Saudis win U.N. human rights seat for propaganda, false legitimacy

Articles from pro-Saudi media show how the fundamentalist regime uses its election to U.N. human rights bodies for propaganda and as a badge of false legitimacy:
KSA begins its three-year term at UN Human Rights Council
Jan. 4, 2017
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia, which was re-elected to the UN Human Rights Council in October, began its three-year term at the council Sunday amid instability and turmoil in the Middle East. The Kingdom’s UNHRC term will end on Dec. 31, 2019.
Saudi Arabia, together with 13 new member nations who were elected to the UNHCR, will be responsible for the promotion and protection of human rights and will be entrusted with the task to deal with human rights issues across the globe.
“It’s time to celebrate for our country led by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman,” said Ibrahim Al-Qayid, founding member of the National Society of Human Rights (NSHR), here Tuesday.
Al-Qayid said that “joining the UNHCR for a second term indicates the growing stature of the Kingdom on the one hand and the trust of the international community in the Saudi leadership on the other.” He said Saudi Arabia was re-elected for an additional term with China, Cuba, South Africa and the United Kingdom. “All would serve three-year terms beginning Jan. 1,” he added.
It’s also a coincidence that three Gulf states — Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE — will remain members of the Council during the current session. The membership of Qatar will end on Dec 31, 2017, while the UAE’s membership will cease on Dec 31, 2018. The newly elected member states of the Geneva-based body are Brazil, Croatia, Egypt, Hungary, Iraq, Japan, Rwanda, Tunisia and the US.
The new members are four from Africa; four from Asia-Pacific including Saudi Arabia; two seats for Eastern European states; two seats from Latin American and Caribbean States; and two for Western European and other states.
Abdullah Al-Mouallimi, the Kingdom’s permanent representative to the UN, said that the re-election “reflects the international community’s trust in the pioneering and leading role played by the Kingdom.” Al-Mouallimi said that the positive development will allow the Kingdom to complete its mission in defending the human rights in the Arab and Islamic worlds.
Referring to the agenda of the UNHRC, a political science professor of King Saud University (KSU), said that “the council has a long list of issues to deal with ranging from the administration of justice, child rights, rights of persons with disabilities, rights and resettlement of refugees.” The council, he said, monitors human rights conditions across the world, engages in discussions and puts pressure on nations that violate human rights.

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KSA’s re-election to UNHRC reflects global community’s trust — Al-Mouallimi
Oct. 29, 2016
UNITED NATIONS: Saudi Arabia’s re-election to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) “reflects the international community’s trust in the pioneering and leading role played by the Kingdom” in the UN body, the Kingdom’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations said on Saturday.
Ambassador Abdallah Al-Mouallimi stressed that the positive development will allow the kingdom to complete its mission in defending the human rights in the Arab and Islamic worlds.
“This leading role in the council is approved over the past three years. The Kingdom will continue this role during the three coming years. Saudi Arabia always participates in the joint international action,” Al-Mouallimi said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The 193 member-states voted on Friday to fill 14 seats at the Geneva-based council.
Saudi Arabia secured a convincing 152 votes. Three other Arab countries are members of the council, including Egypt, Tunisia and newly elected Iraq.

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GCC commends election of Saudi Arabia to UN Human Rights Council
RIYADH, 31st October, 2016 (WAM) — The Secretariat-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council has praised the election of Saudi Arabia as a member of the Human Rights Council by the United Nation General Assembly, UNGA, for the fourth time.