IHEU participated in all three sessions of the Council held in 2008 and made one written submission. We also participated to some good effect in a two-day expert seminar to examine the limits to Freedom of Expression and consider whether new restrictions in international law were necessary. Our position was “absolutely not”.

During the later part of the year we took part in preparations for the upcoming Durban Review Conference on Racism. Subjects covered in our written and oral interventions included: Islamophobia, Freedom of Expression, Defamation of Religion and Women’s Rights. Our biggest challenge, however, was to expose the plans of the Islamic States to undermine the universality of human rights by enshrining their new Shari’a-based interpretation of human rights (indistinguishable from duties to Allah) in international law. On several occasions we and other NGOs were stopped in the Council from making comparisons of the two divergent concepts. The President ruled that no mention of Shari’a law, Islam, fatwas or the Quran would be permitted in the Council. This single decision has done more to tarnish the reputation of the Human Rights Council than anything since its birth.

In September IHEU was accused by Egypt of inciting and promoting hatred in the Council. We sent a formal complaint to the President of the Council but had to wait four months before we finally received an inadequate reply.

I was assisted in my activities by Keith Porteous-Wood (UK National Secular Society), by David Littman (Association for World Education), Cathy Buchs, Diana Brown and Xavier Cornut. Hugo Estrella and Austin Dacey of the Centre for Inquiry attended the Council session in September but have now left.

Outcomes
2008 saw the Islamic states and their undemocratic allies tighten their grip on the Human Rights Council and freedom of expression. The special investigator on freedom of expression is now required to report on “abuses” of that freedom, such as “insults” to beliefs. Terrorism and human rights abuse carried out in the name of Islam can no longer be described as such in the Council. Conflicts between the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Islamic interpretations can no longer be mentioned.

The resolution that defamation of religion be treated as a crime was again adopted with a two-to-one majority. But on the positive side, western states became more aware of the threat to their freedoms by such restrictions and, in the weeks before the 2009 conference on racism, all reference to defamation of religion was dropped from the outcome document, as were all negative references to freedom of expression.

Our lack of direct influence in the Council has, however, been balanced by increased coverage of our efforts in the media, and we have seen far greater resistance from western delegations in 2008 to attempts to undermine our freedoms. Perhaps the game might just be worth the candle after all.

This is a shortened version of the full report to the GA. For details of IHEU activities in Geneva, please refer to http://www.iheu.org/unhr2005

Roy W Brown is IHEU Main Representative, UN Geneva