{"id":73007,"date":"2017-12-21T16:42:54","date_gmt":"2017-12-21T23:42:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=73007"},"modified":"2017-12-21T16:43:15","modified_gmt":"2017-12-21T23:43:15","slug":"un-human-rights-chief-quits-after-trump-jerusalem-decision-saying-he-will-not-bend-a-knee-in-supplication","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2017\/12\/21\/un-human-rights-chief-quits-after-trump-jerusalem-decision-saying-he-will-not-bend-a-knee-in-supplication\/","title":{"rendered":"UN human rights chief quits after Trump Jerusalem decision, saying he will not ‘bend a knee in supplication’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Chris Baynes\u00a0Courtesy\u00a0The Independent<\/a><\/span><\/span>\u2022
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\u00a0The\u00a0United Nations<\/a>\u00a0human rights chief is to step down, suggesting that his re-election would involve \u201dlessening the independence and integrity of my voice\u201d after his outspoken criticism of world powers \u2013 including the US.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Zeid Ra\u2019ad al-Hussein<\/a>\u00a0said he would not seek a second four-year term as the High Commissioner for Human Rights, telling staff in an email: To do so, in the current geopolitical context, might involve bending a knee in supplication\u201d.<\/p>\n

The Jordanian Prince had reportedly been under pressure to tone down his criticism of\u00a0Donald Trump<\/a>, who he has previously described as dangerous\u201d and\u00a0blamed for a surge in discrimination<\/a>, anti-Semitism, and violence against ethnic and religious minorities\u201d.<\/p>\n

This week Mr Hussein described the US decision to recognise\u00a0Jerusalem<\/a>\u00a0of the capital of Israel as dangerously provocative\u201d and blamed the President\u2019s announcement for violence in which five people died.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had urged Mr Hussein to ease off his public criticism of the American President over fears it put US support for the United Nations at risk, reported\u00a0Foreign Policy<\/a><\/em>, which obtained the human rights chief\u2019s email to staff.<\/p>\n

In the statement, Mr Hussein wrote: After reflection, I have decided not to seek a second four-year term. To do so, in the current geopolitical context, might involve bending a knee in supplication; muting a statement of advocacy; lessening the independence and integrity of my voice \u2013 which is your voice.<\/p>\n

There are many months ahead of us: months of struggle, perhaps, and even grief \u2013 because although the past year has been arduous for many of us, it has been appalling for many of the people we serve.\u201d<\/p>\n

He did not specifically mention the US, Mr Trump, or pressure to tone down criticism. But his decision to step down raises questions about the UN\u2019s role as a champion of human rights.<\/p>\n

Philippe Bolopion, deputy director for Global Advocacy at\u00a0Human Rights Watch<\/a>(HRW), described Mr Hussein as a beacon of moral clarity\u201d and said it was sad to see he felt that he had no other choice but to step down at the end of his first mandate to protect the integrity of his voice\u201d.<\/p>\n

Kenneth Roth, the executive director of HRW, said Mr Hussein had faced working in a hostile environment\u201d.<\/p>\n

A spokesman for Mr Guterres confirmed Mr Hussein would depart at the end of his current term in August.<\/p>\n

He said: The High Commissioner informed the Secretary General last week of his intention not to seek another term. The High Commissioner has always enjoyed the full support of the Secretary General.\u201d<\/p>\n

The US ambassador to the UN this week\u00a0warned she was taking names\u201d of UN members<\/a>\u00a0who oppose Donald Trump\u2019s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.<\/p>\n

The President\u00a0threatened to withhold billions of dollars in aid<\/a>\u00a0from those nations which criticise his controversial decision.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chris Baynes\u00a0Courtesy\u00a0The Independent\u2022December 21, 2017 \u00a0The\u00a0United Nations\u00a0human rights chief is to step down, suggesting that his re-election would involve \u201dlessening the independence and integrity of my voice\u201d after his outspoken criticism of world powers \u2013 including the US. Zeid Ra\u2019ad al-Hussein\u00a0said he would not seek a second four-year term as the High Commissioner for Human […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-73007","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-world"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73007","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73007"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73007\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73007"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73007"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73007"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}