Marco Rubio: Defund UN human rights office with no ‘credibility’

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., called for a controversial special advisor office with the United Nations to be defunded, arguing that it was pushed for by Chinese propaganda.

The office of concern focused on the negative impacts of unilateral coercive measures pushed against countries with human rights violations.

“This absurd narrative from a so-called ‘special UN advisor’ is dangerous Chinese Communist Party propaganda & is further evidence the UN has lost any credibility on human rights,” Rubio said on social media.

“This office should be defunded & taxpayer $ shouldn’t support any attempt to cover up a genocide,” he added.

Professor Alena Douhan of Belarus holds the position of special rapporteur on the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights.

Douhan, following a twelve-day visit to China funded by Beijing, recently called on the the U.S. and other western countries to remove their sanctions on the nation, despite continued concerns of human rights violations happening within their borders.

The U.N. Human Rights Council originally adopted resolutions in 2014 creating a mandate which argues that unilateral coercive measures and practices are “contrary to international law, international humanitarian law, the UN Charter and the norms and principles governing peaceful relations among states.”

It also argues that the measures may result in “social problems and raise humanitarian concerns in the states targeted.”

The mandate defined coercive measures to include “economic and political measures imposed by one or a group of states to coerce another state into subordination of the exercise of its sovereign rights, with a view to securing some specific change in its policy.”

“In general, any unilateral measure, including domestic or international measures imposed by member states to enforce [the UN] Security Council’s measures, should be in compliance with international law, including international human rights, refugee and humanitarian laws,” the mandate said.

China, Russia, Cuba, Somalia, Angola and the Dominican Republic of the Congo are currently on the 47 member council. The six controversial states have all faced scrutiny for human rights abuses in recent years and throughout modern history.