UN rapporteur not ‘fulfilling mandate’, say rights veterans

[geovalin]

Jack Davies

Concerns are mounting among the human rights community, particularly in the wake of political analyst Kem Ley’s murder, that UN Special Rapporteur to Cambodia Rhona Smith is failing to fulfil her mandate in a time of what one observer termed “fear and confusion”.

That observer, John Coughlan, was previously an employee of the UN’s human rights office in Cambodia, which provides technical support to the rapporteur but has no say over their actions. He now monitors Cambodia for Amnesty International.

“The Special Rapporteur’s inactivity is a huge concern. The Cambodia Rapporteur mandate exists out of necessity but its utility is undone when no action is taken in times of need. It is not enough to hide behind joint statements in times like these,” Coughlan wrote in an email yesterday.

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