Call for an Arab Human Rights Commissioner

Dubai: A Syrian UN Expert and Professor of Law called on Ban Ki Moon, UN Secretary-General, to postpone the appointment of a new Human Rights Commissioner until after the American election in November this year, to help ensure the neutrality of the post.

Prof Georges Jabbour, Member of the Syrian Parliament and President of the UN Association in Syria, said he was willing to take up the post, which he believes must now be held by someone who is "not Western" in order to ensure that the UN and its related bodies represent all of humanity, rather than "just dictate Western values".

Jabbour used to work with the UN as a member of a working group of experts on people of African decent at the UN Human Rights Commission.

He told Gulf News over the phone from his house in Safita, Syria, that the logic behind his call to delay the appointment of a new human right commissioner is based on the fact that a nominee who will get the blessing of the current US representative, will not be able to focus on crimes committed by that administration against humanity.

The UN Secretary-General will select a nominee from among the candidates for the post before the expiry of the term of Louise Arbour at the end of this month.

She was the fifth UN Human Rights Commissioner since the post was created in 1993. He feels they all came from countries with a "Western background", namely Ecuador, Ireland, Brazil, Guyana and Canada. Jabbour said it is about time to give the post to an Arab citizen.

"Let us wait until George W. Bush goes home and see if the new commissioner should come from a Western background or not."

He said: "With Bush having a say on the appointment of a new commissioner, no one who might criticise the violations of his administration will be able to become elected.

"This is a very important moment in the history of humanity. We either have to stress the importance of human rights issues in international politics and delink it from security concerns, or accept human rights violations under different names, circumstances and justifications.

"We need an independent person to occupy the post as commissioner. Someone not burdened by the favour of Bush's administration, who will act freely and independently."

Prof Jabbour said it is very important to select a new commissioner who represents a different culture from a different part of the world.

"He or she must strongly believe in human rights. I think the world will gain more if someone from the Arab world became commissioner. I think I have the necessary qualifications to serve the post and the issue," he stressed.

Letters

Prof Jabbour said he has already written letters to the candidates from Western countries to step down in favour of someone from the Middle East.

"I am quite convinced this will be in the interest of serving better the issues of human rights worldwide, and in regions where most violations against humanity are committed.

"I know that countries in this region are not the best in terms of human rights, but the message of human rights should not always be from a Western direction. Experts from this part of the world know better how to help spread the message of human rights among their societies and in the whole world," he said.

History: Previous leaders

• Jose Ayala-Lasso, Ecuador 1994- 1997
• Mary Robinson, Ireland, 1997-2002
• Sergio Vieira de Mello, Brazil, 2002-2003 (killed in a bomb blast in Baghdad on August 19, 2003)
• Bertrand Ramcharan, Guyana, acting commissioner, 2003-2004.
• Louise Arbour, Canada, 2004-2008