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The Council today adopted conclusions on the EU’s priorities in UN human rights fora in 2021. The conclusions reaffirm the EU’s commitment to respect, protect and fulfil human rights, democracy and the rule of law and to stand united in support of the UN human rights system as a cornerstone of its external action.
Especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU will ensure that all human rights remain at the core of its response to the pandemic and global recovery.
The EU will continue to monitor the human rights situation globally and will denounce human rights violations and abuses wherever they occur, making use of all available instruments including the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime.
The EU will fully support the work and mandate of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and her office and will call on all states to respect her independence, cooperate on the effective delivery of her mandate, and ensure adequate financing.
The EU will continue to use all available tools to fulfil its commitments to human rights, including in the framework of the UN Human Rights Council, the UN General Assembly, the UN Security Council and any other relevant fora.
Council conclusions on EU priorities at UN human rights fora are adopted on a yearly basis.
“Coups have no place in our modern world”, Mr. Guterres said in a pre-recorded video address at the Council’s 46th regular session, his comments coming after the forum held a special session on 12 February, in which it adopted a resolution expressing deep concern at the junta’s move.
“Today, I call on the Myanmar military to stop the repression immediately”, the UN chief continued. “Release the prisoners. End the violence. Respect human rights and the will of the people expressed in recent elections. I welcome the resolution of the Human Rights Council, pledge to implement your request, and express my full support to the people of Myanmar in their pursuit of democracy, peace, human rights and the rule of law.”
Mr. Guterres’s comments followed his censure at the weekend of the use of “deadly force” in Myanmar, in which a protester – reportedly 14 years old – was killed in Mandalay, along with one other.
Also addressing the Council at the start of its month-long session, which is being held almost entirely remotely to prevent the spread of COVID-19, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, focused on the massive and negative impact of pandemic.
“I think we all realise that the use of force will not end this pandemic. Sending critics to jail will not end this pandemic. Illegitimate restrictions on public freedoms, the overreach of emergency powers and unnecessary or excessive use of force are not just unhelpful and unprincipled. They deter public participation in decision-making, which is the foundation of sound policy-making.”
Help for the most vulnerable
In another video message, President of the UN General Assembly, Volkan Bozkir, underscored the need to focus on people’s basic needs – including new coronavirus vaccines – as the best way to recover from the pandemic.
“It is essential that all responses to the COVID-19 pandemic are centred around human rights, and promote the protection of our citizens, including the most vulnerable who need our care and consideration the most”, he said. “This includes ensuring the equal and fair distribution of vaccines for all. It is critical that civil society, the private sector, and all stakeholders are facilitated to participate and provide feedback throughout the planning and assessment of responses.”
Vaccine unfairness
Echoing the call for equitable vaccine access in a wide-ranging address that included a broadside against right-wing extremists becoming a “transnational threat” and the manipulation of personal digital data by Governments to control citizens’ behaviour, the Secretary-General described the fact that only 10 countries had administered “more than 75 per cent of all COVID-19 vaccines” as “the latest moral outrage”.
Vaccine equity “affirms human rights”, he said, but “vaccine nationalism denies it. Vaccines must be a global public good, accessible and affordable for all.”
Taking up that theme, Ms. Bachelet insisted that the new coronavirus crisis had illustrated the “deadly realities of discrimination”.
Deep inequalities and chronic under-funding for essential services were to blame, she added, with policymakers largely responsible for ignoring these basic needs.
Pandemic rolls on
“Today, the medical impact of the pandemic is far from over – and its effects on economies, freedoms, societies, and people have only just begun”, she said. “The global rise in extreme poverty, accelerating inequalities; setbacks to women’s rights and equality; to education and opportunities for children and young people; and to the Sustainable Development Agenda are shocks that could shake the foundations of societies.”
Despite the scale of the challenges posed in this second year of the pandemic, the High Commissioner struck a positive note, insisting that “we have the possibility of rebuilding better, more inclusive systems, which address root causes and prepare us to meet the challenges we will certainly face”.
Among the many major problems facing people everywhere, the UN Secretary-General highlighted the disproportionate gender impact of COVID-19.
WFP/Saikat Mojumder
Fatema, a mother of four children, lost her husband in Myanmar and is now living in Bangladesh. She works in a chicken shop making $1.18 per a day.
Crisis ‘has a woman’s face’
“The crisis has a woman’s face”, he said. “Most essential frontline workers are women — many from racially and ethnically marginalized groups and at the bottom of the economic ladder. Most of the increased burden of care in the home is taken on by women.”
Persons with disabilities, older persons, refugees, migrants and indigenous peoples had also paid a higher price than others during the first year of the pandemic. Mr. Guterres continued, before calling for “a special focus on safeguarding the rights of minority communities, many of whom are under threat around the world”.
Cautioning against “policies of assimilation that seek to wipe out the cultural and religious identity of minority communities”, the UN chief maintained that the diversity of communities was “fundamental to humanity”.
Extremists a ‘transnational threat’
And without identifying any specific countries, Mr. Guterres also spoke out against the rising and potentially international threat of right-wing extremist movements.
