UN Women Archives - UN Watch https://unwatch.org/tag/un-women/ Monitoring the UN Promoting Human Rights Mon, 19 May 2025 11:45:17 +0000 en-US hourly 1 UN Watch Response to UN Women Statement on Sarah Douglas https://unwatch.org/un-watch-response-to-un-women-statement-on-sarah-douglas/ Mon, 15 Jan 2024 11:25:12 +0000 https://unwatch.org/?p=572016 The UN agency for women’s rights has finally responded to our report which revealed that Sarah Douglas, the deputy chief of UN Women’s peace and security office, had endorsed 153 posts on social media accusing Israel of genocide and other crimes. UN Women’s statement came two weeks after the Secretary-General’s Antonio Gutteres’ spokesperson admitted this […]

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]]> The UN agency for women’s rights has finally responded to our report which revealed that Sarah Douglas, the deputy chief of UN Women’s peace and security office, had endorsed 153 posts on social media accusing Israel of genocide and other crimes.

UN Women’s statement came two weeks after the Secretary-General’s Antonio Gutteres’ spokesperson admitted this was “a violation of the Code of Conduct.”

The statement from U.N. Women spokeswoman Kiri Jo Ginnerup, as published on January 5th by JNS, and then again in a nearly identical version by the Associated Press, reads as follows:

“We are aware of reports relating to a mid-level manager in personal social-media activity and its compatibility with the standards of conduct required of U.N. staff members,” Kiri Jo Ginnerup, a U.N. Women spokeswoman,  told JNS.

“U.N. Women takes these concerns seriously,” she added. “The standards of conduct are clear and breaches are dealt with appropriately and in accordance with U.N Women’s accountability and legal framework. Such processes are internal and not made public.”

 

UN Watch Response

As detailed below, UN Women’s statement is a transparent attempt to downplay its senior employee’s blatant violation of UN staff rules even though both the Secretary-General and UN Women clearly acknowledge the violation.

Two U.S. Senators have already called for Ms. Douglas to be fired, Senator Marsha Blackburn and Senator Rick Scott, and UN Watch’s petition calling for Douglas’s ouster has garnered over 12,500 signatures.

If UN Women were taking the matter “very seriously” as it claims in its statement, it would have either fired Douglas by now, or contacted UN Watch for evidence, especially given that Ms. Douglas deleted her Twitter account hours after our exposé was published. Yet no one from UN Women has even attempted to speak to us. Once again, we call on UN Women to do the right thing and fire Sarah Douglas.

1. “Aware of reports”; “takes concerns seriously”

UN Women downplays UN Watch’s expose as mere “reports” making it seems like it is just an unverified claim without factual support. In fact, UN Watch produced evidence of many of the 153 tweets written or endorsed by UN Women Deputy Chief Sarah Douglas since October 7th on her own Twitter (now X) account. While Ms. Douglas quickly deleted her Twitter account, UN Watch saved screenshots of all 153 tweets in case UN Women wishes to see the evidence.

In the next sentence, UN Women again minimizes Douglas’s egregious violations by referring to “concerns” about her “social media activity,” instead of stating straight out that it was a violation. 

2. “Relating to a mid-level manager“

Sarah Douglas is not just a “mid-level manager.” Her title—Deputy Chief of Peace and Security at UN Women—indicates that she holds a senior position at the agency. Moreover, in that role, Douglas has publicly represented the agency by speaking alongside the Executive Director, penning an article on the UN Women website, and giving interviews to the media. 

3. “Personal social-media activity”

Referring to Sarah Douglas’ tweets as her “personal social media activity” makes it seem like it was a personal account with no connection to UN Women. However, both Douglas’ account description and the content of her tweets indicate that Sarah Douglas operated it in her official capacity as a representative of UN Women. Douglas describes herself as “Deputy Chief of Peace and Security @UN_Women,” using the official UN Women twitter handle. A review of her tweets as found in the Way Back Machine confirms that Douglas used her account for professional purposes. Her tweets consist of retweets, many from other UN accounts, all related to women’s rights, gender equality, and international peace and security, with an occasional tweet of her own on these issues. Moreover, even if this was a personal account, it still violates UN rules per point 4 below.

4. “Incompatibility with the standards of conduct required of U.N. staff members”

Using the word “incompatible” to characterize Douglas’s pro-Hamas Twitter feed diminishes the severity of her violation. Considering that the spokesperson for the Secretary General already admitted on December 21st that there was a “violation,” UN Women should similarly admit the violation clearly and directly. 

As UN Women later stated, the “standards of conduct are clear.” There is no doubt that Douglas’s Twitter feed violated these standards. Article 101(3) of the UN Charter states that the “paramount consideration” in employing staff is “securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity.” The concept of integrity under the core values of the UN Staff Rules and Staff Regulations includes “impartiality.” Specifically, under Rule 1.2(f), UN staff are expressly prohibited from making “any kind of public pronouncement” that may adversely reflect on their independence and impartiality. While UN staff members may exercise the right to vote, they are prohibited from engaging in any political activity that reflects adversely upon “the independence and impartiality required by their status as international civil servants.”

