Amid allegations of gross human rights abuses in China and Russia, the UN body created to tackle abuses seems paralyzed by uncertainty about how to respond.
The UN Human Rights Council, which will hold a month-long session in Geneva from Monday, often acts to investigate and curb abuses within countries.
But this task is trickier and more difficult when the countries involved are among the most powerful in the world and are permanent members of the UN Security Council.
Human Rights Council members have long balked at taking on the two heavyweights head-on, but a damning United Nations report on human rights abuses in China’s Xinjiang region and concerns about a mounting crackdown in Russia have spurred the call for action.
However, there are many fears that a failed attempt to hold either country accountable would signal a shift in power relations and weaken the council.
“How the Council constructs its response will affect its ability to address the most serious situations in the years to come,” a European diplomat told AFP.
“What is at stake is the vision of the universality of human rights, the vision of the role of the Human Rights Council.”
– New world order? –
China faces intense scrutiny after former UN chief justice Michelle Bachelet released her long-delayed Xinjiang report last week warning of possible crimes against humanity.
The report brought the UN seal to allegations by activists and others over a litany of abuses in Xinjiang, where they say more than a million Uyghurs and other Muslims have been jailed.
Beijing has vehemently denied such allegations and has slammed the report, accusing the UN of becoming a “thug and accomplice of the US and the West.”
Bachelet’s newly appointed successor, Volker Turk of Austria, will face the tricky succession task, but the report also suggests that the Human Rights Council should take up the issue.
Amid frenetic diplomatic consultations, the consensus seems to be that doing nothing is not an option.
“If a majority of countries in the Human Rights Council decide not to act in a situation as serious as that described in Ms Bachelet’s report, it would mean that we find ourselves in a different world order,” said the European diplomat.
There have been calls for an urgent council debate on Xinjiang, or for a resolution denouncing the abuses or even calling for the appointment of an expert to investigate the situation.
– “Cost of Inaction” –
“Governments should waste no time in conducting an independent investigation,” said John Fisher of Human Rights Watch.
At the same time, Western countries and their allies fear the repercussions of not garnering enough votes to pass a resolution in the 47-member council.
“There is a price for inaction and a price for failing to act,” said one Western diplomat.
China has been vigorously lobbying countries behind the scenes to “preemptively” counter any moves, observers say.
“We are firmly opposed to any politically motivated exercise,” Chinese Ambassador Chen Xu told reporters on Friday.
“We are ready to conduct business constructively, but if someone takes joint action against us, we must be fully prepared.”
It remains unclear how the votes would land, and observers say Western countries may delay tabling a resolution until they know support is there.
“We have to look very carefully at whether we have a majority or not,” said the European diplomat.
The same applies to Russia.
Earlier this year, the Council ordered a high-level investigation into abuses by Russian troops in Ukraine.
But the pressure on the body is growing to also consider violations of rights within Russia.
Human rights groups have urged European Union countries to move forward with a resolution to appoint an independent expert, known as the special rapporteur, to study the situation, but a decision has yet to be made.
“Everyone agrees there is a need… but what we haven’t agreed on is the timing,” the Western diplomat said.
Although Russia was kicked out of the Council earlier this year over its war in Ukraine, “Russia is not lacking in support,” the European diplomat said.
“You have to keep that in mind… The effects of a failed resolution would be felt for a long time.”
