United States Will Not Seek Human Rights Council Seat U.S. secretary of state pledges political, diplomatic, financial support By Judy Aita 6 April 2006 Source: USINFO Original Source: http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2006&m=April&x=20060406192952jatia0.3928034&t=dhr/hr-latest.html United Nations -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has decided that the United States will not seek a seat on the new U.N. Human Rights Council, U.S. officials said April 6. In a statement announcing the U.S. decision, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said there are strong candidates in our regional group, with long records of support for human rights, that voted in favor of the resolution creating the council.  They should have the opportunity to run. McCormack said that the United States will actively campaign on behalf of candidates genuinely committed to the promotion and protection of human rights and also will actively campaign against states that systematically abuse human rights. The United States was in the forefront of support for Secretary-General Kofi Annan's 2005 proposal to abolish the discredited Commission on Human Rights and replace it with a strong new body to protect and promote human rights and fundamental freedoms.  But it voted March 15 against the creation of the council, criticizing the criteria for membership as not being strong enough to keep human rights abusers off the council. However, U.S. Ambassador John Bolton, U.S. representative to the United Nations, pledged support saying that the United States will work cooperatively with other member states to make the council as strong and effective as it can be. (See related article.) McCormack said that the United States will support the new council politically, diplomatically as well as financially and will be an observer. The United States also will encourage the new council to address serious cases of human rights abuse in Iran, Cuba, Zimbabwe, Burma, Sudan and North Korea, he said. The spokesman said that Rice made the decision in consultation with her advisers and after a period of reflection on the matter that as a matter of fairness the United States would defer to the other announced candidates in the Western regional group. Annan was disappointed by the U.S. decision, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said, adding, The secretary-general very much hopes the United States will be an active ‘player’ in defense of human rights. MAY ELECTIONS SET FOR NEW COUNCIL The General Assembly will hold elections for the first members of the 47-nation Human Rights Council at U.N. headquarters in New York on May 9.  Seats are apportioned to the five regional groups and successful candidates will need the support of an absolute majority of the 191 U.N. member states, or 96 votes. Candidates are to submit voluntary pledges and commitments on the promotion and protection of human rights.  Member states are to take those pledges as well as candidates' human rights records into account when voting. The first meeting of the Human Rights Council will be on June 19 in Geneva.   The council will meet regularly, scheduling no fewer than three 10-week sessions a year and will be able to hold special sessions if needed. As of April 6, a total of 35 countries had announced their candidacies.  There is no deadline for applications, thus countries can submit their names even as the voting begins on May 9. In the Western European and Other States Group, to which the United States belongs, eight countries are vying for seven seats:  Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Portugal, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru are seeking the eight Latin American and Caribbean seats.   So far, Algeria is the only candidate for 13 African seats. The Eastern European seats are being sought by 13 countries: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovenia and Ukraine. Seven countries have informed the General Assembly of their candidacies for 13 Asian seats:  Bangladesh, China, India, Iran, Jordan, Pakistan and South Korea. Members will serve three-year terms and will not be eligible for immediate re-election after serving two consecutive terms.