Furthermore, the UN Guidelines for Personal Use of Social Media require staff “to be mindful at all times that their conduct on social media must be consistent with the principles set out in the United Nations Charter.” The Guidelines add that “staff must ensure that the expression of their personal views and convictions on social media does not adversely affect their official duties, reflect poorly on their status as international civil servants or call into question their duty of loyalty, impartiality and responsibility to the Organization.”

5. UN Women takes these concerns “very seriously”

Despite UN Women’s assertion, it does not seem like it is taking the matter “very seriously.” If it was truly treating the matter with the severity it deserves, it would have publicly fired Douglas by now. The UN has proven that it knows how to fire staff when it wants to.

At the very least, UN Women would have already contacted UN Watch for evidence of the screenshots of Douglas’s now deleted Twitter account, as UN Watch invited it to do in a December 29th Tweet reply. How can UN Women seriously investigate the matter without obtaining the evidence we saved which is no longer available online?

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]]> UN Admits: UN Women Deputy Chief’s Anti-Israel Tweets ‘Violated Code of Conduct’ https://unwatch.org/un-admits-un-women-deputy-chiefs-anti-israel-tweets-violated-code-of-conduct/ Wed, 27 Dec 2023 19:37:37 +0000 https://unwatch.org/?p=570747 Sign Petition to Fire Sarah Douglas GENEVA, December 27, 2023 — In wake of an exposé by a watchdog group, the United Nations has admitted that UN Women Deputy Chief Sarah Douglas “committed a violation of the Code of Conduct” in connection with her anti-Israel activity on social media, and that the matter is “being dealt […]

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]]> Sign Petition to Fire Sarah Douglas

GENEVA, December 27, 2023 — In wake of an exposé by a watchdog group, the United Nations has admitted that UN Women Deputy Chief Sarah Douglas “committed a violation of the Code of Conduct” in connection with her anti-Israel activity on social media, and that the matter is “being dealt with,” according to a statement by the UN Secretary-General’s spokesman.

Last week, Ms. Douglas deleted her social media accounts on X (formerly known as Twitter) and LinkedIn after the exposé revealed her partisan political activity in endorsing 153 posts since October 7th that promoted anti-Zionism, accused Israel of “genocide,” and celebrated shutting down bridges and highways for campaigns opposing Israel.

Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, an independent nongovernmental organization based in Geneva, welcomed what he said was “a rare admission by the UN of malfeasance committed by one of their senior officials.”

“But this isn’t enough. Although the spokesman of the UN secretary-general referred to ‘a violation’ of the UN’s Code of Conduct by Sarah Douglas, in fact there were at least 154 violations in the past two months alone.”

“We remind the UN that Ms. Douglas publicly endorsed no less than 153 tweets accusing Israel of genocide and other crimes, and that she addressed the UN from her home sitting next to a giant ‘Palestine’ poster with the colors of the Palestinian flag. Moreover, in previous years, she attacked the U.S. and glorified former PLO official Hanan Ashrawi, who recently defended the October 7th massacre.”

“Given that Ms. Douglas deleted her accounts, how will the UN find the evidence? Fortunately, we have screenshots of her tweets that have not yet been published. If UN Women is truly investigating, why haven’t they contacted us yet? We are prepared to share with them all of the evidence.”

“The UN cannot be allowed to dismiss and downplay what is in fact a lengthy, years-long pattern and practice of Sarah Douglas’ gross and systematic violations of her oath of neutrality.”

“Sarah Douglas has publicly endorsed the Hamas narrative, and every day that she remains is not only a stain on the credibility of UN Women, but casts a shadow upon the United Nations itself. We are calling on the UN to remove her immediately.”

In a campaign launched by UN Watch with the hashtag #FireSarahDouglas on Instagram and X, nearly 5,000 people have signed a petition demanding that she be fired.

Last week, Senator Rick Scott said, “The silence of UN Women on the evil and barbaric sexual abuse of women speaks volumes. Sarah Douglas should not keep her job. These innocent women deserve better.”

Likewise, Senator Marsha Blackburn said, “UN Women has been silent about Hamas’ atrocities toward innocent civilians. It is time for terrorist sympathizer Sarah Douglas to go.”

In addition, the Wall Street Journal editorial board dedicated a column to the controversy, entitled “Hamas’s Friends at the UN,” writing that “Section 101 of the UN charter on the conduct of staff notes that working as an international civil servant demands ‘integrity, independence and impartiality.’ Staff are not permitted to make statements or ‘any kind of public pronouncement’ that would call their impartiality into question. Yet Ms. Douglas carries on without rebuke.”

 

 

 

 

 

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]]> UN Women Deputy Chief Deletes Social Media Accounts After Endorsing Anti-Zionist Posts https://unwatch.org/un-women-deputy-chief-deletes-social-media-accounts-after-endorsing-anti-zionist-posts/ Tue, 19 Dec 2023 02:25:37 +0000 https://unwatch.org/?p=569511 CLICK HERE FOR PETITION TO FIRE SARAH DOUGLAS GENEVA, December 18, 2023 — A top official of UN Women has deleted her social media accounts on X (formerly known as Twitter) and LinkedIn after an independent United Nations watchdog group revealed her partisan political activity in endorsing 153 posts since October 7th that promoted anti-Zionism, accused Israel of “genocide,” […]

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]]> CLICK HERE FOR PETITION TO FIRE SARAH DOUGLAS

GENEVA, December 18, 2023 — A top official of UN Women has deleted her social media accounts on X (formerly known as Twitter) and LinkedIn after an independent United Nations watchdog group revealed her partisan political activity in endorsing 153 posts since October 7th that promoted anti-Zionism, accused Israel of “genocide,” and celebrated shutting down bridges and highways for campaigns opposing Israel.

