Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/16/AR2006031601803.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/16/AR2006031601803.html 

Friday, March 17, 2006; A18

Changing the U.N.'s Human Rights Culture
The United Nations Human Rights Council, which was proposed by General Assembly President Jan Eliasson and overwhelmingly approved on Wednesday, represents a historic opportunity to improve the protection of fundamental freedoms around the world.
The council is more than just a new and improved Commission on Human Rights, the body it is replacing. The way members of the council are to be elected, a feature that drew criticism, represents a major improvement over the commission. Election to the council will require an absolute majority of the 191 members of the United Nations, meaning at least 96 yes votes. This threshold is much higher than the 28 or fewer votes that can get a country membership on the commission now and would allow countries that support human rights to block the election of the worst violators.
The council boasts some other significant firsts: Candidates for membership will have to make commitments on human rights; elected members will be first in line for scrutiny under a universal periodic review of their human rights records; and members that commit gross and systematic violations of human rights can be suspended. Members will also commit to cooperate with the council and its various mechanisms -- an improvement on current practice, in which some members of the commission refuse to grant unimpeded access to U.N. human rights investigators.
As the result of long and sometimes arduous negotiations the council is necessarily a compromise. I believe reopening negotiations would not have yielded a better result. Ultimately, though, the success or failure of the council will depend less on its structure than on whether countries show the required political will and finally change the culture of defending human rights. From that standpoint, I am encouraged that despite its objections, the United States has pledged to support the council and work to strengthen it.
LOUISE ARBOUR
High Commissioner for Human Rights
United Nations
Geneva