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17 May 2007
U.S. Hails Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Election to Human Rights Council

By Judy Aita
USINFO United Nations Correspondent

United Nations -- U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad congratulated the 14 new members of the Human Rights Council and said the May 17 election bodes well for the reform of the U.N. human rights body.

In a contentious contest in the General Assembly, Bosnia-Herzegovina won one of the two vacant Eastern European seats, beating Belarus, which was described by Khalilzad as the "last dictatorship in Europe." Slovenia was elected to the other Eastern European seat on the first ballot.

Bosnia-Herzegovina submitted its candidacy only a few days before the vote. Human rights groups also praised Bosnia-Herzegovina's election as an important sign that the new Human Rights Council will not be a collection of abusive governments, as was its predecessor, the Commission on Human Rights.

Speaking with journalists May 17 after the vote, Khalilzad said he was "particularly heartened" by Bosnia-Herzegovina 's election. "This was the right decision for the General Assembly. We have to remember that the Bosnians put their name forward a few days ago. Such a short time for them to achieve success is noteworthy."

Also elected to three-year terms were Angola, Bolivia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Italy, Madagascar, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Philippines, Qatar and South Africa.

The U.S. ambassador said that the choice of the new members "bodes well for the reform of the Human Rights Council that is very much needed. I look forward to working with everyone in the United Nations in regard to that goal."

The United States has not sought a seat on the new council. But Khalilzad said that Bosnia-Herzegovina's win over Belarus is "a positive step" that "should be helpful in our deliberations on the future of our role vis-à-vis the council."

In May 2006, the General Assembly held the first elections for the Human Rights Council, which replaced the discredited U.N. Commission on Human Rights. The first 47 nations elected took their seats in June 2006 in Geneva. Among those elected were states with poor human rights records, as well as those with excellent records as human rights leaders. (See related article.)

The United States was a leading supporter of a proposal by then Secretary-General Kofi Annan to abolish the Commission on Human Rights and replace it with a new organization that would be a stronger protector and promoter of human rights and fundamental freedoms. However, the United States voted against the creation of the council in March 2006. The standards for membership on the new council, the United States said, were not high enough to exclude human rights abusers. (See related article.)

U.S. officials have said that the performance of the Human Rights Council over two or three years will be critical in determining its effectiveness. The council's real test will be whether it can take effective action in serious cases of human rights abuse, such as in Darfur, Burma or North Korea, they have said.

Candidates are required submit pledges and commitments on the promotion and protection of human rights that are to be taken into consideration during the General Assembly elections. According to the regulations establishing the council, its members are to be the first to have their human rights records reviewed.

Nations already on the Human Rights Council are Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, China, Cuba, Djibouti, France, Gabon, Germany, Guatemala, Ghana, Japan, Jordan, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritius, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Republic of Korea, Romania, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay and Zambia.

Council membership is apportioned to five regional groups -- 13 seats for African states, 13 for Asian states, eight for Latin American and Caribbean states, seven for Western European states and others, and six seats for Eastern European states.

For further information, see The United States and the United Nations.

(USINFO is produced by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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