“We recommend that France strengthen its efforts in combating crimes and threats of violence motivated by religious hatred, such as anti-Semitism and hatred of Muslims,” said US Representative Kelly Billingslea.
The United Nations criticized Paris for attacks against immigrants, racial profiling and police violence, during a meeting held by the Human Rights Council of the UN body to consider France’s record in this regard.
The 193 member states of the United Nations are required to submit regular reports on the human rights situation on their territory and to comply with the recommendations.
Several countries, including the United States and Tunisia, called on France to make more efforts to combat violence and racial discrimination.
“We recommend that France strengthen its efforts in combating crimes and threats of violence motivated by religious hatred, such as anti-Semitism and hatred of Muslims,” said US representative Kelly Billingslea.
Brazil and Japan denounced “racial profiling by security forces,” while South Africa called on Paris to “take measures to ensure the impartiality of investigations by entities outside the scope of the police into all racist incidents involving two policemen.”
The head of the French delegation, Minister for Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, Isabelle Rohm, did not respond directly to the criticism but said racism and anti-Semitism were “poison for the republic”.
Police violence
The delegations of several countries, including Sweden, Norway and Denmark, highlighted police violence during security operations, especially during demonstrations.
The Liechtenstein delegation called for an independent investigation into these abuses, while Luxembourg called on Paris to “review its policy in terms of maintaining order,” while Malaysia called for “punishing those responsible.”
Russia, Venezuela and Iran, three countries often condemned by the United Nations and rights groups for serious human rights abuses, have also sought to criticize police violence.
Russia’s representative, Kristina Sukacheva, expressed “concern about harsh and sometimes violent measures aimed at dispersing peaceful citizens.”
Even within France, criticism has multiplied for the use of force, which was considered excessive in recent months, against demonstrators opposed to amending the pension system.
During the session devoted to the responses of the French delegation, Sabrine Balim, a legal advisor at the Ministry of the Interior, said that “the use of force” was “within a strict framework,” referring to “punishing the wrongdoers.”
It recalled that members of the security forces were required to wear badges bearing individual identification numbers, to ensure that “their actions are tracked.”
Interior Minister Gérard Darmanin stressed that badges must be worn “in all circumstances”.
Women and sports
Several countries urged France to make efforts to defend women’s rights, and some, like Spain and the United Kingdom, emphasized domestic violence.
Other countries emphasized the rights of Muslim women, such as Malaysia, which called on France to “expedite” changing laws that prevent Muslim women from covering their faces in public places.
The discussions included the sports file, as Slovakia requested that “the monitoring measures introduced by the Olympic Games Law respect the principles of necessity and proportionality.”
This text, which was approved by Parliament last month, includes an important security aspect, including the use of video surveillance algorithms, which raises concerns.
The Samoa Islands wished France success in organizing the next Rugby World Cup, but asked the government to “ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons” adopted by the United Nations in 2017.