Screenshots captured by UN Watch, an independent non-governmental organization based in Geneva, show that Sarah Douglas, the Deputy Chief of Peace and Security at UN Women, used her Twitter account, which prominently listed her UN Women position, to endorse a number of posts that accused Israel of “genocide.”

One post accused the U.S. of “arming the genocide in Gaza.” Another said “we are currently witnessing all the forces of empire team up to annihalate [sic] the Palestinian people and struggle for freedom.”

Douglas liked posts by Democratic “Squad” members, including a post by Rashida Tlaib claiming that “Israel is starving Gaza,” a post by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that called on the U.S. to condition aid to Israel, and an Ayanna Pressley post that was critical of Israel and called for a “#CeasefireNow.”

Last week, in a briefing to the United Nations in New York on counter-terrorism, Douglas addressed the United Nations by webcam from her home with a large “Palestine” poster and flag showing in the background.

Calls for Sarah Douglas to Be Fired for Violating UN Neutrality Obligations

In a report published today by UN Watch, executive director Hillel Neuer said that “Ms. Douglas’ public political activities over at least the past six years are in gross breach of her obligations as a UN staff member to uphold neutrality and impartiality, and we are calling on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and UN Women chief Sima Bahous to fire her.”

“In a period of just two months, since the Hamas massacre of October 7th, Douglas has publicly endorsed 153 tweets of extremist politicians and fringe groups that promoted anti-Zionism, accused Israel of ‘genocide’, and called for shutting down bridges and highways,” said Neuer. “That is not neutrality, and that is not impartiality.”

“Meanwhile, she was completely silent about the Hamas mass rape, murder and abductions of many hundreds of Israelis. She promoted the Hamas lie that Israel attacked the Al-Ahli hospital on October 17th, when it was the Islamic Jihad.”

“Douglas recently endorsed posts slamming the actions of member states concerning Gaza, and she previously wrote on Facebook that America doesn’t belong on the UN Human Rights Council. It’s clear that she is acting in a manner that is not in keeping with her status as an international civil servant, and she needs to be removed,” said Neuer.

 

 

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]]> UN Women’s Palestinian Youth Leaders Glorify Terrorism https://unwatch.org/un-women-palestine-youth-reps-celebrate-female-terrorist/ Wed, 10 Mar 2021 10:52:29 +0000 https://unwatch.org/?p=549200 As the world marks International Women’s Day this week, the UN agency for gender equality should explain why they have selected Palestinian youth leaders who glorify women in acts of terrorism. UN Women’s Palestine branch recently announced its new youth forum for dialogue and advocacy around gender, and “31 young leaders from Palestine were selected […]

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As the world marks International Women’s Day this week, the UN agency for gender equality should explain why they have selected Palestinian youth leaders who glorify women in acts of terrorism.

UN Women’s Palestine branch recently announced its new youth forum for dialogue and advocacy around gender, and “31 young leaders from Palestine were selected for their leadership and demonstrated contribution to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.”

Members of this Youth Gender Innovation Agora, according to UN Women, are “committed to the core values of the United Nations.” Yet a glance at the social media of some of these young leaders suggests that UN Women Palestine chose many young leaders with a demonstrated record of glorifying terrorism, and of opposition to core United Nations values of human rights and peace.

UN Women’s gender equality youth leader Mohamad Abu Samra could be credited with promoting female role models, except that his idea of female empowerment is the terrorist Dalal Mughrabi, who participated in the 1978 Coast Road Massacre in which 38 Israelis, including 13 children, were murdered.

In Mohamad Abu Samra’s Facebook post, his text accompanying a picture of Mughrabi details with reverence the heroism of Dalal to fulfill “the necessity to carry out a daring and qualitative operation to hit Israel in the heart of its capital.”

Abu Samra isn’t the only one of the GIA’s youth leaders who admires Mughrabi. Samar Saleh Thawabteh also commemorates the anniversary of Mughrabi’s “martyrdom” with her own post celebrating the terrorist attack which, in her words, caused “hundreds of dead and wounded on the Israeli side.” This UN gender equality leader gives Mughrabi further credit for exploding the bus she was in and killing the passengers and Israeli soldiers on board.

Celebrating Terrorists and Promoting Violence

Lionizing a female terrorist is only one example of social media posts from its Palestinian youth ambassadors for gender equality that should horrify UN Women. Mohamed Abu Samra also celebrates “the martyrdom of the heroes of the Al-Baraq Revolution” — three Palestinians who committed brutal murders of Jews in Safed and Hebron during the 1929 Palestinian anti-Jewish riots in which 130 Jews were massacred.

