A snapshot of today’s United Nations

Here are some vital statistics on the current crisis in the Arab and Muslim world and the role not being played by the “global leader,” the United Nations.

The UN Security Council job description

(The Charter of the United Nations)

The Purposes of the United Nations are: (1) To maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace…

*****

Number of UN Security Council presidential statements or resolutions on the current atrocities perpetrated by Arab and Muslim dictators in Iran, Libya, Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia,Yemen, Syria, and Bahrain.

ZERO

Number of meetings called by the Security Council to discuss and consider a possible resolution or presidential statement on any of these countries.

ZERO

*****

The UN Human Rights Council job description

(General Assembly Resolution A/RES/60/251)

The General Assembly (1) Decides to establish the Human Rights Council…(2) Decides that the Council shall be responsible for promoting universal respect for the protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction of any kind and in a fair and equal manner; (3) Decides also that the Council should address situations of violations of human rights, including gross and systematic violations, and make recommendations thereon…(10) Decides further that the Council…shall be able to hold special sessions, when needed…

*****

Number of special sessions called by the Human Rights Council to draw attention to, discuss, consider a possible resolution or decision on the current atrocities perpetrated by Arab and Muslim dictators in Iran, Libya, Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia,Yemen, Syria, and Bahrain.

ZERO

Number of resolutions or decisions adopted by the Human Rights Council about the lack of democracy and brutality of the governments of Arab and Muslim dictators in Iran, Libya, Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia,Yemen, Syria, and Bahrain.

ZERO

*****

Membership Qualifications for the United Nations Human Rights Council

– its lead human rights body(General Assembly Resolution A/RES/60/251)

8. Decides that…when electing members of the Council, Member States shall take into account the contribution of candidates to the promotion and protection of human rights…9. Decides also that members elected to the Council shall uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights…

*****

Current Members of the UN Human Rights Council

Libya

Saudi Arabia

Bahrain

Egypt just concluded a three-year term in 2010.

*****

On the other hand,

Number of Special Sessions on country situations called by the Human Rights Council on Israel

50% (6 of 12)

Number of Resolutions and Decisions adopted by the Human Rights Council critical of the human rights record of specific states directed at Israel

50% (41 of 83)

Anne Bayefsky is a Senior Fellow of the Hudson Institute, Director of the Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust at Touro College, and the Editor of www.EYEontheUN.org. She is the author or editor of 12 books and numerous articles in the field of human rights, and a frequent contributor to newspapers in the U.S., Europe, Israel and Canada.