{"id":8212,"date":"2023-06-19T17:31:53","date_gmt":"2023-06-19T16:31:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=8212"},"modified":"2023-06-19T17:42:35","modified_gmt":"2023-06-19T16:42:35","slug":"un-human-rights-representative-wants-to-establish-contacts-in-china-and-india-calls-for-global-assistance-in-human-rights-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/asia\/south-asia\/india\/un-human-rights-representative-wants-to-establish-contacts-in-china-and-india-calls-for-global-assistance-in-human-rights-review\/2023\/06\/19\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"UN human rights representative wants to establish contacts in China and India, calls for global assistance in human rights review"},"content":{"rendered":"

GENEVA(Reuters)<\/span>–<\/span> UN<\/span> High<\/span> Commissioner<\/span> for<\/span> Human<\/span> Rights<\/span> Volker<\/span> Turk<\/span> seeks<\/span> to<\/span> expand<\/span> his<\/span> work<\/span> by<\/span> establishing<\/span> offices<\/span> in<\/span> China<\/span> and<\/span> India,<\/span> two<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> world’s<\/span> most<\/span> populous<\/span> countries<\/span> ,<\/span> called<\/span> for<\/span> further<\/span> strengthening<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> office.<\/span> The<\/span> human<\/span> rights<\/span> situation<\/span> in<\/span> these<\/span> countries<\/span> is<\/span> under<\/span> investigation<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> UN<\/span> High<\/span> Commissioner<\/span> for<\/span> Human<\/span> Rights<\/span> has<\/span> called<\/span> for<\/span> action.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> United<\/span> Nations<\/span> Office<\/span> for<\/span> Human<\/span> Rights<\/span> was<\/span> established<\/span> after<\/span> World<\/span> War<\/span> II<\/span> and<\/span> currently<\/span> operates<\/span> in<\/span> 95<\/span> countries.<\/span> Its<\/span> pioneers<\/span> play<\/span> a<\/span> key<\/span> role<\/span> in<\/span> identifying<\/span> suspected<\/span> human<\/span> rights<\/span> abusers<\/span> and<\/span> working<\/span> with<\/span> affected<\/span> countries<\/span> to<\/span> foster<\/span> positive<\/span> change.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Volker<\/span> Turk,<\/span> who<\/span> was<\/span> appointed<\/span> Grand<\/span> Commissioner<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> end<\/span> of<\/span> 2022,<\/span> called<\/span> for<\/span> greater<\/span> participation<\/span> in<\/span> his<\/span> opening<\/span> speech<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> UN<\/span> Office<\/span> for<\/span> Human<\/span> Rights.<\/span> He<\/span> specifically<\/span> named<\/span> countries<\/span> such<\/span> as<\/span> Syria,<\/span> Iran,<\/span> Israel<\/span> and<\/span> Russia<\/span> and<\/span> encouraged<\/span> them<\/span> to<\/span> do<\/span> more<\/span> to<\/span> protect<\/span> human<\/span> rights.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>“We<\/span> are<\/span> currently<\/span> considering<\/span> expanding<\/span> our<\/span> engagement,”<\/span> Turk<\/span> said<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> outset<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> four-week<\/span> session<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> Geneva<\/span> Chamber<\/span> of<\/span> Commerce.<\/span> He<\/span> said<\/span> the<\/span> world<\/span> was<\/span> “on<\/span> the<\/span> ground”<\/span> long<\/span> after<\/span> the<\/span> General<\/span> Declaration<\/span> of<\/span> Human<\/span> Rights<\/span> was<\/span> passed,<\/span> and<\/span> stressed<\/span> the<\/span> importance<\/span> of<\/span> building<\/span> partnerships<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> first<\/span> time<\/span> in<\/span> China<\/span> and<\/span> India.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>A<\/span> response<\/span> to<\/span> Mr.<\/span> Turk’s<\/span> request<\/span> for<\/span> comment<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> China-India<\/span> Reconciliation<\/span> Mission<\/span> in<\/span> Geneva<\/span> is<\/span> now<\/span> awaited.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Setting<\/span> up<\/span> an<\/span> office<\/span> in<\/span> China<\/span> could<\/span> be<\/span> a<\/span> challenge<\/span> for<\/span> Turk’s<\/span> team.<\/span> It<\/span> took<\/span> a<\/span> long<\/span> time<\/span> to<\/span> prepare<\/span> to<\/span> give<\/span> his<\/span> predecessor,<\/span> Michelle<\/span> Bachelet,<\/span> the<\/span> chance<\/span> to<\/span> visit<\/span> China<\/span> in<\/span> 2022.