UN condemns Syria, Iran, and North Korea for rights abuses

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/un-condemns-syria-iran-and-north-korea-for-rights-abuses.premium-1.486251

The UN General Assembly condemned human rights violations in Syria, Iran and North Korea on Thursday and demanded an immediate halt to actions ranging from attacks on civilians to torture and restrictions on freedom of movement.

The 193-member world body voted 135-12 with 36 abstentions in favor of a resolution demanding an immediate end to "widespread and systematic" gross human rights violations by Syrian authorities. It approved a resolution calling for an end to Iran's continuing use of torture, the death penalty and execution of minors by a vote of 86-32 with 65 abstentions.

We all know that the UN is regularly criticized for not acting expeditiously on some matters, but I am sure we can all agree that it is doing it job here and working towards a resolution on the conflict in Syria. Democracy is not always easy when the world body comes together, and the language on resolutions have to develop.

The important thing to remember is that the UN has spoken on this matter to end human rights violations by Syria of its own population. Whenever rouge nations anywhere threaten the peace of a region or a population the UN should speak to safeguard that human rights are maintained, that all rogue nations answer for their human rights violations by acknowledging these resolutions and that the world needs to act to ensure these resolutions are enforced.

[oberliner]

1. The link goes to Ha'aretz Premium

Unfortunately, I cannot access the article beyond the first paragraph.

I'm wondering - do you have links to any of the resolutions in question and the votes?

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

2. Here's a link to reuters.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/27/us-syria-iran-un-idUSBRE8AQ1BG20121127

The U.N. General Assembly condemned North Korea, Iran and Syria on Thursday for widespread human rights abuses and all three countries rejected the separate resolutions adopted by the 193-member world body, slamming them as politicized.

The resolution on Syria, which was co-sponsored by Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Britain, France and other Arab and Western states, received 135 votes in favor, 12 against and 36 abstentions.

The UN website if you wish to explore further.

http://www.un.org/en/ga/