Why do chronic violators of human rights like China & Pak want a seat at the UNHRC?

Countries like China, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Cuba don't care about human rights. Then why, do they want a place on the United Nations Human Rights Council?

There are two possible reasons: They want to deflect attention from their own record, and block any criticism. And they want to weaken the council's ability to address any other global rights issues.

For instance: Burundi, considered one of the worst violators of human rights was a member of the rights council and served for three years from 2015 to 2018. In this period Burundi blocked all resolutions against itself and it voted against every country resolution that came its way.

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The United Nations Human Rights Council was created in 2006.

In the last 14 years, China has served as a board member multiple times. And each time, China has deflected all criticism that came its way. In 2017 China sponsored a resolution called "promoting development over human rights". It was a resolution that prioritised development over human rights.

In 2018, China moved another resolution called "promoting mutually beneficial cooperation in the field of human rights".

Through this resolution China wanted to stop the practice of "naming and shaming" countries for violations. Beijing wanted countries to adopt a "state-led peer review process". The resolution passed but only after significant edits were made to water down China's original text. Interestingly, a high number of countries abstained from voting on this resolution.

In recent times, China has voted against resolutions on grave international crimes in countries like Syria, Yemen and Myanmar.

Is the UNHRC compromised?

The members of the UNHRC should represent its values, and believe in human rights.

The UNHRC in its present form is only copying its failed predecessor - The Commission for Human Rights. Countries with records of abuses like torture, extrajudicial killings, political imprisonment and disappearances were its members.

An editorial of The New York Times in 2006 had called this body "the shame of the United Nations" because it had China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan as its members. The same countries look set to join the board of the UNHRC.