U.S. to Join U.N. Human Rights Council, Reversing Bush Policy

[babylonsister]

Source: Washington Post

U.S. to Join U.N. Human Rights Council, Reversing Bush Policy

By Colum Lynch
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 31, 2009; 4:59 PM


UNITED NATIONS, March 31 -- The Obama administration decided Tuesday to seek a seat on the U.N. Human Rights Council, reversing a decision by the Bush administration to shun the United Nations' premier rights body to protest the influence of repressive states.

The United States announced it would participate in elections in May for one of three seats on the 47-member council, joining a slate that includes Belgium, Norway and New Zealand. New Zealand has offered to step aside to allow the United States to run unchallenged, according to a U.S. official.

Human rights activists have been advocating U.S. membership in the council since its creation in March 2006.

"This is a welcome step that gives the United States and other defenders of human rights a fighting chance to make the institution more effective," said a human rights advocate familiar with the decision. "I think everybody is just desperate to have the United States and Barack Obama run for the human rights council, and countries are willing to bend over backward to make that happen."


Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/31/AR2009033102782.html?hpid=topnews

[LakeSamish706]

1. Another great move by our President... Kudo's. n/t

[Deja Q]

2. Seconded.

[Wizard777]

5. Motion carried!

[ananda]

3. On issues away from war and economics..

.. Obama does all right.

But essentially it's only window dressing...

[cali]

4. lol. yeah, such things as SCHIP, equity for women in the workplace

environmental rules, energy policy, climate change, choice, judges, etc, etc, are only window dressing. Or at least that's how it seems to the delusional sorts.

[bread_and_roses]

6. Today's good news. (n/t)

[iandhr]

7. this is probably a good thing but

China, Egypt, Saudi Arabia , Cuba , Russia

do not exactly have good human rights records

[patrick t. cakes]

13. name a nation that does..

[ohio2007]

8. Well I hope they plan to do a lot of finger pointing at a few of those 47 member nations holding

such a prestigious seat
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/groups.htm




http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocusRel.asp?infocusID=114&Body=

[Mari333]

9. thumbs up nt

[OhioChick]

10. K&R

:kick:

[Barack_America]

11. Just read this. So encouraging!

:applause:

[bemildred]

12. In Reversal, U.S. Seeks Election to U.N. Human Rights Council

UNITED NATIONS — The Obama administration will seek a seat on the United Nations’ Human Rights Council, announcing Tuesday that it believed working from within was the most effective means of altering the council’s habit of ignoring poor human rights records of member states.

The policy reverses the stance of the Bush administration, which viewed the Geneva-based council as irredeemable for its almost exclusive focus on human rights violations by Israel.

Susan E. Rice, the American ambassador to the United Nations, said the Obama administration believed that by working within the council, the United States could influence members of regional groups.

In recent years, regional blocs in the 47-member organization, particularly Asia and Africa, which together have 26 votes, acted en masse to minimize scrutiny of countries like Zimbabwe.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/01/world/01nations.html?ref=world

[struggle4progress]

14. Can't imagine why, after the last eight years, the Kiwis would step down for US