The UN’s Human Rights Agenda In Lebanon

Michael C. Wiliams, the U.N’s Special Coordinator for Lebanon, wrote a piece on what the UN’s human rights priorities in Lebanon will be. It’s full of useful information, but to me the best paragraph is this one:

During the discussions in Geneva, Lebanon’s delegation highlighted the country’s unique cultural and religious diversity. Its protection must, I believe, remain a top priority for Lebanon and the international community alike in the coming years. In order to safeguard this rich diversity, as well as the country’s message of coexistence and tolerance, a second key priority for human rights efforts in Lebanon must be to end all forms of discrimination.

What a great piece of diplomatic-speak. To understand why the paragraph above is actually a critique of the Lebanese government, you have to go back to the Latest UN review of Lebanon’s human rights record. During that review, the Lebanese delegate actually argued that Lebanese cultural and religious diversity are the reason why some human rights (of women to pass nationality, of Palestinians to work) are curbed.

The paragraph above is the UN’s way of saying: Sorry, we’re having none of that crap. You can have both a religious diversity and human rights at the same time.