The Society for Threatened Peoples pins hopes on Germany in the Human Rights Council

As a member of the new UN Human Rights Council, Germany must use its right to play a leading role in the worldwide achievement of human and minority rights. In the light of Germany’s election in the new organ of the United Nations (UN) in New York the GfbV General Secretary, Tilman Zülch, said on Wednesday that Germany could now help to make sure that those responsible for the worst crimes against humanity be brought to justice. At the same time the German government could strengthen the role of the UN special rapporteurs. They provide information on serious breaches of human rights in individual countries so that the international community of states can react quickly. In the case of genocide and displacement Germany should without any economic and strategic interests press for peace initiatives to be launched. The German government must acknowledge many opportunities missed in its human rights policies to date, which must now be put right, said Zülch. Germany has indeed constantly sharply criticised the Chinese regime in the previous UN Human Rights Commission. However the chancellors Helmut Kohl and Gerhard Schröder only half-heartedly called for respect for the human rights of the Tibetans and Uigurs. The chummy talks between Gerhard Schröder and the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, on the serious human rights situation in Chechnya "stuck out like a sore thumb”.