CAIRO: While hundreds of demonstrators demanded solidarity with the Arab revolutions during Friday's protests in Tahrir square, the diplomatic relations of Mubarak's regime seem to be continuing by Egypt's military government. A Human Rights Council statement condemning the massacre on Syrian civilians has been obstructed by Egyptian diplomats. Radwan Ziadeh, a Syrian human rights activist reports to local newspapers that “Egypt has introduced amendments to a proposed UN Human Rights Council resolution, according to which the Council should not condemn the bloody governmental crackdown on peaceful protesters in Syria.” According to a Statement issued by the Human Rights Council, more than 450 have been killed and the number of injured is estimated to be four times that number. During a special session enforced by the United States, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Senegal, Zambia as well as ten European countries, the Council examined and condemned the brutal crackdown of protests in Syria. Egypt is not the only Arab country that failed to demonstrate its solidarity with the neighbouring country. Speaking on behalf of the Arab Group, Ibrahim Khraishi, the Palestinian Ambassador, avoided directly condemn the Syrian attacks on protestors and warned against intervenin in the internal affairs of a sovereign country. The Human Rights Council in itself cannot issue binding resolutions. However, as a subsidiary organ of the United Nations General Assembly, its advisory opinions can serve as recommendations to the latter, whose resolutions are also not binding, but have more diplomatic relevance. Moreover, it can decide to send out special rapporteurs to monitor human rights violations in specific countries. Egypt's obstruction of the Human Rights Council does not have direct political implications. It does, however illustrate a general unwillingness to adapt Egypt's foreign policy. According to Ziadeh: “I do think that the regime of [former dictator] Mubarak is still in place. Egypt's foreign policy hasn't changed at all.” BM
