'Human Rights Are Deeply Political'

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) Western powers risk their credibility when they defend human rights unevenly, argues Swiss researcher Christelle Genoud. As they try to rally the so-called "Global South" countries to counter China's growing influence at the UN, their double standards are a burden.

This content was published on July 29, 2024 - 09:00 7 minutes

Dorian covers the work of international organisations based in Geneva.

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• Français fr ((Les droits humains sont profondément politiques)) Original Read more: ((Les droits humains sont profondément politiques)

Under the influence of Western powers, the Human Rights Council has historically more often condemned human rights violations in the so-called“Global South”, particularly in Africa, than in Western countries. For example, the Geneva-based UN body has never passed a resolution denouncing abuses committed by the United States and the United Kingdom in Afghanistan or Iraq.

This unequal treatment, which is commonly called a“double standard”, is increasingly decried. And this perception has been reinforced by the recent wars in Ukraine and Gaza. While the first was widely condemned, Western reactions to the second were much more restrained.

In recent years, the Human Rights Council has been the scene of a heated confrontation between Western democracies and a China determined to put its stamp on the human rights system.

Beijing advocates greater recognition of collective rights, including the right to development, and criticises Western democracies for stubbornly defending individual rights, such as civil rights. Faced with criticism over its treatment of minorities, China retorts that it has lifted millions of people out of poverty.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights, for his part, points out that these rights are universal and that it is wrong to set them against each other. And for their part, countries of the South – key allies during votes – have seen their influence grow, courted as much by Beijing as by Washington, London, and Paris.

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