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Is the United Nations Powerless in Regards to Human Rights Violations?

  • 05-12-2011 7:17pm
    #1
    TheQuizMaster
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4 ✭


    I was wondering if someone can answer me this.

    Is there anything in the UN charter or treaty based mechanisms that can actually force a state to stop carrying out human rights violations?

    I have been doing some research this evening and it seems all the UN can actually do is submit reports, it can't actually impose any sanctions or anything.

    If thats the case, is the UN essentially powerless to stop human rights abuses? If so what is the point of all these Committees for torture, prevention of racism etc.? It seems all they can do is attempt to embarass a state into complying through submitting scathing reports and from what I can see that doesnt seem to work at all..


Comments

  • #2
    Slydice
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,501 ✭✭✭✭Slydice


    Nah, they're not powerless. They choose not to act based on the whims of the more influential members such as the US, Russia, China, Some members of the EU etc...


  • #3
    TheQuizMaster
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4 ✭TheQuizMaster


    Oh I know the security council can act.

    But the charter and treaty bodies themselves, can they actually do anything?


  • #4
    Slydice
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,501 ✭✭✭✭Slydice


    TheQuizMaster wrote: »
    Oh I know the security council can act.

    But the charter and treaty bodies themselves, can they actually do anything?

    Yep but really only if the security council wants them to.


  • #5
    Fromthetrees
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,846 ✭✭✭Fromthetrees


    This is copied and pasted from elsewhere.

    It's uncontroversial that the United States is a leading terrorist state. In fact, it's the only state that was condemned for international terrorism by the highest bodies: the International Court of Justice in 1986 [for backing Contra forces against Nicaragua] and the supporting resolution of the Security Council which followed shortly after that. The United States vetoed it.


  • #6
    RATM
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,591 ✭✭✭RATM


    The UN is basically just an extension of US foreign policy with a lot of noise in the background.

    Chomsky details tons of abuses of human rights abuses perpetrated by the US in Latin America in the 1970's. He claims that if the laws inacted during the Numermburg trials were in force for US politicans & generals then many would be tried under human rights law, specifically Nixon & Kissenger but many more down the chain of command too.

    Mary Robinson could write a book on how the US got her removed from the position of UN Human Rights Commissioner after she dared to criticise their conduct of the 'War on Terror' in Afghanistan and their use of torture.

    It's also no coincidence that their HQ is in New York. Why not a neutral country ?

    It's been a sham of an organisation since the mid-1950's, not long after its creation.


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