UN Commission on Human Rights - April 3, 2003

March 24, 2003

To: Officers, Rabbis, Key Contacts
From: Richard B. Stone, Chairman
Betty Ehrenberg, Director, International and Communal Affairs
Re: UN Commission on Human Rights

The United Nations Commission on Human Rights began its 59th annual six-week session on March 17th in Geneva. The United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR), composed of 53 Member States, meets each year regularly in March/April for six weeks in Geneva. About 3,000 delegates from Member and Observer States and from NGOs participate. During its regular annual session, the Commission adopts about 100 resolutions, decisions, and Chairperson’s statements. It is assisted by the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, a number of working groups, and a network of individual experts, representatives, and rapporteurs mandated to report to it on specific issues.

The membership of UNCHR has changed since last year’s session. The United States is once again a member of the Commission. This year’s Commission includes five of the most repressive states in the world, including the country chairing the Commission – Libya. Freedom House, an independent think tank, publishes a Freedom Index that measures political rights and civil liberties in countries around the globe every year, which calls into question the weight that should be given to actions that will taken at the 59th session of the UNCHR.

It is expected that the Arab countries will push for the adoption of five anti-Israel resolutions, which place the blame for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict solely on Israel and do not condemn Palestinian violence and terror. These five resolutions reappear every year at the annual UNCHR session. The Lebanon resolution, which originally put emphasis on the Israeli “occupation” in Southern Lebanon, now emphasizes Israeli detention of Lebanese prisoners.

Clearly, this initiative represents yet another biased manipulation of the international community and the UN, similar to what occurred at the meeting of the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention in December 2001, and at the UN World Conference Against Racism in Durban in August/September 2001. Israel is again being singled out for criticism. Continuing to use international bodies in order to isolate Israel diplomatically not only makes it more difficult to resolve the real issues and disputes through direct negotiations but also undermines the integrity of the United Nations.

Urgent Action Requested

We are requesting all our members to send or fax letters to Ambassadors and Consul Generals of member agencies of the UNCHR (list provided below) urging them to oppose one-sided, inflammatory resolutions singling out Israel for criticism without condemning Palestinian violence. Addresses for foreign embassies in the United States can be found at http://www.embassy.org. Below please also find a sample letter which you may choose to use or adapt in your communications.

Dear (Ambassador) (Consul General) ___________,

We are writing to you on behalf of the (name of synagogue)___ to express our concern that Arab states may seek the adoption of five one-sided resolutions unfairly condemning Israel alone for the current tragic situation in the Middle East during the session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights currently taking place in Geneva.

We believe that these biased resolutions represent yet another manipulation of the international community to politicize the UN and other international bodies, reminiscent of the UN World Conference Against Racism in Durban of September 2001. Continuing to prejudice these international forums in order to isolate Israel diplomatically not only makes it more difficult to resolve the issues through direct negotiations, it also undermines the very integrity of these bodies.

The United Nations Commission on Human Rights, in keeping with the UN Charter, should embody humanitarian principles and should not be misused for political purposes. In order to uphold this integrity and in the interest of supporting a genuine peace process in the Middle East, we urge you to call for a vote to oppose one-sided, inflammatory anti-Israel resolutions on the current agenda of the UNCHR. The member states of the Commission should address the Arab-Israeli conflict with a single resolution that is impartial, objective, balanced, and proportionate. Resolutions that are blatantly biased against Israel and conspicuously silent on Palestinian responsibility should be opposed.

Sincerely,

List of 2003 Member States of the UN Commission of Human Rights:

1. Algeria
2. Argentina
3. Armenia
4. Australia
5. Austria
6. Bahrain
7. Belgium
8. Brazil
9. Burkina Faso
10. Cameroon
11. Canada
12. Chile
13. China
14. Costa Rica
15. Croatia
16. Cuba
17. Democratic Republic of the Congo
18. France
19. Gabon
20. Germany
21. Guatemala
22. India
23. Ireland
24. Japan
25. Kenya
26. Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
27. Malaysia
28. Mexico
29. Pakistan
30. Paraguay
31. Peru
32. Poland
33. Republic of Korea
34. Russian Federation
35. Saudi Arabia
36. Senegal
37. Sierra Leone
38. South Africa
39. Sri Lanka
40. Sudan
41. Swaziland
42. Sweden
43. Syrian Arab Republic
44. Thailand
45. Togo
46. Uganda
47. Ukraine
48. United Kingdom
49. United States of America
50. Uruguay
51. Venezuela
52. Vietnam
53. Zimbabwe

Please go to http://www.embassy.org to find the contact information for these foreign embassies in the United States. Feel free to call us at (212) 613-8124 if you require further information.

RBS
BE