Voting behaviour in the UN Human Rights Council in 2022: in relation to Germany and China
Map of the Month 01/2023
The Map of the Month January illustrates the joint voting behaviour of the Members of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) with Germany and China in 2022. A total of 97 resolutions were adopted in the UN Human Rights Council, of which 33 were put to a vote due to lack of consensus. Besides the EU member states, Japan, South Korea, Ukraine, the UK and the USA voted most often with Germany; Cameroon, Uzbekistan, Sudan or China the least. Of all African Council members, Malawi voted most often with Germany. On the other hand, Venezuela, Eritrea, Russia, Bolivia and Cuba voted most often with China, while EU member states, South Korea, Japan and Ukraine rarely did so, and the USA, the UK, the Czech Republic and the Marshall Islands never. After the Russian attack on Ukraine which lead to the suspension of Russia's right to membership, the Czech Republic replaced Russia with full voting rights at the 50th and 51st session in the Group of Eastern European States.
Dr. Olaf Wientzek, Sarah Ultes
December 19, 2022
Map of the Month
Voluntary contributions to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in 2022
Map of the Month 12/2022
Every year on 10 December, Human Rights Day is observed, the day the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948. While the 75th anniversary of the UDHR will be celebrated in 2023, its promises have been under a sustained assault in recent years.
Although human rights constitute one of the three pillars of the UN, along with development, and peace and security, only 7% of the regular UN budget is allocated to human rights and only around 3% to the Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR), the leading UN entity on human rights.
Hence, OHCHR relies heavily on voluntary contributions by Member States and other donors which make up almost two thirds of OHCHR’s income.
Out of the 211 Mio. USD received in 2022, the European Commission (30 Mio.), Sweden (28,8), the USA (27,8), Norway (19), Netherlands (15), Germany (12,6) and Switzerland (19) alone gave around 62%.
Dr. Olaf Wientzek, Sarah Ultes
December 9, 2022
Map of the Month
Donor and Recipient countries and progress of appeals Humanitarian aid worldwide in 2022
Map of the Month 12/2022
On December 1, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), led by Martin Griffiths, presented its new Global Humanitarian Overview (GHO) for 2023. OCHA estimates that 339 million people will need humanitarian assistance in the upcoming year, an increase of around 20% compared to the beginning of 2022. This is 1/23 people worldwide. To reach the 230 million in 69 countries who are at the sharpest edge of suffering, $51.1 billion will be needed, $10.5 billion or 25% more than the year before. In the last 5 years alone, the number of people in need has doubled. While the amount of money needed has risen accordingly, the number of donor countries has remained relatively small (the US provides nearly half of the funds to date, Germany is by far the second largest donor, and the EU Commission is in third place). Hence, there is a huge funding gap: in 2022, only 47% of the funds required were actually received. 10 country situations alone, most of them war and conflict situations, require around USD 30 billion. In addition, climate change and the secondary consequences of the Ukraine are considered reasons for the sharp increase.
Dr. Olaf Wientzek
December 2, 2022
Map of the Month
35th Special Session of UN Human Rights Council on Islamic Republic of Iran
Map of the Month 11/2022
In light of the violent crackdown on protests following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in Iran, Germany and Iceland on 11 November officially requested to hold a special session of the UN Human Rights Council to address the increasingly deteriorating human rights situation, “especially with respect to women and children”. The 35th special session, which was the first one held on Iran, took place on 24 November. Prior to the debate, the initiative has received the support of a total of 51 states: 17 Council members and 34 observer states. According to UN figures, well over 300 people have been killed so far and tens of thousands have been arrested, many possibly facing the death penalty. Numerous UN special rapporteurs and working groups had called for the session to be held and for an international investigation mechanism to be established. With 25 votes in favor, 6 against and 16 abstentions, the Council indeed established an independent international fact finding mission to investigate alleged violations related to the protests that began on 16 September 2022. In the last minute, China had put forward an oral amendment which aimed at abolishing the mechanism. It was rejected with 6 to 25 and 15 abstentions.
Dr. Olaf Wientzek, Sarah Ultes
November 15, 2022
Map of the Month
Key votes at the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council and new composition in 2023
Map of the Month 10/2022
During the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council, among others two texts on two UN Security Council members - China and Russia - were put to the vote. Following the release of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights' report on the situation in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region on 31 August, the US, together with Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the UK, tabled a draft decision to debate the issue at the next session under agenda item 2. After China called for a vote, the text was rejected with 19 votes against, 17 in favour and 11 abstentions. On the other hand, a resolution was adopted with 17 votes in favour, 6 against and 24 abstentions, which, among other things, decides to establish a Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Russia. This is the first time that such a mechanism will be established for a member of the UN Security Council. Furthermore, the mandates of the Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela, the International Commission of Experts on Human Rights in Ethiopia and the Special Rapporteurs on Afghanistan were extended. In addition, 12 new members were elected and two current members were re-elected (Germany and Sudan) to serve as members of the Council starting from 1 January, 2023.
Dr. Olaf Wientzek, Sarah Ultes
October 7, 2022
Map of the Month
Joint Statements on the situation of human rights in Xinjiang at the 51st UN Human Rights Council
Map of the Month 09/2022
At the beginning of the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council, China read a joint statement on behalf of 30 states questioning the legitimacy of the long-awaited UN High Commissioner's Report (OHCHR) on the human rights situation in Xinjiang. "The so-called assessment is based on disinformation, undermines dialogue and cooperation in the field of human rights, and exaggerates the existing trend of politicization and polarization", the statement reads. A few days later, however, Pakistan and Iraq withdrew their signatures. The number of supporters stands now only at 28. Besides China, only 7 other Council members are left among the signatories. Later during the Council, Pakistan delivered a joint statement on behalf of 69 states (15 of which being members of the Council) under Item 4 which opposes politicization, double standards and any interference in China’s internal affairs - which include Xinjiang, Hong Kong or Tibet related issues.
Dr. Olaf Wientzek, Sarah Ultes, Louisa Mendoza
September 14, 2022
Map of the Month
ITU Council elections
Map of the Month 09/2022
The Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-22) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) will begin on 26 September in Bucharest, Romania. The conference is convened every four years and is the most important decision-making body of this United Nations (UN) technology agency. During this approximately three-week event, the general policies of the organisation will be renewed in rotation, senior management positions will be elected as well as the composition of the countries on the ITU Council. The first map shows which countries were elected to this body in the last four elections and how often, as well as the countries of origin of the Secretaries General and Deputy Secretaries General during this period. The second map shows the candidatures for this year's ITU Council elections. There are interesting candidatures from ITU members who have not been on the Council for at least four terms.
Dr. Olaf Wientzek, Cedric Amon
September 7, 2022
Map of the Month
Donor and Recipient countries and progress of appeals Humanitarian aid worldwide until mid-2022
Map of the Month 08/2022
As of August 19, the World Humanitarian Day, only 33% of the required funding for 2022 has been received, which is channeled through UN agencies, funds, NGOs and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The U.S. is by far the largest donor with over 10 billion USD, followed by the European Commission and Germany. China contributes 0.008% of the U.S. amount. With 2.9 billion USD, Ukraine is currently the largest recipient, far ahead of Afghanistan, Yemen, Ethiopia, Somalia or Syria.
Dr. Olaf Wientzek, Sarah Ultes
August 19, 2022
Map of the Month
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About this series
The "Map of the Month", a new series of the Multilateral Dialogue Geneva of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, uses maps to illustrate global trends and the role of Germany and Europe in the world on a monthly basis.