“White supremacy and neo-Nazi movements are more than domestic terror threats. They are becoming a transnational threat”, he said. “Far too often, these hate groups are cheered on by people in positions of responsibility in ways that were considered unimaginable not long ago. We need global coordinated action to defeat this grave and growing danger.”
Under the presidency of Jordanian Ambassador Nazhat Shameem Khan, the 46th Human Rights Council session is due to meet until Friday 23 March.
Former lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani has condemned the act of describing soldiers by the religion they practice.
The former lawmaker on his social media page described the act as condemnable, divisive, and toxic.
Also Read: Lawan Accuses S’West Govs Of Inciting Violence In Their States
He expressed that with the current security challenges is facing, there is a need for national solidarity and united action, especially from the troops at the forefront of the fight.
He wrote:
“Referencing our soldiers as Muslims or Christians is a condemnable act. It is divisive & toxic. The security challenges in our country demand a united action and national solidarity. Sowing the seeds of religiosity in the minds of our troops on the frontlines is noxious & dangerous.”
Referencing our soldiers as Muslims or Christians is a condemnable act.Its divisive & toxic.The security challenges in our country demands a united action and national solidarity.Sowing the seeds of religiosity in the minds of our troops on the frontlines is noxious & dangerous.
LONDON (AP) — Microsoft is teaming up with European publishers to push for a system to make big tech platforms pay for news, raising the stakes in the brewing battle led by Australia to get Google and Facebook to pay for journalism.
The U.S. tech giant and four big European Union news industry groups unveiled their plan Monday to work together on a solution to “mandate payments” for use of news content from online “gatekeepers with dominant market power.”
They said they will “take inspiration” from proposed legislation in Australia to force tech platforms to share revenue with news companies and which includes an arbitration system to resolve disputes over a fair price for news.
Facebook last week blocked Australians from accessing and sharing news on its platform, in response to the government’s proposals, but the surprise move sparked a big public backlash and intensified the debate over how much power it has. Google, meanwhile, has been taking a different tack by cutting payment deals with news organizations, after backing down from its initial threat to shut off its search engine for Australians.
Microsoft is joining forces with two lobbying groups, the European Publishers Council and News Media Europe, along with two groups representing European newspaper and magazine publishers, which account for thousands of titles. The Seattle-based company has expressed support for Australia’s plans, which could help increase market share of its Bing search engine.
European Union countries are working on adopting by June revamped copyright rules set out by the EU executive that allow news companies and publishers to negotiate payments from digital platforms for online use of their content.
But there are worries about an imbalance of bargaining power between the two sides and the group called for new measures to be added to the upcoming overhaul of digital regulations to address the problem.
Publishers “might not have the economic strength to negotiate fair and balanced agreements with these gatekeeper tech companies, who might otherwise threaten to walk away from negotiations or exit markets entirely,” the group said in a joint statement. Google and Facebook have resisted arbitration because it would give them less control over payment talks.
Facebook did not reply immediately to a request for comment. Google said it already has signed hundreds of partnerships with news publishers across Europe, making it one of journalism’s biggest funders and noted on Twitter that it’s working with publishers and policymakers across the EU as member countries adopt the copyright rules into national legislation.
European Commission Discours Brussels, 22 Feb 2021 Merci Margrethe.
Aujourd’hui, nous présentons donc un plan d’action pour accroitre les synergies entre le civil, l’espace et la défense.
C’é…
The Council today added 19 leading Venezuelan officials to the list of those subject to restrictive measures, due to their role in acts and decisions undermining democracy and the rule of law in the country, or as a result of serious human rights violations.
This decision follows on from the Council conclusions of 25 January 2021, which indicated that the EU stood ready to adopt additional targeted restrictive measures, in view of the deteriorating situation in Venezuela following the December 2020 elections.
The individuals added to the list are responsible, notably, for undermining the oppositions’ electoral rights and the democratic functioning of the National Assembly, and for serious violations of human rights and restrictions of fundamental freedoms.
Today’s decision brings to 55 the total number of individuals subject to sanctions, which include travel bans and asset freezes. These targeted measures are designed not to have adverse humanitarian effects or unintended consequences for the Venezuelan population, and can be reversed.
The EU will continue to engage and work with all stakeholders in Venezuela to promote peaceful dialogue and a democratic and sustainable solution to the crises in the country.
The EU introduced restrictive measures on Venezuela in November 2017. The measures include an embargo on arms and on equipment for internal repression, and the imposition of travel bans and asset freezes on listed individuals.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Myanmar on Monday in one of the largest demonstrations yet against the country’s military coup three weeks ago. People are demanding an end to military rule and want the nation’s elected leader San Suu Kyi released, along with senior members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party.
Protesters gathered in Myanmar’s biggest city, Yangon, despite the ruling junta’s threat to use lethal force against people who join a general strike against the military’s 1 Feb. coup. Police dispersed crowds in the capital, Naypyitaw, and a water cannon truck was seen to move into position.
