Obama diplomats lose big in Geneva as UN invents a post on "unilateral coercive measures"

Against the wishes of the United States and the European Union, on September 27, 2014 the UN Human Rights Council created a new job - called the "Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights." The more than 2 million dollars over 3 years will be paid almost entirely by the taxpayers of the United States and the European Union.

The push for the new position came from Iran, the president of the so-called Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) which is composed of 120 of the 193 members of the UN.

"Unilateral coercive measures" is a shifting term that can refer to economic measures such as embargoes and sanctions, opposed of course by the targeted states. Targeted states like Iran.

The Obama administration team at the Council session in Geneva attempted to defeat the move by way of a procedural maneuver. But if failed miserably, as the U.S. amendment deleting the post was rejected by a margin of 2 to 1.

Cuba played an active role, calling on all countries "which support ending the US embargo of Cuba" to reject the American amendment and vote in favor of the resolution.

The American amendment received 15 votes in favor (including the US and the EU), 30 against and two abstentions.

Once the U.S. amendment was defeated, 66% of Council members voted in favor of the final resolution on "human rights and unilateral coercive measures." Supporters included such countries as Cuba, China, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela.