Thread by @HillelNeuer

No joke: #China joins U.N. Human Rights Council panel, where it will help select the U.N.'s next world monitors on freedom of speech, enforced disappearances & arbitrary detention—and on health. That's like making a pyromaniac into the town fire chief. unwatch.org/china-joins-u-…

China’s appointment to the UNHRC’s influential Consultative Group, comprised of only five nations, was announced in a letter submitted to the Council on Wednesday by Oman on behalf of the Asian Group, and confirmed by a notice on the website of the UN human rights office.

By joining the UNHRC panel, #China over the next year will influence the selection of at least 17 UN human rights mandate-holders who investigate, monitor & publicly report on specific country situations, or on thematic issues in all parts of the world, such as freedom of speech.

🇨🇳 China at this UN Human Rights Council panel will:
✅ Help vet candidates for critical UN human rights posts
✅ Serve as Chair of the UNHRC interview processes for at least 5 of the mandates
✅ Help decide which candidates to recommend for appointment by the UNHRC president

It’s absurd for the UN to allow the Chinese regime—which as a matter of policy and practice arbitrarily detains human right defenders like Zhang Baocheng and Wang Binzhang—to help nominate the next two members of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.

When China forcibly disappears dissenters like Ren Zhiqiang who called Xi a ‘clown’ over his coronavirus response —as well as 1 million Muslim Uyghurs — it is inconceivable that China would be allowed to pick members of the UN Working Group on Enforced Disappearances.

How can China choose the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, when the regime routinely imposes draconian censorship and seeks to shut down dissenting voices like those who tried to sound the alarm about the #COVID19Pandemic?
newsweek.com/chinas-media-c…

As thousands die worldwide from the #coronavirus pandemic that spread like wildfire in Wuhan while #China silenced doctors, journalists & others who tried to sound the alarm, how can this regime choose the UN’s next global monitor on the right to #health?

nationalreview.com/news/coronavir…

China’s appointment only further erodes the credibility of the UN’s highest human rights body, which includes:
🇻🇪 Venezuela - brutality caused millions to flee
🇲🇷 Mauritania - 500,000 black slaves
🇸🇩 Sudan - female genital mutilation
🇱🇾 Libya - enslaves migrants
🇶🇦 Qatar - same⬆️

That is why today we are calling on UN secretary-general @AntonioGuterres and UN human rights chief @MBachelet to denounce China’s absurd & offensive appointment, and to declare that they stand with its millions of human rights victims. Otherwise, this sends a terrible message.

Jiang Duan, Minister at China’s mission to the UN Human Rights Council, will officially serve on the UNHRC Consultative Group in his "personal capacity." But in truth, country reps—especially those from authoritarian regimes—follow instructions from their respective governments.

Which is why Oman for the Asian Group entitled its letter “Nomination of the People’s Republic of China."