Meanwhile, the Catholic bishops of Myanmar have appealed to the military urging restraint on the streets and to return to dialogue to resolve the crisis. In a statement on Sunday, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Myanmar (CBCM) decried the violence in the streets saying ‘the sad and shocking recent events have brought huge sorrow to our nation.” The appeal signed by CBCM president Cardinal Charles Bo of Yangon, executive secretary Auxiliary Bishop John Saw Yaw Han of Yangon and 17 other bishops from across the country, came as the funeral of the first casualty in the protests, a 20-year-old woman, was held in Naypyitaw on Sunday after she was shot in the head on Feb. 9.
Myanmar soaked in fraternal blood
“The heart-rending scenes of youth dying in the streets wound the conscience of a nation,” the bishops lamented. said. “Let not its sacred ground be soaked in fraternal blood. The sadness of parents burying their children has to stop. Mothers’ tears are never a blessing to any nation,” the bishops warned.
They noted that just a month ago, the nation was dreaming of enhanced peace and democracy. “Despite the onslaught of the global pandemic,” they noted, “the nation held an election.” “The world admires our capacity for managing our differences.” However, “Today, the world weeps with us, shattered by the fragmentation of this nation once again,” the bishops deplored, saying the country’s young people deserve a better deal.
“Healing needs to start with the release of detained leaders,” the Church leaders stressed, calling on all to return to dialogue and invest their energy in reconciliation.
Cardinal Bo’s Lenten appeal
Cardinal Bo has also called on his faithful of his archdiocese to pray and fast for reconciliation as the nation is locked in hopelessness and despair through the coup. “This is a time for prayer. This is a time for fasting. This is a time for conversion for all of us in this country,” he said in a homily on the first Sunday of Lent.
“Let the dove of peace return to our nation,” he prayed. “Let this nation rise up to be a new Myanmar of peace and prosperity to all. Let the rainbow of peace and reconciliation rise again.” In his homily, the outspoken cardinal, who is also president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, warned against abuse of power, money, arrogance and oppression. “The mightiest powers will fall and their graves may become history,” he said.
Catholics continue protests
Myanmar has seen daily protests from urban cities to remote areas including in Christian strongholds where ethnic groups have shown their support for pro-democracy rallies. Catholic men and women religious, priests, seminarians and laypeople have taken to the streets to pray for peace as pro-democracy protests intensified in Myanmar three weeks after the 1 Feb. coup.
On Sunday, some 1,000 Catholics, mostly young people, marched on the streets of Yangon. The previous day, several hundred recited prayers and the rosary on the streets in Mandalay. Last week, nuns, priests and laypeople also took to the streets in Kayah state, a Catholic stronghold in northeastern Myanmar, to pray for peace. Christians from other denominations also joined Catholics on the streets in several cities in Kachin and Chin states.
Nuns have provided food and drinks to protesters in Yangon while some have organized prayer meetings in their convents. On Friday, dozens of Catholic youths held a demonstration in front of the US embassy in Yangon while thousands of anti-coup protests gathered in front of the embassies of China, Japan and Singapore.
International condemnation
On Saturday, two people including a teenager were killed and more than 20 injured in Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, during a violent crackdown by security forces on protesters. The latest bloody crackdown has sparked strong condemnation from the United Nations, the US, Britain and the European Union.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged Myanmar’s military to halt repression immediately, release hundreds detained and respect human rights and the will of the people expressed in the elections.
A new, anti-Ahmadiyya video targeting little children in Pakistan is going viral. The crude animated video is meant to sow the seeds of hatred, fanaticism and bigotry in the minds of innocent Pakistani children. Rather than teaching tolerance, the video perpetuates false stereotypes against the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and calls on all Pakistanis, including children, to consider Ahmadi Muslims subversive and blasphemous infidels. It also asks Pakistanis to boycott Ahmadi goods, products and services.
This video ad is inconsistent with international norms and values concerning freedom of religion and belief, as enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), on the freedom of religion, and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which was ratified by Pakistan in 2008. Three other UN human rights treaties, as well as numerous General Assembly Resolutions and Human Rights Committee comments, prohibit religious discrimination. This video also violates Pakistan’s own National Action Plan as well as the recently enacted cybercrime laws because it fuels hatred, discrimination and persecution against members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Pakistan.
Nonetheless, the Pakistani government authorities, who continue to bring frivolous cases against Ahmadi Muslims under anti-Ahmadiyya, blasphemy, and cybercrime laws, turns a blind eye towards systematic and countrywide efforts by Islamic extremists to fan hatred and ignite violence against Ahmadi Muslims. Instead of prosecuting the makers of this video under cybercrime laws and the National Action Plan, the governmental authorities continue to protect and support extremists and target innocent Ahmadis.
We call upon the Pakistani authorities to honor their international human rights commitments to protect religious freedom and promote religious tolerance towards the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. We respectfully request all members of the international community to urge the government of Pakistan to take urgent steps to bring its laws and practices in conformity with international standards as ordained by UDHR and ICCPR.
