US lobbied UN rights council to dilute Pakistan's Gaza proposal, diplomats say
The United States left its seat empty during a six-week session of the 47-member council ending on Friday, but its lobbying and pressure had some success, the sources told Reuters.
They said the US, which has accused the council of an anti-Israel bias, had focused on blunting a proposal by Pakistan on the creation of an International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM), the most rigorous type of UN investigation, on Israel's actions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
The version of Pakistan's proposal that was passed on Wednesday by the council, whose mission is to promote and protect human rights worldwide, did not include the creation of the IIIM.
The council already has a commission of inquiry on the Palestinian Territories, but Pakistan's proposal would have created an additional probe with extra powers to gather evidence for possible use in international courts.
A March 31 letter sent by Brian Mast, Chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, and James R. Risch, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, cautioned against voting the proposal through.
'Any HRC member state or UN entity that supports an Israel-specific IIM ... will face the same consequences as the ICC faced,' the letter said.
It appeared to be referring to sanctions approved by the House of Representatives on the International Criminal Court in protest at its arrest warrants for Israel's prime minister and former defence minister over Israel's campaign in Gaza.
The final version of Pakistan's proposal referred only to an invitation to the UN General Assembly to consider an IIIM in the future.
Two Geneva-based diplomats said they had received messages from US diplomats before the change of wording asking them to oppose the new investigation.
'They were saying: 'back off on this issue,'' said one, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Reuters could not establish whether the revision was a direct result of US actions.
A US State Department spokesperson said it was complying with the executive order signed by Trump on Feb. 4 withdrawing the US from the council and would not participate in it, adding: 'As a matter of policy, we do not comment on private diplomatic conversations.'
Pakistan's diplomatic mission in Geneva did not respond to a request for comment.
'The US seems to be trying to have it both ways. It doesn't want to pay for or participate in the UN but it still wants to boss it around,' said Lucy McKernan, Deputy Director for United Nations at Human Rights Watch's Geneva office.
'RAW POWER'
The US and Israel are not members of the council but, like all UN member states have informal observer status and a seat in the council's meeting chamber.
International human rights institutions are now at a critical juncture, said Phil Lynch, Director of International Service for Human Rights, a non-governmental organization.
'We are potentially confronting a future characterised by lawlessness and raw power,' he said.
The US was once the top donor to the UN rights system, but Trump has said the UN is 'not being well run' and aid cuts by his administration have forced scalebacks.
The US and Israel have also opposed the mandate of one of the council's independent experts during this session.
The Israeli ambassador said on March 24 that Francesca Albanese, a critic of Israeli actions in Gaza, had breached a UN code of conduct through 'blatant antisemitic behaviour and discourse,' a diplomatic note showed.
The US State Department spokesperson said Albanese was 'unfit for her role.'
'The correspondence received is under consideration,' council spokesperson Pascal Sim said, adding that whenever the council makes a nomination, 'it does so with the knowledge that the mandate-holder is expected to serve up to six years in this function.'
The internal body that ensures UN experts adhere to a code of conduct condemned what it described as a coordinated campaign against Albanese, according to a letter from the Coordination Committee of Special Procedures dated 28 March.
It found no evidence to support Israel's complaints against Albanese. However, it is introducing social media guidelines for UN experts in light of some concerns raised about her X posts.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
10 minutes ago
- Arab News
UN envoy warns many Yemeni children die from hunger, not war
DUBAI: Many children in Yemen are dying from hunger rather than direct conflict, UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, told the UN Security Council on Tuesday.
Arab News
10 minutes ago
- Arab News
UN warns many Yemeni children die from hunger, calls for urgent action
DUBAI: Many children in Yemen are dying from hunger rather than direct conflict, the UN Security Council was told on Tuesday, with half of the country's children under the age of five suffering from acute malnutrition. UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Joyce Msuya said the situation underscored the need for increased funding to ensure food access and prevent further loss of life. Also addressing the Council, UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, described the humanitarian conditions as 'untenable' and urged intensified efforts to support de-escalation and secure a ceasefire. He also welcomed recent decisions by Yemen's Central Bank in Aden to halt the deterioration of the currency, calling economic stability key to easing hardship. Grundberg appealed to the Houthis to immediately and unconditionally release detained UN staff, stressing that protecting humanitarian workers is essential to delivering aid effectively. Both officials warned that tackling Yemen's economic collapse, protecting civilians, and sustaining humanitarian relief are as critical as ending the fighting to safeguard the country's future.
Arab News
10 minutes ago
- Arab News
Pakistan finalizing US tariff deal strategy aimed at boosting copper sector investment
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's commerce ministry has finalized a strategy for a recently negotiated tariff deal with the United States that Islamabad says could unlock American investment in the country's vast copper reserves, and submitted it to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for approval, an official said on Tuesday. The agreement, announced last month by US President Donald Trump, set a reduced tariff rate of 19 percent on Pakistani imports, the government says is the lowest in the region and will help revive bilateral trade while paving the way for US firms to participate in Pakistan's mines and minerals sector. The South Asian nation ranks fifth globally in copper deposits, with major sites in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa positioning it as a potential major supplier to international markets. 'The commerce ministry has formulated a strategy for the tariff deal, which includes US investment in the mines and minerals sector, particularly copper, and forwarded it to the Prime Minister's Office,' Naveed Kallu, a public relations officer at the ministry, told Arab News. 'The final decision will be made by the prime minister and after approval further work will proceed as per that strategy.' Kallu said the most significant aspect of the deal was the US commitment to invest in Pakistan's minerals sector, noting that in similar agreements with countries like South Korea, Japan and the United Kingdom, those nations invested in the US in return for tariff reductions. 'The working group between the US and Pakistan is finalizing the modalities, and the American side will recommend its companies for copper exports from Pakistan,' he added. No memorandum of understanding related to the arrangement has been signed yet, but talks are said to be progressing well. Pakistan is also in advanced-stage discussions with Middle Eastern companies to export minerals, the official said. In a report to the National Assembly earlier this week, the country's commerce minister, Jam Kamal Khan, confirmed that during reciprocal tariff talks, the US expressed interest in investing in copper mining and processing in Pakistan, without naming companies. He noted that while Washington has imposed 50 percent tariffs on imports of copper, iron, steel and aluminum, refined copper has been exempted, making value-added copper exports more attractive for Pakistani producers. By focusing on value-added exports, such as refined copper, bars, rods and alloys, rather than raw ores, the minister said Pakistan could capture greater economic benefits from its mineral resources. He recommended detailed geological mapping by the Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP) and improvements to infrastructure such as mine access roads and dedicated power supply to attract private sector investment and technology transfer 'Streamlining regulatory frameworks and addressing infrastructural gaps, such as mine access roads and dedicated power supply, will attract private sector involvement and technological innovation,' the statement added. Arab News sought comment from the US Embassy in Islamabad, the US Commerce Department and the GSP but received no responses before the publication of this story. Industry leaders say Pakistan's mineral wealth remains underexploited due to a lack of refineries and quality-testing facilities. 'Pakistan has vast mineral reserves including copper but lacks proper refineries to process them,' said Meer Behrose Regi, president of the All Pakistan Mines & Minerals Association. He said with adequate investment in refinery infrastructure, the country could export high-quality finished products rather than raw materials. Dr. Umer Aziz, a geologist, said US firms could play a transformative role if they invested in processing facilities. 'Pakistan needs substantial investment in refineries and other infrastructure, and if US firms are ready to invest, it would be an excellent opportunity to tap the sector's vast potential,' he said, adding that projects like Reko Diq, which holds both copper and gold reserves, would be a natural target.
