Thread by @althecat

Ethiopia is continuing to get on with shaping its future.

There is a striking contrast between this meeting which talks through action about what the likely path forward for Ethiopia will be and yesterday's disgraceful proceedings at the @UN_HRC.

https://twitter.com/PMEthiopia/status/1472128990395654144

I have listened to the @UN_HRC's proceedings yesterday. It was significantly worse than I had expected, in substance, appearance and procedure.

The final vote included abstentions by numerous African nations, which would have tied the vote had they voted.

https://twitter.com/UN_HRC/status/1471855119096549389?s=20

@UN_HRC The meeting was in two parts. The second part where voting took place can be viewed here >> media.un.org/en/asset/k14/k…

The presentation by the European Group spokesman is particularly worth watching. This is followed by a brief, clear, response from Ethiopia to the proceedings.

@UN_HRC Statements then followed from Venezeula, Russia, China and the Phillipines, but the first three are not translated in the video which makes them somewhat inaccessible - and seems remarkably un-transparent.

Video for the first part of the meeting in the morning is no longer available on the UN Web TV website here >> media.un.org/en/webtv/sched… which is also unfortunate.

Maybe @UN_Spokesperson & @UNMediaLiaison can assist with this.

@UN_Spokesperson @UNMediaLiaison The effect of the resolution will be to provide funds (2 million+ so far pledged) to enable UN to pay for an "independent" investigation to be set up to investigate HR issues in Ethiopia.

@UN_Spokesperson @UNMediaLiaison Leaving aside the issue of the irregularity of set up the meeting, and apparent TPLF/Media/NGO manipulation during this period (and the bi-lateral discussions with Europe appears to have had with UNHRC members in advance of the meeting) ....

... it is not clear how such an investigation will be able to operate without Ethiopia's consent.

The manner of the set up of this meeting, following a joint investigation between @UNHumanRights (OHCHR) and @EthioHRC was the primary objection raised during the proceedings.

This is mostly covered in the first part of the meeting during which all UN Nations were entitled to make 2 minute statements on the draft resolution. Several speakers raised procedural objections, including critiquing the fact that the mechanism for this resolution is funding.

This funding, like most UN Operations comes from pledges by UN member Govts. In the second meeting the chair mentions that 2 million+ in pledges have already been made.

This list is public and one way for the diaspora to respond could be to lobby the donor nations.

In the first part of the meeting, which did include simultaneous translation of speeches, many of Ethiopia’s friends spoke against the resolution. Including a spokesperson for the Africa Group.

Unfortunately though, six African Nations with votes in the council abstained which led to the resolution passing, had they voted against it would have been tied.

These nations were:

Libya
Malawi
Mauritania
Senegal
Sudan
& Togo

The reference in the EU person’s speech to bi-lateral meetings raises questions about possible vote rigging.

One of the biggest questions around this debacle more generally is around the extent of coordination, and involvement of TPLF aligned interests in that - between the EU sponsors, the U.S., HRW and Amnesty.

The lighting speed with which this was delivered (5 days), and execution of outputs such as the HRW and Amnesty releases, and coverage from @nytimes and @washingtonpost would have required much more planning.

Finally I would like to address the remarks from the US, and the @UNHumanRights meeting chair in the first session.

The US intervention was imperious in the extreme.

&

The remarks in the first meeting from the chair of the 2nd meeting, were completely over the top.

Video clips of these and other speakers ought to be used in Social Media to hold the speakers and their nations to account.

In conclusion, as deduced before the meeting, this was an EU led ambush of Ethiopia, denigrating a UN Institution which is already dysfunctional.

Rather than this petulant ambush the EU and @UNHumanRights ought to have entered into a respectful discussion with Ethiopia on how their capacities could be used to address the monumental task of inquiring into HR rights issues in this horrific war.

The approaches which are recommended to Ethiopia by megaphone of transparency, inclusiveness and dialogue ought to have been modeled by @UNHumanRights. And it will be very hard now to reset this.

“What is good for the goose is good for the gander.”

This week’s events are another very sad chapter in the ongoing misuse of HR by the IC as a pretext to protect the TPLF from their crimes, and themselves from the consequences of a series of diabolical errors of judgment over the past 13 months.

/ends

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