at the United Nations in Geneva.

International rights groups and Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama yesterday hailed Nazhat Shameem Khan’s election to head the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Fijian Ambassador Khan won a three-way contest for the council presidency against what were seen as proxies of some big powers trying to block her because of Fiji’s pro-human rights stance.

This is a major international triumph for Fiji, and a reflection of the continuing growth of our international stature under Mr Bainimarama’s leadership.

RIGHTS GROUPS

In Geneva, Marc Limon of the Universal Rights Group think-tank welcomed Ambassador Khan’s election and said: “It is important for the council to have a country like Fiji that has a positive record on human rights and a good story to tell.”

Phil Lynch, head of the International Service for Human Rights, said in Geneva: “The comprehensive defeat of Bahrain and Uzbekistan demonstrates that there should be no place among the council’s president or vice presidents for representatives of states that restrict, criminalise and commit reprisals” against rights defenders.

PM RESPONSE

In Suva, Prime Minister Bainimarama said: “The Fijian Government’s fundamental assurance of equality for all Fijians placed human rights at the heart of our national development, leading to rapid progress at instituting rights-based protections and our historic position as the first Pacific Island Country on the Human Rights Council.

“Fiji’s leadership of the Council comes at a critical time for humanity, as the climate emergency threatens human rights on a global and generational scale, and Ambassador Khan is well-suited to help steer our international community towards a future of justice, decency and dignity for all peoples.”

The vote was called after an impasse that meant the council, the only intergovernmental global body to promote and protect human rights worldwide, began meetings last week leaderless for the first time.

The presidency rotates geographically with each region typically selecting by consensus. But members of the Asia Pacific group could not agree, forcing the first-ever secret ballot in the Council.

Ambassador Khan, a former High Court judge and prosecutor, won with 29 votes versus 14 for Bahrain and 4 for Uzbekistan in a nearly-empty UN chamber where delegates voted one-by-one due to COVID-19 measures.

OPPONENTS

At the United Nations Human Rights Council, Fiji has backed investigations into reported abuses in Venezuela, Belarus, Syria and Yemen, international media have reported.

They said those backing Bahrain and Uzbekhistan wanted a president less likely to support investigating such abuses.

The deadlock over the presidency came at the start of a year that is widely expected to see the United States rejoin after quitting the forum in 2018, and with a review of the council’s activities expected to begin.

Observers and diplomats saw Fiji’s rivals as being backed by Russia, China and Saudi Arabia although a Chinese diplomat said he would be happy for any candidate to win. Officials from Russia and Saudi Arabia did not respond to requests for comment.

China’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Chen Xu, congratulated Fiji in a tweet on Friday and pledged support.

The 47-member council does not make legally binding decisions, but it can authorise probes into alleged rights violations by mandating international fact-finding missions.

Feedback: selita.bolanavanua@fijisun.com.fj