UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.N. Human Rights Council has failed to criticize egregious human rights violations since it replaced a discredited U.N. rights body last year, two watchdog groups said Monday. The two groups, U.N. Watch and Freedom House, released reports charging that rights violators such as Cuba, Saudi Arabia and China have shielded themselves - and countries such as Sudan and Zimbabwe - from criticism as members of the new group.| And it was so-o-o-o unexpected. |
U.N. Watch, based in Geneva, described the council's first year as ``profoundly disappointing.'' ``Members are supposed to be elected based on their human rights records, yet the council includes persistent violators, and after the upcoming elections is expected to include several more,'' the U.N. Watch report said. ``The council's record so far is profoundly disappointing.''
U.N. Watch, which monitors the U.N.'s compliance with its charter, is associated with the American Jewish Committee. Freedom House is a New-York based democracy watchdog.
The Human Rights Council, which began its work last June and has no power beyond drawing international attention to rights issues, was meant to replace the highly politicized Human Rights Commission with a new body that could keep some of the worst offenders out of its membership. Instead, critics say, it has been dominated by African and Muslim countries that have sided with China, Cuba and other countries in preventing criticism of any government but Israel. The United States has also not sought a seat on the council, accusing it of anti-Israel bias.
| Good. Keep us off and make sure the whole world knows how useless the Council is. |