UN Watch

UN Watch, a Geneva-based group, was founded in 1993 to monitor the performance of the United Nations and with a stated mission of promoting human rights, but with an prime emphasis on the coverage of Israeli violations of human rights. It is an accredited non-governmental organization with the UN ECOSOC and has affiliate status with the UN DPI.

It has been founded and funded by the American Jewish Committee since 2001. UN Watch led the largest NGO coalition at the UN Human Rights Council special session on Darfur in December 2006.

Nexus to AJC
Ian Williams, a journalist covering the UN for many years and former president of the United Nations Correspondents Association, summarizes UN Watch's role:
 * UN Watch is an organisation whose main purpose is to attack the United Nations in general, and its human rights council in particular, for alleged bias against Israel.

UN Watch has been funded by the American Jewish Committee since 2001. It claims to have 'complete independence' from the AJC.

However, a press release from its site notes that UN Watch is to become 'fully integrated' into the AJC. The release concludes:
 * Eighteen months ago, the American Jewish Committee and the World Jewish Congress reached an agreement, approved by the international board of UN Watch, to transfer full control of the organization to AJC, an agreement that went into effect on January 1, 2001.

The main activities of UN Watch

 * Monitor UN activities, resolutions, or official statements that are construed to be critical of Israel.
 * Lobby for the removal of UN personnel who are considered critical of Israel
 * Forming coalitions to leverage influence at the UN. This also entails assisting the interests of other groups to later count on their support.
 * Lobby for the inclusion of AJC approved personnel; this is a standard operating procedure by the American Jewish Committee

Principals

 * Morris B. Abram – Founder (died 2000)
 * Alfred H. Moses – Chairman
 * Hillel Neuer – Executive Director
 * Elizabeth Cassidy – Assistant Executive Director

Board of Directors

 * David A. Harris (Co-Chair)
 * Per Ahlmark (European Co-Chair)
 * Irwin Cotler
 * Max Jakobson
 * Ruth Wedgwood
 * Jeane Kirkpatrick (deceased) former US Permanent Representative to the UN in New York

Staff

 * Eve Gani
 * Michael Inlander
 * Jonas Waechter
 * Natasha Sarraf

Former Staff

 * Pablo Kapusta – Media Relations
 * Leon Saltiel
 * Jardena Lande

Affiliations

 * American Jewish Committee (parent organization)
 * World Jewish Congress (jointly controlled the organization with AJC until 2001)
 * Transatlantic Institute (another AJC operation)
 * Friedrich Naumann Stiftung – co-sponsors events with UN Watch

Similar Organizations

 * Eye on the UN
 * NGO Monitor

Address

 * 1 rue de Varembé,(PO Box 191)
 * 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland.
 * Email: unwatch AT unwatch.org
 * Website: www.unwatch.org
 * Phone: +41 22 734 14 72

Affiliations

 * CONGO

External Resources

 * Muhammad Idrees Ahmad, Paul de Rooij and David Miller, UN Watch: Front Group for the American Jewish Committee, Spinwatch.org, 8 June 2008.