In wake of UN Watch’s exclusive report, a cross-party coalition in the Dutch Parliament’s House of Representatives is challenging their government’s vote for a UN resolution last week that singled out Israel alone for criticism regarding the rights of women, and have asked Foreign Minister Stef Blok for clarification:
Questions from members Omtzigt (CDA), Stoffer (SGP), Voordewind (CU), Koopmans (VVD), De Roon (PVV) and Baudet (FvD) to the Minister of Foreign Affairs about the implementation of the Van der Staaij et al motion. on unilateral resolutions at the UN (submitted 26 July 2019).
1. Can you confirm that the Netherlands voted in favor of the resolution “Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women” in the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations?
2. In addition to this condemnation of Israel, has any other country been convicted during this session for violating women’s rights?
3. Can you indicate how many resolutions in the UN Human Rights Council and in the Economic and Social Council condemn Israel (in the last fifteen years) and how many resolutions condemn the five most criticized countries?
4. For example, how often has the situation of women in Saudi Arabia, where women are not allowed to do anything without their ‘male guardian’, been placed on the agenda and how often has that country been convicted?
5. Do you consider this proportional?
6. How did the government implement each of the two points of the adopted motion Van der Staaij et al. (34775, no. 44) in the UN bodies in which the Netherlands is represented, where that motion called on the government in 2017 to (1) to take an active position at the UN level against Member States in UN organizations that place disproportionately on the agenda against Israel, and (2) as the Dutch government has done previously, to reject unjust resolutions? Can you provide examples for both agenda items?
* These questions are in addition to questions from the Stoffer member about the report ‘UN Singles Out Israel as the World’s Only Violator of Women’s Rights; Iran, Saudi Arabia & Yemen Among the Voters’
Tweet by UN Watch executive director that went viral:
No Joke: the U.N. just condemned Israel as the world's only violator of women's rights, backed by votes of council members Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan & Yemen.https://t.co/s94KsS50gH
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) July 24, 2019
Dutch MPs speak out:
Iran, Jemen en Pakistan veroordelen Israël in VN-verband over vrouwenrechten. En Nederland steunt dat… Onacceptabel! Samen met CDA, CU, VVD, PVV en FVD dienen we Kamervragen in.https://t.co/Maw3W39dbR
— Chris Stoffer (@chris_stoffer) July 25, 2019
Vragen over NL stem in economische en sociale raad van de VN: wanneer komen vrouwenrechten Saoudi-Arabië daar ooit aan de orde? pic.twitter.com/TWujrDQSHG
— Pieter Omtzigt (@PieterOmtzigt) July 25, 2019
