Human rights tests imposed on India, 16 other countries

By DPA

Geneva : India, Morocco, South Africa and Britain were among the first 16 countries selected to have their human rights records scrutinised from 2008 by the UN Human Rights Council under its new system of Universal Periodic Review (UPR).


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The UPR is seen as a critical test of the Council, which it is hoped, will prove its merit and help finally close the chapter on its predecessor – the widely discredited Human Rights Council.

“This is the innovation of the Council,” said Council President Romanian Ambassador Doru Costea, adding: “This mechanism is the first of its kind in the UN system.”

Asked whether if proved weak, it might undermine the monitoring of countries, he said it was flexible and could be improved if necessary. He believed it would strengthen other measures for scrutiny such as the system of independent thematic and country rapporteurs.

“They say the proof of the pudding is eating it. I would add to that, the best proof is staying healthy after you eat the pudding, which means we have to see how it works,” Costea said.

“Of course it will be very important to have a well prepared and well managed process,” he added.

It has taken a year to agree how exactly how UPR would work. Now it will take four years, starting in 2008 and ending in 2011, to get through the list to examine all 192 countries. The order in which they will undergo scrutiny was drawn by lots.

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