Yasmin Attoun, another of UN Women’s young gender equality leaders, published on her Facebook post an image highlighting calls for violent revolution. Guns and Molotov cocktails feature prominently, and it is clear that they are to be used against Israel.

Denying Israel’s Right to Exist

UN Women’s gender innovation youth leader Ayah Abu Mayaleh posts on his Facebook feed a video denying Israel’s right to exist. The video was produced by Sami Mushtaha, a journalist for an affiliate of Al-Quds TV, the Hamas propaganda network. Mushtaha asks several Palestinian children what the capital of Israel is. The children repeatedly deny Israel’s existence, saying: “What Israel?”; “There is no Israel”; “Israel is a creation of America”; and “Israel belongs to us, not to the Jews.”

UN Women’s gender innovation youth leader Suhaib Abdat erases Israel from the map overlaying it with the Palestinian colors. His caption reaffirms this by stating “from Ras Al-Naqourra [in the] North to Umm Al-Rush [in the] South.”

The above is just a selection of disturbing social media posts by the new cohort of UN Women Palestine’s leaders of gender equality, enough to raise serious questions over the agency’s selection process.

According to UN Women’s 2019 Financial Statements, the European Commission gave $84 million to the organization’s annual budget, the UK gave $27 million, Switzerland $19 million, the U.S. $14 million,  Canada $14 million, Australia $14 million, Germany $14 million and the Netherlands gave the agency $10 million.

According to UN Women Palestine, its youth leaders are supposed to support the implementation of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 5. Among its laudable targets are to “end all forms of discrimination” and “eliminate all forms of violence” against women and girls.

If UN Women truly seeks to end violence and discrimination, they should begin by educating their next generation of leaders that this applies to violence and discrimination against Israelis and Jews as well.

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]]> mughrabi1 mughrabi2 mughrabi3 terror yasmin video1 map UN Elects Yemen, Worst on Gender Equality, as VP at UN's Gender Equality Agency https://unwatch.org/un-elects-yemen-worst-gender-equality-vp-uns-gender-equality-agency/ Wed, 09 Jan 2019 21:57:09 +0000 https://unwatch.jaredco.com/?p=24684 GENEVA, Jan. 9, 2019 — A human rights watchdog organization today condemned the UN’s election of Yemen, the worst-ranking country in the world on gender equality, to be vice-president of the Executive Board of UN Women, which is the United Nations entity for gender equality and the empowerment of women. “Electing Yemen to protect women’s rights is […]

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GENEVA, Jan. 9, 2019 — A human rights watchdog organization today condemned the UN’s election of Yemen, the worst-ranking country in the world on gender equality, to be vice-president of the Executive Board of UN Women, which is the United Nations entity for gender equality and the empowerment of women.
“Electing Yemen to protect women’s rights is like making a pyromaniac into the town fire chief,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, a Geneva-based non-governmental human rights group.
“We’re calling on UN chief Antonio Guterres and high commissioner for human rights Michelle Bachelet to speak out against this absurd and morally repugnant decision, which sends absolutely the wrong message from the very organization that is supposed to be protecting women from discrimination.”
Yemen was ranked 149th out of 149 in last year’s Global Gender Gap Report, produced by the World Economic Forum.
“How could the UN choose Yemen, a country that tolerates female genital mutilation, denies women hospital treatment without the permission of a male relative, and counts a woman’s testimony as worth half that of a man?” asked Neuer.
“We remind the UN that women in Yemen cannot marry without permission of their male guardians, and face deeply entrenched discrimination in both law and practice, in all aspects of their lives, including employment, education and housing.”
“The election of Yemen as vice-president at UN Women is an insult to women’s rights activists worldwide who struggle against the persecution exemplified by Yemen’s misogynistic laws and practices,” added Neuer.
Executive Board members who joined the vote by acclamation yesterday to elect Yemen include Ireland, Norway and Sweden.
Beyond the symbolic significance, Yemen now acquires some influence in shaping discussions at the global women’s rights agency.
According to UN Women, Yemen, as a member of the bureau, will work closely with the secretariat of the Executive Board to implement its primary functions, including the organization of meetings and facilitating decision-making. The work of the bureau that now includes Yemen is considered by the UN to be “indispensable to the smooth and efficient functioning of the Board.”


“Glad to be elected,” tweeted Yemeni deputy ambassador Mr. Marwan Ali Noman. “Warmest congrats Marwan, all the best mate!!” replied Mr. Murad Hussein Issa, a Yemeni delegate to the UN Human Rights Council.


 
 

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]]> yemen-women-protest Saudis Win Seat on Third UN Women’s Rights Body https://unwatch.org/un-sells-3-womens-rights-bodies-oil-rich-saudi-arabia/ Mon, 18 Jun 2018 02:56:04 +0000 https://unwatch.jaredco.com/?p=23324 GENEVA, June 18, 2018 – UN Watch today expressed grave concern that Saudi Arabia, considered by many to be the most misogynistic regime in the world, has now secured key positions on the UN’s three principal women’s rights bodies: April 2017: Saudi Arabia elected to UN Commission on Status of Women. Belgium and at least […]

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GENEVA, June 18, 2018 – UN Watch today expressed grave concern that Saudi Arabia, considered by many to be the most misogynistic regime in the world, has now secured key positions on the UN’s three principal women’s rights bodies:

  • April 2017: Saudi Arabia elected to UN Commission on Status of Women. Belgium and at least four other EU states voted for the Saudis.

