The report failed to find any support from other members of the Human Rights Council or trigger any action in the matter.
A spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres refused to comment on the UN Human Rights High Commissioner’s report on Kashmir, reported PTI. “Well, I’ll let the High Commissioner speak for himself. I know he spoke to the press here yesterday. Beyond that, you’re aware that his office has come out with a report on Kashmir, and it’s up to the members of the Human Rights Council to evaluate the contents of that report,” UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq was quoted as saying by PTI on Friday.
High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein had released a report on the human rights situation in Kashmir, in which he called for a commission of inquiry by the Human Rights Council, asking them to conduct an independent, international investigation.
India had rejected the report saying that the “so-called” report reflected the “clear bias of an official who was acting without any mandate whatsoever and relied on unverified sources of information”.
The report failed to find any support from other members of the Human Rights Council or trigger any action in the matter. It was not even followed up by anyone during the last session of the Council in Geneva in June.
Al Hussein, whose four-year term ends August 31, is not seeking a re-election to the post. He said he still stood by his report at a farewell news conference at the UN on Thursday. Attempting to continue pursuing the matter, he had asked for “unconditional access” to both sides of the Line of Control from Pakistan and India. As he still awaits such an access, he said “any discrepancies” will be sorted out if his office was given permission to access the region.