Social media is circulating information claiming that the United Nations (UN) has requested an independent investigation into the shooting death of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Minneapolis in early January.
High school students protested against ICE in front of the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul on January 14, after Renee Nicole Good, 37, was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, sparking a wave of protests against the immigration policies of President Donald Trump’s administration. – Photo: AFP
According to fact-checking website Snopes, Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), has called for a “swift, independent and transparent” investigation into Ms. Good’s death.
This statement was made during a press conference on January 13 at United Nations headquarters, when Laurence answered a reporter’s question regarding the deadly use of force by US security forces in Minneapolis.
However, the Snopes website clarifies that the aforementioned statement represents only the views of the OHCHR, and not the official position of the entire United Nations or its member states.
The OHCHR is a specialized body with the function of monitoring and making recommendations on human rights; it does not have the authority to issue resolutions, make legally binding requests, or compel a member state to open an investigation.
To date, no United Nations agency with policy or legal authority has requested an investigation into this matter.
The United Nations General Assembly did not adopt any resolution concerning Ms. Good’s death, while the Security Council also did not issue any document or decision on the matter.
Furthermore, the International Court of Justice—the body that adjudicates legal disputes between states—has not received any complaints against the United States in this matter.
The source of the confusion is believed to stem from the way some international news reports were headlined. An article by AFP, reprinted by Barron’s magazine , used a headline stating that “the United Nations demands an independent investigation” into the incident.
However, the article also clarifies that only the United Nations human rights office expressed concern and called for an investigation, not the entire intergovernmental organization of 193 member states.
In his statement at the press conference, Laurence emphasized that, according to international human rights law, the use of deadly force is only permitted as a last resort, when there is a direct and immediate threat to life.
He stated that OHCHR acknowledges the FBI’s investigation into the matter and stressed the need for an independent, transparent investigation to clarify the circumstances surrounding Renee Good’s death.
Therefore, it can be asserted that the information claiming the United Nations officially requested an independent investigation into the case of Renee Good is inaccurate , as the call for an investigation came only from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, not from any authority representing the entire organization.
