UN "Human Rights" Council Adopts Resolution on Palestinian Self-Determination (One of Five Anti-Israel Resolutions in Single Day)

The UN's top human rights body, the Human Rights Council, concluded the final day of its main annual session on March 24, 2017 by adopting a resolution entitled "Right of the Palestinian people to self-determination." It was one of 5 anti-Israel resolutions adopted in a single day under Agenda Item 7 - the Council agenda dedicated to Israel alone. By comparison, only one resolution was adopted by the Council for each of Iran, Syria and North Korea.

The resolution, submitted by Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, was adopted by the UN Human Rights Council by a vote of 43 in favor (Albania, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burundi, China, Congo, Cote D'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Japan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Mongolia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, South Africa, Switzerland, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Venezuela), 2 against (Togo, United States), 2 abstentions (Panama, Paraguay).

Before the set of resolutions was adopted, the U.S. said the following:

"The United States strongly and unequivocally opposes the existence of the Human Rights Council's Agenda Item Seven. The continued existence of this agenda item is among the largest threats to the credibility of this body.

We are dismayed by the many repetitive and one -sided resolutions that run year after year. None of the world's worst human rights violators, some of whom are the object of resolutions at this session, have their own stand-alone agenda item at this Council. Only Israel receives such treatment. All parties to this conflict have direct responsibilities for ending it, and we are disappointed that this Council continually singles out Israel for criticism without fully acknowledging the violent attacks directed against its people, nor the obligations and difficult steps required of both sides.

Especially disturbing is this Council's complacency about the repeated introduction of a resolution focusing on the Golan Heights. To consider such a resolution while the Syrian regime continues to slaughter its own citizens by the tens of thousands exemplifies the absurdity of this agenda item.

We also reiterate our firm opposition to the creation of a database related to businesses that operate in settlements and will not provide any information to it. This database falls far outside the scope of the Human Rights Council's mandate and drains precious resources that could be used to promote and protect human rights around the world.

For these reasons, we call for a vote on each of the resolutions under agenda Item 7, and we urge our fellow Members to join us in voting 'no' on each of them."