The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
The Department of Foreign Affairs on Thursday said it expects the United Nations to take no action on a submission by a Japanese non-government organization seeking the provisional release of former president Rodrigo Duterte from detention linked to proceedings before the International Criminal Court.
The statement came after the International Career Support Association (ICSA), a Japan-based NGO registered in Nara Prefecture, raised arguments before the UN Human Rights Council claiming that Duterte’s surrender to the ICC was politically motivated.
The DFA dismissed the claims as unfounded and said their circulation within the UN system follows routine procedure rather than indicating any formal review or action.
“The United Nations routinely receives such statements and circulates these as a matter of procedure, without comments or any other actions,” the agency said.
It added that it does not expect the Human Rights Council or the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to act on the submission, noting that similar petitions from the same group in the past have not led to any measures.
“On the statement itself, we anticipate that no action will be taken on it by the Human Rights Council (HRC) or the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). This is not the first time the International Career Support Association (ICSA) has brought these baseless claims before the United Nations,” it said.
The DFA also pointed out that previous submissions from the NGO had not resulted in any official findings or resolutions in its favor, stressing that international responses have instead emphasized accountability mechanisms.
“What the records will show is that the actions that have been taken by the HRC and the OHCHR, as well as the statements of a number of States in the HRC and elsewhere, were the direct opposite of the claims in the statement by the ICSA,” it added.
“What the records show are the UN and its member states calling for accountability.”
The ICSA holds Special Consultative Status with the UN Economic and Social Council, allowing it to participate in discussions and submit statements in UN forums.