<\/span> Although<\/span> China<\/span> has<\/span> consistently<\/span> denied<\/span> any<\/span> human<\/span> rights<\/span> abuses,<\/span> these<\/span> talks<\/span> were<\/span> somewhat<\/span> influenced<\/span> by<\/span> concerns<\/span> over<\/span> the<\/span> Chinese<\/span> government’s<\/span> treatment<\/span> of<\/span> Uyghur<\/span> Muslims.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> United<\/span> States<\/span> has<\/span> expressed<\/span> concern<\/span> over<\/span> the<\/span> growing<\/span> number<\/span> of<\/span> violations<\/span> by<\/span> Indian<\/span> authorities.<\/span> But<\/span> the<\/span> unsettled<\/span> Delhi<\/span> has<\/span> reiterated<\/span> his<\/span> determination<\/span> to<\/span> uphold<\/span> his<\/span> human<\/span> rights.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>UN<\/span> human<\/span> rights<\/span> officials<\/span> noted<\/span> that<\/span> Mr.<\/span> Turk<\/span> had<\/span> raised<\/span> the<\/span> idea<\/span> of<\/span> \u200b\u200bcreating<\/span> modern<\/span> workplaces<\/span> in<\/span> China<\/span> and<\/span> India<\/span> in<\/span> meetings<\/span> with<\/span> governments,<\/span> but<\/span> did<\/span> not<\/span> offer<\/span> any<\/span> interesting<\/span> clues<\/span> about<\/span> the<\/span> government’s<\/span> reaction<\/span> beforehand.<\/span> clarified.<\/span> More<\/span> broadly,<\/span> Mr.<\/span> Turk<\/span> expressed<\/span> concern,<\/span> without<\/span> giving<\/span> a<\/span> specific<\/span> name,<\/span> about<\/span> the<\/span> “strangling<\/span> of<\/span> benevolent<\/span> societies”<\/span> in<\/span> many<\/span> countries.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Additionally,<\/span> Turk<\/span> has<\/span> expressed<\/span> his<\/span> intention<\/span> to<\/span> double<\/span> the<\/span> office’s<\/span> budget<\/span> to<\/span> strengthen<\/span> global<\/span> surveillance.<\/span> In<\/span> any<\/span> event,<\/span> this<\/span> goal<\/span> can<\/span> be<\/span> difficult<\/span> to<\/span> achieve<\/span> as<\/span> many<\/span> countries<\/span> restrict<\/span> prescreening<\/span> due<\/span> to<\/span> national<\/span> power<\/span> concerns.<\/span> Although<\/span> human<\/span> rights<\/span> are<\/span> one<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> four<\/span> pillars<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> Nations,<\/span> which<\/span> stand<\/span> for<\/span> peace<\/span> and<\/span> security,<\/span> law<\/span> enforcement<\/span> and<\/span> progress,<\/span> human<\/span> rights<\/span> receive<\/span> only<\/span> 4%<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> total<\/span> budget.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Turk<\/span> also<\/span> called<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States<\/span> to<\/span> critically<\/span> consider<\/span> racial<\/span> segregation<\/span> and<\/span> ratify<\/span> six<\/span> human<\/span> rights<\/span> treaties,<\/span> including<\/span> one<\/span> that<\/span> focuses<\/span> on<\/span> children’s<\/span> rights.<\/span> The<\/span> Office<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> Nations<\/span> High<\/span> Commissioner<\/span> for<\/span> Human<\/span> Rights<\/span> has<\/span> decided<\/span> to<\/span> step<\/span> up<\/span> its<\/span> oversight<\/span> of<\/span> human<\/span> rights<\/span> around<\/span> the<\/span> world<\/span> and<\/span> looks<\/span> forward<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> support<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> international<\/span> community<\/span> in<\/span> building<\/span> partnerships<\/span> in<\/span> China<\/span> and<\/span> India,<\/span> two<\/span> countries<\/span> of<\/span> great<\/span> global<\/span> importance.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

GENEVA(Reuters)– UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk seeks to expand his work by establishing offices in China and India, two of the world’s most populous countries , called for further strengthening of the office. The human rights situation in these countries is under investigation and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8214,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[2407,5951,6042,6490],"tags":[6770,6771,57,152,1483,1869,3544,6768,6769],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/download-11-2.jpg","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8212"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8212"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8212\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8217,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8212\/revisions\/8217"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8214"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8212"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8212"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8212"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}