UN Watch quoted by Associated Press on Durban II crisis
During the past two weeks, major media around the world—including the Associated Press, Agence Télégraphique Suisse, Canada’s National Post—continued to turn to UN Watch as the leading authority on the U.N. Human Rights Council and its upcoming Durban II racism conference. UN Watch reports, analysis, and comment on latest developments were quoted and used as a key resource for understanding the Council’s wayward direction, and cited in the many articles listed below.
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“‘Numerous red lines are breached,’ said the group’s executive director Hillel Neuer, noting that a Dutch demand for references to discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation had been removed“. — UN Watch featured in F. Jordans, “Draft for racism meeting drops Israel criticism,” Associated Press, March 18, 2009
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“… The new text breaches red lines by reaffirming the pernicious 2001 text – which singled out Israel as a racist state,“ — UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer quoted in P. Goodenough, “Revised Durban II Text Does Not Meet Conditions for U.S. Participation, Critics Say,” CNS News, March 18, 2009.
“…I know and respect the Canadian diplomats in Geneva, and there was no malice here – just a case of getting bad advice from UN officials who are increasingly choosing to censor human rights groups rather than risk incurring the wrath of totalitarian regimes who fear the light of our scrutiny...“ — UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer quoted in S. Edwards, “Canadian gov’t slaps its own UN diplomat”, Canwest, Mar. 17, 2009.
“…Il y a clairement un effort pour supprimer les dispositions les plus offensantes aux yeux des Occidentaux, mais le texte continue de violer la ligne rouge...” — Hillel Neuer, exeutive director of UN Watch, quoted in “Conférence de l’ONU contre le racisme à Genève Un texte plus présentable, mais encore des difficultés / Encadré,” Agence Telegraphe Suisse, March 17, 2009.
“…UN Watch, a Geneva-based NGO watchdog, reported last week that Islamic countries had distributed a Pakistani-authored UN draft resolution among diplomats in Geneva. It allegedly calls questioning of Islamic dogma a human rights violation and promotes the forced imposition of Islamic law…” — UN Watch featured in “EU threatens to pull out from controversial conference on racism,” SETimes, March 17, 2009.
“…The gathering, according to Hillel Neuer, executive director of the advocacy group U.N. Watch, “is and was designed as a political exercise for the world’s most intolerant regimes to indict the world’s most tolerant democracies”. — F. Ghitis, “U.N. conference on racism appears doomed before the start,” Star-Telegram, March. 17, 2009.
“…UN Watch says the true intent of the resolution, which is expected to pass, is to ‘define any questioning of Islamic dogma as a human rights violation, intimidate dissenting voices and encourage the forced imposition of Sharia law’ ...“ — L. Goldstein, “Boycotting Durban II looks wiser every day,” London Free Press, Mar. 16, 2009.
“…Pour Hillel Neuer, le directeur exécutif de ‘UN Watch’, une ONG basée à Genève mandatée pour s’assurer que l’ONU se conforme bien aux obligations qui lui incombent en matière de droits de l’homme, « la résolution menace dangereusement la liberté d’expression partout, même si elle n’est pas juridiquement contraignante »…” — UN Watch featured in Yvan Eisenbachs “Offense à l’Islam = violation des droits de l’Homme ?,” Guysen International, March 15 2009.
“…The text of the (Egyptian) resolution is pretty much what one would expect from a country that throws its bloggers in jail for no reason at all...“ — UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer quoted in S. Edwards, “Egypt pushes for ‘free-speech’ resolution at UN,” Canwest, Mar. 14, 2009.
“…While non-binding, the resolution constitutes a dangerous threat to free speech everywhere. It would ban any perceived offence to Islamic sensitivities as a serious affront to human dignity and a violation of religious freedom, and would pressure UN member states at the local, national, regional and international levels to erode free speech guarantees in their legal and constitutional systems.” — UN Watch quoted in M. Chhibber, “Pak bid to delink terror and Islam,” Indian Express, Mar.13, 2009.
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“…’It is a covert package coordinated by Pakistan against the West,’ said Leon Saltiel, director of communications at the Geneva-based human rights group UN Watch, on Thursday. ‘They think there is too much liberty and freedom of expression in the Western world, which therefore defames religion…’ — M. Spitzer, “Islamic States: Criminalize the defamation of Islam,” Jerusalem Post, Mar. 12, 2009.
“…It’s an Orwellian text that distorts the meaning of human rights, free speech, and religious freedom, and marks a giant step backwards for liberty and democracy worldwide…” — UN Watch quoted in “U.N. watchdog slams religious defamation resolution,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Mar. 12, 2009.
