Electing Saudi-Arabia To The Un Committee On The Condition Of Women Is Non A Bad Idea

You read most the references to The Onion, saw the outraged tweets as well as global disbelief every bit Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was elected into the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

Secret vote (likely incl UK) gives world's most misogynistic province SaudiArabia topographic point on United Nations Women's Rights Commissionhttps://t.co/UC1VivVtkD

— Charles Shoebridge (@ShoebridgeC) April 24, 2017

‘Electing Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to protect women’s rights is similar making an arsonist into the town burn chief. It’s absurd.’ Hillel Neuer, managing director of UN Watch is quoted yesteryear The Independent.

But every bit justified every bit critique of Saudi-Arabia is, it is of import to await beyond the headlines as well as re-affirm a few nub working principles of the United Nations organisation (some of which yous tin laissez passer on the axe as well as should live on critical about-but that’s some other spider web log post, perhaps).

Saudi-Arabia is a normal fellow member province of the UN
Saudi-Arabia is a regular fellow member province of the UN. The United Nations organisation does non judge, at that topographic point are no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ members-there are simply members. According to the international justice organisation Saudi-Arabia has non been constitute guilty of whatsoever crimes or wrongdoings-no affair how questionable its appointment inwards Republic of Yemen is. Diplomatically speaking, at that topographic point is no divergence betwixt Sweden, Saudi-Arabia as well as Vanuatu. It is a nub regulation that keeps the United Nations working amongst to a greater extent than than 190 fellow member states. So for the United Nations bureaucracy at that topographic point is goose egg special most Saudi-Arabia every bit 1 of the members of a United Nations committee that relies on regional representation.

Member states produce things, non ‘the UN’
Secondly, it is of import to signal out that ‘the UN’ did non produce anything or appoint anybody. Member states voted-and some voted for Saudi-Arabia. International politics as well as diplomacy are messy, favors as well as back upwards are sometimes negotiated behind the scenes, but that is truthful for many countries or commissions. 
Plenty of states every bit good openly back upwards Saudi-Arabia, for event the United Kingdom of Great Britain as well as Northern Ireland as well as the U.S.A. yesteryear supplying arms to them. That is bad-but it is every bit good perfectly legal as well as the United Nations is non higher upwards the police or inwards the line of piece of employment organisation of making moral judgements.

Can the operate inwards the committee heighten accountability?
Third, it is worth having a await at the actual operate of the committee as well as how Saudi-Arabia every bit a fellow member powerfulness tally into it: 

Under its electrical flow methods of work, (...) at each session the Commission:
Holds a ministerial segment to reaffirm as well as strengthen political commitment to the realization of sex equality as well as the empowerment of women as well as girls every bit good every bit their human rights as well as to ensure high-level appointment as well as the visibility of the deliberations of the Commission;
Engages inwards full general discussion on the condition of sex equality (…)
(…)
Addresses emerging issues, trends, focus areas as well as novel approaches to questions affecting the province of affairs of women, that ask timely consideration;
Plays a catalytic role for sex mainstreaming inwards the United Nations organisation
(…)
Agrees on farther actions for the advertisement of sex equality as well as the empowerment of women yesteryear adopting agreed conclusions as well as resolutions

As powerless every bit the committee may live on inwards existent terms, it does typical United Nations things-diplomacy, meetings, highlighting issues; why is it a bad thing to bring Saudi-Arabia involved inwards these activities? How would excluding the country, including populace shaming, aid the committee as well as ultimately women inwards the country? The United Nations believes inwards incremental alter as well as at that topographic point are modest signs that women’s rights are improving.
In theory, working inwards such a committee involves issues of transparency as well as accountability, yes, soft politics, non-binding targets as well as the occasional lofty speech.
Including a province similar Saudi-Arabia inwards these dynamics is yet non a bad idea-the United Nations organisation ordinarily does non produce penalty as well as believes that communication as well as cooperation are of import aspects of how global governance works-with all its flaws as well as limitations.

So simply to live on clear: There are many things yous tin laissez passer on the axe as well as should live on critical most when it comes to Saudi-Arabia – but electing them every bit a fellow member to the Commission on the Status of Women is genuinely the correct thing to produce inside the context of United Nations diplomacy.
Other members should pose describe per unit of measurement area on Saudi-Arabia-especially behind the scenes, but the United Nations is non the correct scapegoat for messy international relations as well as hypocritical relationships that include money, crude oil as well as weapons…