To right human rights


March 16, 2006
The Boston Globe
Original Source: http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2006/03/16/to_right_human_rights/

THE UNITED STATES ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, showed his policy-making supervisors in the Bush administration yesterday how completely he has been able to isolate America in that parliament of nations.
Bolton had vehemently opposed an imperfect but workable resolution for a new UN Human Rights Council to replace the current UN Human Rights Commission, which had become infamous for including the world's worst human rights abusers. When the General Assembly got around to voting yesterday, the tally was: 170 countries in favor of the resolution Bolton had rejected, four opposed, and three abstentions. Joining the Bush administration in opposition were Israel, the Marshall Islands, and Palau.
There may be times when such isolation could be worn as a badge of honor. The General Assembly, reflexively defensive about the prerogatives of countries that lack the clout of the five permanent Security Council members, has in the past indulged in some foolish and disgraceful actions. In this instance, however, the resolution passed by the Assembly establishes a Human Rights Council that can be a substantial improvement over the disgraced commission it replaces.
The new council's usefulness will depend on how its members are selected and on the rules and procedures they adopt for their work. These are the crucial matters Bolton should now concentrate upon.
The first test of implementation will come with the May 9 election of council members. Bolton had originally argued for a two-thirds vote of the General Assembly's 191 members. Instead, only a majority of 96 is now required. But even under that stricture, it will still be possible to exclude such members of the outgoing commission as Sudan, Zimbabwe, and Saudi Arabia if certain preventative measures are adopted.
When the regional groupings in the General Assembly submit candidates for the council, they should be required to propose a larger number than is reserved for their slate. This will allow the General Assembly to exclude unfit candidates. Also, the lists of candidates need to be submitted at least a month in advance of the election, so that their human rights performances at home can be evaluated by General Assembly voters.
It would be nice if the safeguarding of human rights could be completely untangled from UN General Assembly politics. But that will not happen soon. For the sake of the Burmese political prisoner and the Darfur villager fleeing genocidal militias in Sudan, the most helpful thing Bolton can do now is to work for the best possible membership and rules of the road for the new UN Human Rights Council.