Severin: Human rights a political bargain in Geneva
"Human rights became a subject of political bargaining in Geneva," Adrian Severin, the former UN Rapporteur on human rights in Belarus said in a statement on June 19, commenting on the results of the 5th session of the UN Human Rights Committee.
On June 18, the UN Human Rights Committee failed to extend the mandates for its human rights observers in Belarus and Cuba.
"This is a fact that for a majority of the committee's members which also have problems with human rights, the interests of the state prevail over the interests of people. For those countries, human rights become a subject of political bargaining," Mr Severin said.
He noted that he was not surprised with this decision of the committee. "Having sucrificed Belarus and Cuba, the committee's members were able to reach compromise about the further work of the committee," Severin said.
At the same time, he noted that his conclusions and recommendations regarding he situation with the human rights in Belarus could not be removed from his report. "The committee must deal with my evaluations, conclusions and recommendations. Until a new report denounces my conclusions and recommendations, they remain valid," Severin said.
But he also said that it was unlikely to expect the appointment of a new rapporteur in the near future.
Severin also said that he was accused of calling on the change of the political system in Belarus.
"I did not call on changing the Belarusian regime. I only stressed that a dictatorial or authoritarian regime could not respect and foster human rights, he said.
Severin noted that he was possibly to continue his career with the United Nations, should this offer was made.
"While having my mandate, I rejected several cooperation offers, made by NGOs that are concerned with the human rights situation in Belarus, because I wanted to remain impartial. Possibly, I could accept their invitations now," Severin said, according to the Belapan news agency.
BelaPAN
On June 18, the UN Human Rights Committee failed to extend the mandates for its human rights observers in Belarus and Cuba.
"This is a fact that for a majority of the committee's members which also have problems with human rights, the interests of the state prevail over the interests of people. For those countries, human rights become a subject of political bargaining," Mr Severin said.
He noted that he was not surprised with this decision of the committee. "Having sucrificed Belarus and Cuba, the committee's members were able to reach compromise about the further work of the committee," Severin said.
At the same time, he noted that his conclusions and recommendations regarding he situation with the human rights in Belarus could not be removed from his report. "The committee must deal with my evaluations, conclusions and recommendations. Until a new report denounces my conclusions and recommendations, they remain valid," Severin said.
But he also said that it was unlikely to expect the appointment of a new rapporteur in the near future.
Severin also said that he was accused of calling on the change of the political system in Belarus.
"I did not call on changing the Belarusian regime. I only stressed that a dictatorial or authoritarian regime could not respect and foster human rights, he said.
Severin noted that he was possibly to continue his career with the United Nations, should this offer was made.
"While having my mandate, I rejected several cooperation offers, made by NGOs that are concerned with the human rights situation in Belarus, because I wanted to remain impartial. Possibly, I could accept their invitations now," Severin said, according to the Belapan news agency.
BelaPAN
