UN Watch in the News

Die Genfer NGO "UN Watch" kontrolliert seit 1993 die Arbeit der Uno im Hinblick auf Menschenrechtsfragen. Sie ist mit dem Ame­rican Jewish Committee assoziiert. Ihr Vorsitzender, der Kanadier Hillel Neuer, tritt regelmäßig vor dem UN-Men­schen­rechts­rat auf. In einer Rede im März 2007 kritisierte er sehr drastisch die Arbeit des Rates, der "die Sprache und Idee der Menschenrechte entstellt und per­vertiert" habe..." -- Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of UN Watch, interviewed by Ivo Bozic in "Die Atmosphäre ist totalitär," Jungle World, Aug. 7, 2008.

"...In a new report released Monday, the Geneva-based United Nations Watch said the outgoing chief Louise Arbour's record was mixed based on her criticism of human rights violators but rejected the criticism by some American lawmakers that she spend her time in condemning democracies and defending tyrants..." -- UN Watch report featured in "Pillay Should Take Strong Approach On Rights Violators," Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama), Aug. 5, 2008.

"...Le poste de Haut Commissaire n'autorise ni l'usage de la force ni celui du portefeuille. Il ne dispose même pas de prérogatives judiciaires qui permettraient d'imposer des décisions et de punir ceux qui commettent des violations...Nommer et humilier reste le seul et unique pouvoir dont dispose le Haut Commissaire et doit être son seul recours..." -- Op-ed by UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer, "Défis majeurs pour la nouvelle chef des droits de l'homme à l'ONU," Le Devoir (Canada), Aug. 4, 2008.

"...In fact, a thorough assessment of Arbour's statements -- reflecting her only power, to expose abuses through criticism -- showed her to be a consistent critic of Sudan and its abuses in Darfur, U.N. Watch reported, and an occasional critic of Iran..." -- UN Watch report featured in "Ex-U.N. rights chief gets mixed review," Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Aug. 4, 2008.

"...El nombramiento de Pillay es una oportunidad para reflejar las necesidades, responsabilidades y prioridades de una posición internacional que está en la primera línea de defensa de la idea de los derechos individuales universalmente garantizados..." -- UN Watch report featured in "Piden que nueva comisionada DDHH sea más crítica con China y Rusia," Agencia EFE, Aug. 4, 2008. Published in El Mostrador (Chile).

"...La Organización No gubernamental UN Watch recomendó a la Alta Comisionada de la ONU para los Derechos Humanos, Navanethem Pillay, que sea enérgica con los países donde se cometen abusos, y destacó que hay naciones como Cuba que no fueron criticadas por su antecesora, Louise Arbour..." -- UN Watch report featured in "Recomiendan A Alta Comisionada De La Onu Para Ddhh Firmeza Con Paises Donde Se Cometen Abusos," Marti Noticias, Aug. 4, 2008.

"...Why is the EU failing to defend the principles laid down by France, the UK and the Netherlands? Those who would like to give the new conference a genuine chance to combat intolerance need to know that Durban II will not be a repeat of the Durban I debacle..." -- UN Watch Chair Amb. Alfred H. Moses op-ed, "Will Durban II be a replay of racist Durban I?" Jerusalem Post, Aug. 4, 2008.

Opinio Juris

"...UN Watch keeps particular track of human rights issues at the UN, with some attention to UN reform agendas..." -- UN Watch cited in K. Anderson, "Whatever Happened to UN Reform?," Opinio Juris, Aug. 3, 2008.

"'...Pillay will need to use her unique bully pulpit [public platform] to throw a spotlight on the world's worst violations, including Sudan's mass killing in Darfur, Burmese brutality, Chinese persecution, and Mugabe's destruction of Zimbabwe,' said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, an independent human rights group..." -- J. Fisher, "Profile: New UN human rights chief ," BBC News, July 28, 2008.

"...Pillay will need to use her unique bully pulpit to throw a spotlight on the world's worst violations, including Sudan's mass killings in Darfur, Burmese (Myanmar) brutality, Chinese persecution, and (President Robert) Mugabe's destruction of Zimbabwe..." -- Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of UN Watch, quoted in L. Charbonneau, "UN assembly confirms S. African as human rights chief," Reuters, July 28, 2008.

"...Pillay will need to use her unique bully pulpit to throw a spotlight on the world's worst violations, including Sudan's mass killings in Darfur, Burmese brutality, Chinese persecution, and Mugabe's destruction of Zimbabwe..." -- UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer quoted in "South African judge picked for top UN rights post," Agence France Presse, July 24, 2008. Also published in French, "Une juge sud-africaine, Haut commissaire aux droits de l'homme de l'ONU," July 24, 2008.

"...The Geneva-based UN Watch declared that the current working paper, in U.N. lingo known as a 'non-paper,' already 'breaches red lines' as laid out by the Europeans: It singles out the Palestinians for sympathy, implicitly criticizing Israel..." -- UN Watch cited in M. Jordan, "Vitriol may follow Israel to Geneva," Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Jul. 23, 2008.

"...Pillay will need to use her unique bully pulpit to throw a spotlight on the world's worst violations, including Sudan's mass killings in Darfur, Burmese brutality, Chinese persecution, and Mugabe's destruction of Zimbabwe..." -- UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer quoted in J. Terzieff, "Rights & Wrongs: New U.N. Rights Chief, China, Cambodia, and More," World Politics Review, July 22, 2008.

"...Para quienes piensen algo así les recomiendo que lean lo que la UN Watch dice de Daniel Ortega, uno de los primeros presidentes en la historia moderna 'contra quien hay altamente fundamentados cargos de incesto y abuso sexual de una menor' o, lo que es lo mismo, revolucionariamente abusador..." -- UN Watch cited in A.O. Gross, "Revolucionariamente abusador," El Universo (Ecuador), July 19, 2008.

"...[UN Rights Chief] must guard the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights -- the dream of Eleanor Roosevelt that now marks its 60th anniversary -- from those who trample them in places like Harare, Teheran or Pyongyang..." -- Op-ed written by UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer, "Who will guard human rights at the UN?," The Jerusalem Post, Jul. 14, 2008.

"...L'Union européenne (UE) peut encore sauver le processus [de Durban II] en agissant, dès maintenant, avec fermeté. Suite à la publication du projet de travail de la conférence de Durban II, les pays démocratiques doivent défendre leurs lignes rouges..." -- Op-ed written by UN Watch chairman, Amb. A. H. Moses, "L'UE doit agir dès maintenant pour sauver Durban II," Le Temps, Jul. 1, 2008.