GENEVA
A UN human rights watchdog called on the Obama administration on Thursday to review its use of drones to kill suspected al Qaeda and Taliban terrorists abroad and reveal how it chose its targets.
In its first report on Washington’s rights record since 2006, it also called for the prosecution of anyone who ordered or carried out killings, abductions and torture under a CIA programme at the time of President George W Bush, and to keep a promise to close the detention facility at Gitmo.
US officials did not immediately comment on the findings of the UN Human Rights Committee, which is made up of 18 independent experts.
The Obama administration increased the number of drone strikes after taking office in 2009 but attacks have dropped off in the last year. It has been under pressure from affected governments, the UN and activists to rein in the strikes and do more to protect civilians.
The United States should give more information on how it decided someone was enough of an “imminent threat” to be targeted in covert operations in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and Somalia and other countries, the report said.
It should “revisit its position regarding legal justifications for the use of deadly force through drone attacks”, investigate any abuses and compensate victims’ families, the committee added in its conclusions.
The committee also called for more investigations into intelligence operations launched by the Bush administration in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on America.
Separately, the United Nation’s Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Friday adopted a Pakistan-sponsored resolution that urged member states to ensure that the use of drones comply with their obligations under international law, including the UN Charter, human rights law and international humanitarian law, in particular the principles of distinction and proportionality.
According to a release from the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the resolution was sponsored by Pakistan and it was adopted with an overwhelming majority.
The resolution further calls for convening an interactive panel discussion of experts on legality of armed drones as mentioned in the report of UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights Ben Emerson.
The panel discussion is expected to take place at the 27th session of the Human Rights Council to be held in Geneva in September 2014.
The statement further claimed that the resolution was adopted as result of Pakistan’s closely coordinated work with like-minded states to sensitise the international community on drones.
According to the Foreign Office, the adoption of this resolution would further strengthen Pakistan’s principled position that the use of armed drones is the in violation of international law.
In November, 2013 Pakistan had successfully included references on the use of drones in a UN General Assembly resolution that urged member states to comply with their obligations under international law.