 

  • April 2018: Saudi Arabia elected to the Executive Board of UN Women, also known as the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.

  • June 2018: Saudi Arabia’s candidate elected UN Committee on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, a 23-member expert body that monitors implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, reviews country reports and adopts recommendations, receives complaints from individuals or groups concerning violations of rights protected under the Convention, initiates inquiries into situations of grave or systematic violations of women’s rights, and formulates general recommendations regarding the Convention.

 

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]]> MBS guterres saudi The Top 10 Most Evil U.N. Actions of 2017 https://unwatch.org/top-10-evil-u-n-actions-2017/ Mon, 25 Dec 2017 01:33:39 +0000 https://unwatch.jaredco.com/?p=20208 The Top 10 Most Evil U.N. Actions of 2017 10. Denied Venezuelan Hunger: In the first-ever U.N. visit to Venezuela, Alfred de Zayas, the U.N. Human Rights Council’s Cuban-backed “Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order,” posted propaganda photos to deny mass hunger caused by the regime’s failed policies. After UN […]

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]]> The Top 10 Most Evil U.N. Actions of 2017


10. Denied Venezuelan Hunger: In the first-ever U.N. visit to Venezuela, Alfred de Zayas, the U.N. Human Rights Council’s Cuban-backed “Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order,” posted propaganda photos to deny mass hunger caused by the regime’s failed policies.

After UN Watch exposed the sick lie—in truth, Venezuelan hospitals are filled with starving children—the U.N. official was pressured into deleting his blog post and tweet.

9. Foxes to Guard the Chickens: The U.N. elected Qatar (slave labor), Pakistan (death row for Christian ‘blasphemers’), Democratic Republic of Congo (mass rape as weapon of war), Afghanistan (abuse of women) and Angola (corrupt & oppressive regime) to the 47-nation Human Rights Council, for 3-year terms beginning in January 2018. Existing members already include Saudi Arabia, China, Cuba and Venezuela.
UN Watch led the protest with a major report and social media campaign, cited in AP, Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Deutsche Welle & Spain’s EFE.


8. Mugabe as Goodwill Ambassador: In October, the U.N.’s World Health Organization named Zimbabwe dictator Robert Mugabe a “goodwill ambassador.”
UN Watch’s protest sparked world outrage—generating a blitz of media reports in CNN, Washington Post, Newsweek and 140 other news agencies. Eventually, donor states including the U.S., Britain and Canada protested, and the dictator was dropped. A month later, Mugabe was overthrown—no thanks to the United Nations, which had only sought to legitimize him.

7. Making Putin the Victim: U.N. expert Idriss Jazairy (above), a former Algerian diplomat, published a report astoundingly concluding that Russia was a victim of human rights violations—due, he said, to U.S. and EU “unilateral coercive measures.”

UN Watch’s Hillel Neuer took the floor in the Human Rights Council to question the ethics of Jazairy’s office recently accepting $50,000 from Russia. Jazairy lashed out at UN Watch, and denied any influence. The story was reported worldwide by AP, The Independent, and Radio Free Europe.

 6. U.N. Punished Whistleblower for Trying to Stop Outing of Chinese Dissidents: The U.N. human rights office retaliated against employee Emma Reilly after she tried to stop the dangerous hand-over to China of names of dissidents slated to attend a Human Rights Council session. An independent watchdog also called for Prince Zeid al-Hussein (above), the U.N. rights chief, to be suspended and placed under investigation for his alleged mistreatment of whistleblowers such as Anders Kompass, who tried to stop peacekeepers raping children in Central African Republic, and Miranda Brown, who exposed the U.N. transfer of unlicensed shipments of U.S. computers and firewalls to North Korea.

5. Rewarding Genocidal Syria: The U.N. elected Syria’s genocidal regime to a senior post on a decolonization committee charged with opposing the “subjugation, domination and exploitation” of people. The propaganda victory was quickly trumpeted by the Assad regime.

4. Honoring Qaddafi Agent: In March, the U.N. Human Rights Council opening session gave a position of honor to its Advisory Committee member Jean Ziegler, co-founder and 2002 recipient of the “Muammar Qaddafi Human Rights Prize.” Two weeks later, Eric Tistounet, a top official of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, joined a panel showering praise upon Ziegler as a great “intellectual.”

UN Watch protested in a detailed letter that documented’s Ziegler’s despicable record of siding with murderous regimes.
Executive Director Hillel Neuer took the floor in the Council to challenge Ziegler to his face: “I have a question for the panel member who in 1989 co-founded the Mummar Qaddafi Human Rights Prize, and who went to Tripoli, Libya, on Sept. 29, 2002, to himself win that prize.”
“Given that this Council eventually reversed its policy on the Qaddafi regime, and suspended Libya in 2011 for its gross and systematic abuses, do you regret your actions? The Swiss media reported that the prize was worth 100,000 Swiss Francs. Would you consider returning these funds to the Libyan people?”

