Human Rights: IPOB claims of abuses not mentioned as UN indicts several countries

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By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
Nigeria seems to be getting its ‘respect human rights’ correctly, as the country and the publicised rights issues of the IPOB were not mentioned among defaulters by the United Nations Human Rights Council as a violator of its principles.
 
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein in his opening Statement at the 33rd session of the Human Rights Council on Tuesday, indicted several countries for Human Rights violations.
Syria, Venezuela, Turkey and Ethiopia top the recent violators, while Crimea, Uzbekistan, Armenia and the Domenican Republic where also mentioned.
“I am honoured to address this first session of the Council’s second decade. After two years as High Commissioner, I believe it is important for me to share with you in this oral update our concern over an emerging pattern: the growing refusal on the part of an increasing number of Member States to grant OHCHR, or the human rights mechanisms, access – either to countries generally, or to specific regions, when that access is requested explicitly, or in other instances to engage with us.
 
“Why and for what reason, do those who deny access place their shield before us? I intend to devote this statement mainly to this single issue. Before I do, I wish to first draw on some general observations of our present circumstances.
 
“In my statement before the 32nd Session of the Human Rights Council, I questioned the extent to which we did indeed have an international community. It is easy to take for granted we are committed to working together, because we have no choice. The organization we belong to was not created by humanity for trivial reasons, but was exhaled by a world broken and devastated by two immense wars.
 
“The entire human rights framework was likewise the product of catastrophe – enlightened yes, but given the scale of wartime savagery, it was created out of the sharpest and most profound necessity. Indeed, even today, the climate change and SDG agenda are anchored, layers deep, in that most strongly-held belief: only by working together can we solve our common problems. There is no alternative. No other choice offering any hope. We must remain committed to collective action,” he said.
 
He explained that yet for some in power today, and others labouring to attain it, it would seem there are alternatives, and they claim to know better.
 
“Only dreamers, fools, they seemingly believe, think in terms of ‘we the people’, or in we ‘nations united together’, or in we as individuals who all hold equal rights. What is this United Nations? Outdated, laughable nonsense – bureaucrats and gilded elites! And those who believe this, think little of dividing humans into categories, and frightening or abusing the vulnerable; battering the truth; attacking regional or even international organizations – threatening to withdraw from them, abandon them, and jettisoning international law. And some are on the cusp of attaining political power. Others are already exercising it.
 
“In the next several months, the centrifugal forces tearing away at us will remain strong: terrorism and its main exponent Da’esh, hateful and despicable as it is, will likely continue to mark its presence on us; while the alienation and frustration of many throughout the world who feel short-changed by poor governance and corruption will fuel the work of the deceivers. A number of elections will be held in well-established democracies, with dangerous xenophobes and bigots running for office, and what falls to us then could begin to determine, as never before, the future course of “we the peoples” of this earth. I will address this further next week in New York, at the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants,” he added.

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