Article Image

IPFS

Watered-Down UN Resolution on Police Brutality and Racism

Written by Subject: United States

Watered-Down UN Resolution on Police Brutality and Racism

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

Time and again, the UN Human Rights Council falls woefully short of its mandate.

It's supposed to promote "universal respect for the protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all" and "address situations of violations of human rights, including gross and systematic violations, and make recommendations thereon."

Throughout years of US aggression in Syria, including its support for ISIS and likeminded terrorists, the UNHRC supported and continues to support Washington's imperial project over the rights of the sovereign state, its legitimate government, and long-suffering people.

On June 18, the UNHRC concluded what it called an "urgent debate on current racially inspired human rights violations, systemic racism, police brutality and violence against peaceful protests."

Instead of a thundering denunciation of these longstanding human rights abuses that are too grievous to ignore, naming names, and demanding accountability, a shameful watered-down/weak-kneed draft resolution was produced, voting on it "postponed."

It merely calls for producing a report within a year on "systemic racism" against people of African dissent that when published will be much ado about nothing, accomplishing nothing like nearly always by the world body and its agencies.

The rarest of rare exceptions prove the rule.

The resolution and report when completed belong in the UN trash bin, one of many examples of failure by the UNHCR, other world body agencies, and its secretariat to fulfill their mandate — instead of their customary bowing and scraping to a higher power in Washington.

ACLU Human Rights Program director Jamil Dakwar slammed three wasted days of so-called debate on the draft resolution, saying: 

"It is absurd that (the UNHCR's draft) resolution…strips mention of the United States, where police kill people, particularly Black people, at alarmingly higher rates compared to other developed countries," adding:

"The United Nations needs to do its job — not get bullied out of doing it — and hold the United States accountable" for high crimes against humanity.

"The country must face independent global scrutiny for its oppression of Black people."

An original resolution with much tougher language was introduced by 54 African countries.

They were joined and supported by over 650 human rights groups, along with families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Philandro Castile, and Michael Brown.

It could have been supported by tens of thousands of other Black, White, Brown, Red, and Yellow US families that lost loved ones from police violence and other crimes of state.

Add to them countless millions of America's most disadvantaged who've languished or are currently abandoned and forgotten by society in America's global gulag, including thousands of political prisoners, many thousands more for minor offenses and wrongful convictions.

The United States of Injustice notoriously punishes its best and most disadvantaged, while honoring its worst.

In mid-2018, the Trump regime quit the UNHCR for not at all times following orders from Washington. 

At the time, the pretext was for biased reporting on Israel that the world body never holds to account as needed for its high crimes of war, against humanity, illegal occupation, colonization, and apartheid rule.

Arguing against naming names in the current UNHCR resolution, what aggrieved victims demand, Germany shamefully called for a draft "with a broader approach."

The EU, Poland and Australia made similar remarks. These nations have their own cross to bear internally and for supporting Washington's imperial war on humanity.

What's most important for the UNHCR to address it won't touch — notably endless US wars by hot and other means on one country after another threatening no one.

They're responsible for tens of millions of deaths throughout the post-WW II period alone, along with vast destruction, and unspeakable human misery.

No nation in world history was responsible for more high crimes of war, against humanity, and genocide against victimized nations and people than the US.

Yet throughout its post-WW II history, the UN never fulfilled its mandate "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind."

It dismally failed "to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women, and of nations large and small."

It accomplished nothing to assure "justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law..."

It never succeeded in "promot(ing) social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom."

It never went all-out "to practice tolerance (so everyone could) live together in peace with one another as good neighbors."

No world body "strength" (was ever used to pursue and) maintain international peace and security, (to assure) that armed force shall not be used."

It failed to help what French psychiatrist Franz Fanon called Les Damnes de la Terre (the Wretched of the Earth) in his 1961 book by this title.

UN failures are numerous compared to virtually no successes on issues mattering most.

If the world body was consigned to history's dust bin, shuttered sine die or permanently, it would be no loss to countless billions of people worldwide it never helped and never will in its current form with powerful interests controlling its agenda.

A Final Comment

Despite failing to condemn US police brutality, institutionalized racism, and its highest of high crimes against peace, loose cannon Pompeo slammed the UNHCR's draft resolution.

Defying reality, he called on the UNHCR to "recognize the strengths of American democracy (sic) — that doesn't exist, never did, nor ever will as long as its bipartisan criminal class runs things.

As much as anyone, Pompeo symbolizes why the US is widely reviled worldwide, why it's a pariah state, a rogue state, why its rage to dominate globally is an unparalleled threat to everyone everywhere.

VISIT MY WEBSITE: stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman). Contact at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

My two Wall Street books are timely reading:

"How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking, Government Collusion, and Class War"

https://www.claritypress.com/product/how-wall-street-fleeces-america/

"Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity"

https://www.claritypress.com/product/banker-occupation-waging-financial-war-on-humanity/

Free Talk Live