3. Purges Teachers, Now on UNESCO Board: In November, the U.N. agency for education, science & culture elected Turkey to its executive board—barely one year after President Erodgan summarily fired 100,000 teachers, university deans, academics, judges, and other officials. Erodogan persecuted heroic journalists like Can Dundar and Yavuz Baydar, yet will now be a U.N. judge of press freedom. Turkish propaganda celebrated the win, as reported by UN Watch.

2. Mother of All Rogues’ Galleries: In September, the U.N. Human Rights Council assembled the most despicable single panel of presenters in its 70-year history, legitimized by the presence and speech of a former top official of Human Rights Watch. The subject was “unilateral coercive measures,” i.e., why Western sanctions against oppressive regimes like Russia, Sudan, or Venezuela, are supposedly illegal.
Left to right: Jean Ziegler, a UNHRC advisor who founded and won the Qaddafi Prize, used his slot to openly defend the Maduro regime and to attack Venzuela’s political prisoners; Idriss Jazairy, a U.N. expert who as Algerian diplomat was the greatest enemy of legitimate U.N. human rights experts; Peggy Hicks, representative of High Commissioner Zeid al-Hussein and former U.N. rep of Ken Roth’s Human Rights Watch, was silent as Ziegler praised Venezuela; Jorge Valero, ambassador of the oppressive Maduro regime, the official moderator of the panel; Alena Douhan, a Belarus academic with a soft spot for Russia, whose doctorate was on the principle of “non-interference” in countries’ “internal affairs”; and Alfred de Zayas, expert of the UNHRC whose World War II revisionist history has made him a hero to Holocaust deniers.
UN Watch was the only voice at the United Nations to take the floor, in the Council and outside, to challenge this perversion of human rights.


1. Saudi Arabia Elected to U.N. Women’s Rights Commission: In April, the 54-nation Economic and Social Council elected Saudi Arabia to the U.N.’s women’s rights commission, despite its horrific subjugation of women. UN Watch’s report went completely viral, quoted in CNN, Newsweek, the leading papers of France, Britain, Germany, Spain, Italy—and even in Teen Vogue.
When UN Watch also revealed that at least five European Union states voted for the Saudis, a major scandal erupted in Belgium—the prime minister was forced to admit their immoral vote and he apologized—and controversies erupted in the parliaments and media of Ireland, Norway and Sweden. Click for video.
 

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO
DONATED TO UN WATCH IN 2017

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]]> Qatar bid for vice-presidency of UN Human Rights Council axed by Arab rivals https://unwatch.org/controversy-qatar-bid-vp-unhrc-blocked-arab-rivals/ Mon, 04 Dec 2017 18:28:53 +0000 https://unwatch.jaredco.com/?p=19934 GENEVA, December 4, 2017 – Monitoring group UN Watch has learned that Qatar submitted a bid to become vice-president of the UN Human Rights Council, but its Gulf Arab rivals are blocking the nomination, forcing Asian states to choose another country, which could be Saudi Arabia. Qatar is able to seek the key position on the world’s […]

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Qatar ambassador Ali Al Mansouri, seeking to become VP of the UNHRC, with Mr. Michael Møller, Director-general of the United Nations Office at Geneva.

GENEVA, December 4, 2017 – Monitoring group UN Watch has learned that Qatar submitted a bid to become vice-president of the UN Human Rights Council, but its Gulf Arab rivals are blocking the nomination, forcing Asian states to choose another country, which could be Saudi Arabia.
Qatar is able to seek the key position on the world’s highest human rights body after it won election to a three-year term in October, despite UN Watch’s protest citing Qatar’s record of abusing migrant workers, financing terrorism, and restricting civil liberties such as freedom of press. Click here to view full UN Watch report on 2017 UNHRC candidates.
“Giving Qatar a top spot on the world’s highest human rights body would be like making a pyromaniac into the town fire chief,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch.
“In Qatar, citizens are prohibited from criticizing the Emir and do not discuss sensitive political and religious issues in public, and the press is controlled by the ruling family. Last year, the independent Doha News website was blocked following its coverage of sensitive issues such as labor rights and homosexuality,” said Neuer.

“Qatari women are subject to discrimination in law and practice, particularly in relation to divorce, inheritance, child custody, nationality and freedom of movement. A male guardian and male witnesses are required to validate a marriage contract. Women are prohibited from passing citizenship to their children, have fewer inheritance rights than men, and their testimony in court is not weighted equally with that of a man.”

“Qatari penalties for sex outside of marriage are flogging for non-married violators or the death penalty for married violators. According to media reports, there have been dozens of floggings for this crime since 2016. Furthermore, in 2016, a Dutch woman was sentenced to one-year imprisonment and deported for engaging in extramarital sex after she reported that she had been raped,” said Neuer.

“In addition, Qatar is notorious for supporting the Muslim Brotherhood and its Palestinian offshoot, Hamas, and also has close ties with the Taliban and al-Qaeda affiliates in Syria and Iran.”

