March 2, 2006

Human rights: A needed UN reform, The International Herald Tribune

Mary Robinson

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/03/02/opinion/edrobinson.php

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The former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights rails against Ambassador Bolton's opposition to the proposed Human Rights Council. Why? In the midst of the commentary comes: "the United States can no longer claim to be the standard bearer on human rights. Its authority on such matters is much weaker due to post-9/11 Bush administration policies." This isn't about fixing the UN Human Rights Commission. This is about creating a new UN human rights body which will do America harm from the bully pulpit of the UN wearing the mantle of human rights. The UN human rights system today: from a first Commission headed by Eleanor Roosevelt to believing that the United States is the enemy of human rights. Cutting through all the nonsense about the improved Council now on the table, the facts are very plain: (a) there is not a single substantive criteria required of states to belong and (b) entitlement is based only on geography with the regions of the world with the worst human rights records getting increased proportional membership while the greatest reduction in membership is assigned to the Western regional group.