Saudi Arabian Official Questionable Choice to Head UN Human Rights Panel - NGO

Director of the Human Rights Action Center Jack Healey claims that the choice of a Saudi Arabian diplomat as chairperson of a UN human rights advisory panel is hardly the best option available.

MOSCOW (Sputnik), Alexander Mosesov — The choice of a Saudi Arabian diplomat as chairperson of a UN human rights advisory panel is hardly the best option available in light of Riyadh's questionable policy in the field, Director of the Human Rights Action Center Jack Healey told Sputnik.

On Sunday, an independent non-governmental organization, UN Watch, revealed that Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to the UN Faisal bin Hassan Trad had been selected to chair the UN Human Rights Council’s Consultative Group.

"In essence, there has to be a human rights council. But the human rights protection will depend upon those who are interested in promoting human rights. And the government of Saudi Arabia has a long history of not allowing human rights activists to monitor in their own country," Healey said.

This group is a key human rights advisory panel within the world body responsible for selecting experts to address human rights violations around the world.

The Saudi government has been accused of major human rights abuses, including public floggings, severe restrictions on freedom of expression and religion, and discrimination against women by various non-governmental organizations all over the world. For example, Freedom House ranked Saudi Arabia among the ten worst countries in its 2014 human rights index.