UNHRC Election & Qatar’s Failed UNESCO Bid 

The Human Rights Council today elected Vojislav Šuc of Slovenia as its president for 2018, and German ambassador Antje Leednertse as one of the four vice presidents, but unlike in typical years, three of the other VP spots—for Asia, Africa, and Latin America—were not yet identified.
In November, Qatar’s bid for Director-General of UNESCO was rejected in favor of France’s Audrey Azoulay, despite substantial lobbying efforts including Qatari candidate Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kawari flying 10 UNESCO board members to Doha on an all-expenses paid trip ahead of the vote.
 
 

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]]> UNOG Director-General HE. Mr. Ali AL_MANSOURI, Ambassador of the Stae of Qatar to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations presented his credential to Mr. Michael Møller, Director-general of the United Nations Office at Geneva and Secretary-General of the Conference on Disarmament. Copyright_UNTV/PM Virot UK coverage: U.N. elects Saudi Arabia to Women’s Rights Commission https://unwatch.org/uk-coverage-u-n-elects-saudi-arabia-womens-rights-commission/ Thu, 04 May 2017 14:09:00 +0000 https://unwatch.jaredco.com/?p=18283 Independent: Saudi Arabia elected to UN women’s rights commission Quoting UN Watch: “Every Saudi woman must have a male guardian who makes all critical decisions on her behalf, controlling a woman’s life from her birth until death,” said Hillel Neuer, director of UN Watch. “Saudi Arabia also bans women from driving cars. “Electing Saudi Arabia to protect […]

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Independent: Saudi Arabia elected to UN women’s rights commission

Quoting UN Watch:

“Every Saudi woman must have a male guardian who makes all critical decisions on her behalf, controlling a woman’s life from her birth until death,” said Hillel Neuer, director of UN Watch. “Saudi Arabia also bans women from driving cars.
“Electing Saudi Arabia to protect women’s rights is like making an arsonist into the town fire chief,” Mr Neuer said. “It’s absurd.”
At least five EU states voted in a secret ballot for the Saudis to serve a four-year term on the commission, according to Mr Neuer.”

The Spectator: What does the UN think Saudi Arabia can teach us about gender equality?
By Douglas Murray

Quoting UN Watch:

A few days ago, the Council voted to appoint members for the 2018-2022 term of its ‘Commission on the Status of Women’, a UN agency ‘exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women.’ Among those appointed to the Commission was that notable supporter of gender equality – Saudi Arabia. Best of all is that – as the excellent UN Watch points out here – at least five EU member states must have voted to put Saudi Arabia on the Commission.

 
Elle UK: The UN Just Elected Saudi Arabia To The Women’s Right Commission And No, It’s Not A Joke
Quoting UN Watch: 

Director of UN Watch, Hillel Neuer, has been particularly vocal in his opposition to the idea.

According to the Independent, he says: ‘Electing Saudi Arabia to protect women’s rights is like making an arsonist into the town fire chief…It’s absurd.’

And it turns out Neuer isn’t the only one who thinks this way. As ever, the people of Twitter have had their say on the matter…

Notable Information:

Former Prime Minister of New Zealand and administrator of the UN Development Programme, Helen Clark, has shared her two cents on why she thinks the country might have been elected.

‘It’s important to support those in the country who are working for change for women. Things are changing, but slowly,’ she reportedly said.

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]]> Screen Shot 2017-05-04 at 7.11.04 PM Belgium ‘sorry’ it voted Saudi Arabia on UN women’s rights panel; scandal exposed by UN Watch https://unwatch.org/belgium-sorry-helped-elect-saudi-arabia-u-n-womens-rights-commission/ Thu, 27 Apr 2017 19:58:40 +0000 https://unwatch.jaredco.com/?p=18230   “I regret the vote,” said Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel. GENEVA, April 27, 2017 –  The Geneva-based UN Watch — the non-governmental human rights group which exposed the U.N.’s election of Saudi Arabia to its women’s rights commission — welcomed Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel’s statement of “regret” for helping elect the Wahhabist monarchy to the […]

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“I regret the vote,” said Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel.

GENEVA, April 27, 2017 –  The Geneva-based UN Watch — the non-governmental human rights group which exposed the U.N.’s election of Saudi Arabia to its women’s rights commission — welcomed Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel’s statement of “regret” for helping elect the Wahhabist monarchy to the world body tasked with “empowering women” and “promoting gender equality.”

“Human rights activists everywhere ought to accept this rare apology,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, “provided that it is matched with a real commitment to ending the U.N.’s routine elevation of gross human rights abusers to influential human rights bodies, which only empowers the regimes, not the victims.”

“Saudi Arabia may have a large part of the world’s oil wealth,” said Neuer, “but their contempt for the basic rights of women should never be legitimized by U.N. bodies or by liberal democracies such as Belgium.”

Belgium’s disclosure of how it voted is likely to increase pressure on other countries to do the same, and it refutes diplomats’ claims that such information is obliged to be hidden from the public.

“Because we know there were at least four other EU nations who voted for Saudi Arabia, today we call on France, Sweden, Norway, and the UK, who are among the other members of the 54-nation U.N. Economic and Social Council. to likewise assume responsibility and express regret if indeed they backed Riyadh.”

STORY GOES VIRAL, REPORTED WORLDWIDE

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Election of Saudi Arabia Was Black Day for Human Rights

“Electing Saudi Arabia to protect women’s rights is like making an arsonist into the town fire chief,” said Neuer earlier this week. “It’s absurd — and morally reprehensible.”

