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Speaking with One Voice but Having Little Impact: The EU at the UN’s Human Rights Council

Speaking with One Voice but Having Little Impact: The EU at the UN’s Human Rights Council. Karen E Smith LSE. EU and the HRC. Role in formation of Human Rights Council Role in HRC sessions thus far Influence limited – why. HRC.

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Speaking with One Voice but Having Little Impact: The EU at the UN’s Human Rights Council

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  1. Speaking with One Voice but Having Little Impact: The EU at the UN’s Human Rights Council Karen E Smith LSE

  2. EU and the HRC • Role in formation of Human Rights Council • Role in HRC sessions thus far • Influence limited – why

  3. HRC • To replace discredited Commission on Human Rights (‘captured’ by human rights violators; politicised) • 4 groupings involved in initial discussions: Africa Group, Group of Arab States, OIC, and EU • New HRC agreed at World Summit 2005, but details worked out in UNGA; agreement in March 2006

  4. HRC Resolution, March 2006 • subsidiary organ of the General Assembly, based in Geneva; • responsible for promoting universal respect for the protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms, and should address situations of violations of human rights; • to meet at least three times a year, for at least ten weeks, and can hold special sessions, at the request of an HRC member with the support of one-third of the HRC membership; • to undertake a universal periodic review of the fulfilment by each UN member state of its human rights obligations and commitments; • composed of 47 member states, elected by a majority of the UNGA members; states found guilty of gross violations of human rights could be suspended from HRC membership by a two-thirds vote of the General Assembly [EU wanted HRC members to be elected by 2/3 of UNGA]

  5. EU at HRC • Research question: • US has absented itself from HRC (refused to vote for it; refuses to be elected to it); therefore: • Without the US (hegemon) can the EU lead in the HRC?

  6. Representation on CHR vs HRC

  7. 6 regular sessions so far: 1) 19-30 June 2006; 2) 18 September-6 October and 27-29 November 2006; 3) 29 November-8 December 2006; 4) 12-30 March 2007; 5) 11-18 June 2007 (‘institution-building process’ finished); 6) 10-28 September and 10-14 December 2007 6 special sessions so far: 1) July 2006: human rights in occupied Palestinian territory; 2) August 2006: human rights violations in Lebanon caused by Israel; 3) November 2006: human rights violations in occupied Palestinian territory caused by Israeli military incursions; 4) December 2006: human rights situation in Darfur; 5) October 2007: human rights situation in Myanmar; 6) January 2008: human rights violations in occupied Palestinian territory caused by Israeli military incursions HRC sessions

  8. EU ‘output’

  9. EU output compared with other groupings

  10. Limited influence of EU • Limited influence on institution-bldg process (agenda item 7; mandates for Belarus and Cuba; country resolutions) • Limited influence on HRC debates: OIC setting agenda on Israeli violations; racism, Islamophobia and defamation of religions • Seeks consensus, waters down own positions • Often isolated: in 28 roll-call votes in total, EU member states in minority on all but 3 of them; + joined only by other ‘Northern’ states

  11. Why? (work in progress…) • Coordination process time-consuming anyway, little time for outreach; worse with enlargement? • HRC more intensive process and EU ms haven’t boosted Geneva missions • Influence impossible anyway, due to: • 1) North-South split is deep • 2) clashes over values, and double standards of North • 3) Israeli violations of human rights

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