UN Human Rights Council recommends suspension of Libya

In an unprecedented move, the United Nations Human Rights Council has acted to suspend one of its members.

The Human Rights Council has unanimously sought to invoke rules governed by the United Nations General Assembly to suspend Libya’s membership from the council because of gross human rights violations.

The recommendation reads: “to the United Nations General Assembly, in view of the gross and systematic violations of human rights by the Libyan authorities, the consideration of the application of the measures foreseen in OP8 of General Assembly Resolution 60/251.”

The resolution states that it “…decides the membership in the Council shall be open to all States Members of the United Nations; when electing members of the Council, Member States shall take into account the contribution of candidates to the promotion and protection of human rights and their voluntary pledges and commitments made thereto; the General Assembly, by a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting, may suspend the rights of membership in the Council of a member of the Council that commits gross and systematic violations of human rights…”

The Council strongly condemned the recent gross and systematic human rights violations committed in Libya.

Libyan representative

And in a twist of events, a Libyan diplomat to the United Nations in Geneva told the Human Rights Council that they had decided to serve as representatives of the Libyan people.

"We only represent the Libyan people," First Secretary-Abdel Shalut said.

Shalut said the young people of Libya, the grandchildren of the revolution, were today writing a new chapter in the history of struggle and resistance.

At the diplomat's request, Council members stood in a minute's silence in honour of the victims of the current violence.

Libya, is first member of the Human Rights Council to be the subject of a Special Session.

The Council also decided to urgently, dispatch an independent, international commission of inquiry. The team will be appointed by the president of the Human Rights Council, will investigate all alleged violations of international human rights law in Libya.

Speaking at the opening of the Council’s meeting the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, reiterated her earlier call for an international investigation into the human rights violations in Libya, said: “I encourage all international actors to take necessary measures to compel the Libyan Government to stop the bloodshed.

The Council urged the Libyan authorities to prevent more bloodshed in the country and ensure safety for all civilians.

“…in brazen and continuing breach of international law, the crackdown in Libya of peaceful demonstrations is escalating alarmingly with reported mass killings, arbitrary arrests, detention and torture of protestors,” the UN human rights chief Navi Pillay told the Council.

The Human Rights chief reiterated the State’s obligation to protect the peoples’ rights to life, liberty and security.

Pillay reminded governments that it the responsibility of the State to protect populations from crimes against humanity and other international crimes.

She also expressed concern for refugees fleeing the unrest to neighbouring countries, and urged neighbouring states to receive and treat them “humanely.”

The Human Rights Council called on the Libyan government cooperation to guarantee access to human rights and humanitarian organizations including human rights monitors.

The special session was convened at the request of Hungary and endorsed by 61 States members as well as observer states of the Council, all representing the different regions of the world.

[ from: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/HRCSpecialSessionLibya.aspx ]

Utter carnage in Libya

The world we live in today has brought the human kind closer to one another than ever before, we had telegrams, telephones and faxes, then came emails and chats: now we have facebooks, twitters and blogs...

No matter how hard one tries, one cannot remain aloof from the carnage that is happening in North Africa, it started with Tunisia, then Egypt and now Libya, one just need but browse some tweets or visit a forum on facebook. Even if one doesn't do that, one is bombarded by the news of carnage in the country. Attacking one's own people, branding foreigners as mercenaries and trouble makers, ordering mobs to run amok, no word or even the entire lexicon can even attempt to express the condemnation that these actions warrant.

And yet, the ones who have some level of decency are the only ones who can at least try to denunciate this.

All I can express, is that I am left speechless and wordless. My heart goes out to the thousands in the country who have lost it all... you are the bravest of all of us, if we can still call ourselves humans, a word from which humanity originates.

Extremes

I walk the lonely roads... I walk the empty lanes...

I think of my mind... I think of what was my mind...

People have a way of saying and a way of feeling: what is white - is good - is pure; what is black - is evil - is bad...

I think back, I think of a time when my mind was more sane... be it back or be it white, they are extremes, if you study one school of thought, you add everything, you get black, you add everything again, you get white; if you study this school of thought, you remove everything, you get white, you remember everything again, you get black...

I think back, come to the present, I dare not ask - for you are big - but yet I courage... Oh - you the wise - you the right tell me what is white, what is black?

For in your wildest of dreams - when you are the strongest - you are the mightiest of all, the strongest of all, the bravest of all, the one who is righteous - I dare you answer me ... which of this is pure - which of this is good - which of this is evil - which of this is bad ... accept my dare, for I am small ... I am insignificant ...

I dare you - step out of your armor, step out from behind the ranks and files of those who protect you, step in the dust - as I stand and display the courage to hear me now ...

... be it white, be it black... there is no contest ...

... both are extreme ... both are vile ...

... I dare not offend either - for I only dare myself ...

... for I am the grey...

Still have the WOW factor

If you look through the archives in this blog, maybe around three years (or more back), you'll come across a post where I talk about aiming for the WOW. I can't exactly recall whether my friend Jack D was sitting by my side that day or not, but he is right next to me now.

I like sitting with Mr. Daniels, he listens to me, doesn't talk back much - which I like - but at times I would appreciate if he would give me some feedback.

Even if it is that glimmer in the corner of the eye or the pat on the back, I would appreciate something...

Anyway, after a long time today, there was feedback from a different audience, it wasn't written or spoken, it was in the glimmer of the eyes, even if I did startle a friend... The glimmer in the eyes was good... I think there was the pat on the back as well... 'twas good...

The friend of Mr. Daniels still has the WOW factor in him...

'twas good...

The Giants?

It has been ever so common now that everytime I sit down with this window in front of me, I need to have Jack on my side, and gentlemen and ladies - this is not the Jack who goes off to pick a fight with a giant after climbing a beanstalk - this is my good and old friend Jack...

And while I am on this subject, why does Jack have to fight with the Giant? So what if the Giant is big and his feet smell? Take a moment out of your busy schedule gentlemen and ladies - the small sparrow hopping on the table to pick on a few grains of rice that fell of someone's plate... the poor thing was so scared that she (or he) slipped a few times, on its first pass, the sparrow did not even reach the rice, it was so scared that just one glance at me and it flew away - there was no way I was going to do anything to it.. It was only later that the poor tiny creature of God managed to muster enough strength and courage to actually come and peck on the rice (or maybe it was the compulsion of hunger that forced it). And to my great joy - it did, it ate the rice !

Now to this small creature, this small beautiful creature - I or anyone else (humans that is) is a giant, we are big and no doubt our feet smell! This poor beautiful creation of God does not come to pick a fight with us... then why does Jack (not my Jack) have to be this big "hero"? Why pick a fight with the giant? Why?

Insanity!!!

I am happy with my Jack - he doesn't talk much - he is quite fluid - likes to be in his bottle - until I pour him in a glass. He enjoys my company and at least we think alike, he's not a violent person, he doesn't like to pick fights for no reasons....

All for now... Jack's waiting....