“This is a black day for women’s rights, and for all human rights,” said Neuer.

“Saudi discrimination against women is gross and systematic in law and in practice. Every Saudi woman,” said Neuer, “must have a male guardian who makes all critical decisions on her behalf, controlling a woman’s life from her birth until death. Saudi Arabia bans women from driving cars. Why did the U.N. choose the world’s leading oppressor of women to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women?”

Saudi women feel betrayed by the UN. “I wish I could find the words to express how I feel right know. I’m ‘saudi’ and this feels like betrayal,” tweeted a self-described Saudi woman pursuing a doctorate in international human rights law in Australia.

“Today the UN sent a message that women’s rights can be sold out for petro-dollars and politics,” said Neuer, “and it let down millions of female victims worldwide who look to the world body for protection.”

‘I regret the vote’

Michel told parliament today that last week’s vote came unexpectedly and that a diplomat was forced into a hasty decision without proper consultations with the government in Brussels.

“If we could redo it, the government would have advocated that there is no support (for Saudi Arabia), there is no ambiguity about that. I gave instructions so that in the future the political assessment of this type of file takes place at the highest level,” he said.
Saudi Arabia was backed by 47 of 54 nations.

“I regret the vote,” Michel said.

UN Watch called Saudi Arabia “the world’s most misogynistic regime.”

Firestorm in Belgium: Opposition Demands Answers from Foreign Minister

The environmentalist and socialist opposition, as well as the Workers Party (PTB), appealed to the President of the Parliamentary Chamber, Siegfried Bracke, on Thursday evening, over the responsibility of Foreign Minister Didier Reynders in the vote of support for Saudi Arabia for UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)

The opposition demanded that Minister Reynders come to explain himself on Thursday evening in plenary session. It believes that the statements made by him on Wednesday in the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the communication sent by his office late Thursday afternoon, and the explanation of Prime Minister Charles Michel at question time did not indicate that the foreign minister was properly aware of the Belgian position at the time of the UN vote.

How Pressure Built Yesterday

Widespread media coverage in Belgium’s La Libre and Le Soir, helped drive the story. De Standaard, Belgium’s main Flemish daily, accused the government of having voted to elect Saudi Arabia and quoted UN Watch’s statement that five European countries had to have voted for Saudi Arabia.
Belgian politicians castigated the government, sayng it was likely that Belgium voted for Saudi Arabia, according to Belgian MPs Els Van Hoof and Wouter De Vriendt, based on a statement made by foreign affairs minister Didier Reynders on Wednesday in front of the foreign affairs chamber committee.

MP Wouter de Vriendt asked a parliamentary question about Belgium’s vote and said: “An affirmative vote by Belgium is simply shocking.” Els Van Hoof of the Christian Democrats said that defending a ‘yes’ vote is equivalent to admitting a vote for the misogynistic regime. Yasmine Kherbache of the Socialist Party accused the government of legitimizing “a regime that violates women’s rights every day

While Reynders did not say it literally, he defended the seat of the Salafist country when he stated that “within the UN, everything must be debatable and dialogue must be possible with everyone.” He said that Belgium’s vote was “decided at the diplomatic level.”

Deputy Prime Minister Alexander de Croo initially did not disclose Belgium’s vote, but said that he would not have voted in favor of Saudi Arabia.

“A ‘yes’ vote from Belgium is simply shocking and hard to stomach for all of those who fight for women’s rights,” says De Vriendt. “In his attempt to not offend Saudi Arabia, Minister Reynders is legitimizing the violation of women’s rights. The country is an example of how it should not be done. Women there are victims of systematic discrimination: not allowed to drive a car, take part in politics, go anywhere by themselves or make their own decisions.”

The Groen party will ask prime minister Charles Michel to start an inquiry into the matter, De Vriendt had announced.

Belgian Council of Francophone Women “Outraged”

The Council of Francophone women is “outraged” by the election of Saudi Arabia onto the UN commission on the status of women. Its president Viviane Teitelbaum, also a city councillor alderman in Ixelles, in the same party as the foreign minister. She said, however, she was “relieved” by the regrets expressed by Prime Minister Charles Michel.

“Belgium is generally active in defending women’s rights and expresses its views on this issue, so I was surprised to learn that it had supported a country with no regard for women and which continually flouts their rights. At first I thought it was not possible,” Teitelbaum told Belga news agency.

“It was a mistake, but I am reassured to learn that the vote was not the result of a government request to diplomats and that procedures will be put in place,” she said.

Mrs Teitelbaum noted that there had been “setbacks, challenges to the rights of women everywhere, even in Europe”. “It is therefore important to defend these rights and to denounce countries such as Saudi Arabia. We must not be content to regret, we must be attentive, everywhere and all the time,” she concluded.

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]]> Belgium 'sorry' it voted Saudi Arabia on UN women's rights panel; scandal exposed by UN Watch - UN Watch   "I regret the vote," said Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel. GENEVA, April 27, 2017 -  The Geneva-based UN Watch — the non-governmental human CSW,Press Release,UN Women,Women's Rights Charles Michel YouTube player