[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 557 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 557

    Strongly condemning the United Nations Human Rights Council for 
    ignoring severe human rights abuses in various countries, while 
choosing to unfairly target Israel by including it as the only country 
              permanently placed on the Council's agenda.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 19, 2007

Mr. Campbell of California (for himself, Mr. Berman, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. 
   Aderholt, Mr. Akin, Mrs. Bachmann, Mr. Bartlett of Maryland, Mr. 
 Bilbray, Mr. Bishop of Utah, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Brady of Texas, Ms. 
Ginny Brown-Waite of Florida, Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Burton of Indiana, Mr. 
 Cantor, Mr. Chabot, Mr. Conaway, Mr. Crowley, Mr. Davis of Kentucky, 
 Mr. Doolittle, Mr. Engel, Mr. Feeney, Mr. Garrett of New Jersey, Mr. 
   Gingrey, Mr. Gohmert, Mr. Goode, Mr. Hensarling, Mr. Herger, Mr. 
 Hoekstra, Mr. Johnson of Illinois, Mr. Jordan of Ohio, Mr. Kirk, Mr. 
 Kline of Minnesota, Mr. Lamborn, Mr. Lantos, Mr. Linder, Mr. McCarthy 
of California, Mr. McCaul of Texas, Mr. McHenry, Mr. Gary G. Miller of 
California, Mr. Miller of Florida, Mr. Pearce, Mr. Pitts, Mr. Poe, Mr. 
  Porter, Mr. Price of Georgia, Mr. Renzi, Mr. Roskam, Mr. Royce, Mr. 
 Ryan of Wisconsin, Mr. Sali, Ms. Linda T. Sanchez of California, Mr. 
 Saxton, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Shadegg, Mr. Shimkus, Mr. Sires, Mr. Terry, 
 Mr. Walberg, Mr. Waxman, Mr. Westmoreland, Mr. Wexler, Mr. Wilson of 
   South Carolina, and Mr. Barton of Texas) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Strongly condemning the United Nations Human Rights Council for 
    ignoring severe human rights abuses in various countries, while 
choosing to unfairly target Israel by including it as the only country 
              permanently placed on the Council's agenda.

Whereas Article II of Chapter I of the United Nations Charter states that 
        ``[t]he Organization is based on the principles of sovereign equality of 
        all its members'';
Whereas the former United Nations Human Rights Commission was widely discredited 
        for its incessant attacks against Israel and for granting membership to 
        Cuba, Zimbabwe, China, Saudi Arabia, and other countries that were 
        notorious human rights violators;
Whereas the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to adopt a 
        resolution establishing the Human Rights Council, stating that ``members 
        elected to the Council shall uphold the highest standards in the 
        promotion and protection of human rights'';
Whereas the resolution also stated that ``the Council shall be responsible for 
        promoting universal respect for the protection of all human rights and 
        fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction of any kind and in a 
        fair and equal manner'';
Whereas China, Cuba, and Saudi Arabia are members of the Human Rights Council;
Whereas in the past year that the United Nations Human Rights Council has been 
        in existence, the Council has held four special sessions to address 
        pressing human rights situations;
Whereas of those four sessions, three were condemning Israel for their possible 
        human right abuses in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and in 
        Lebanon, and the fourth special session was a non-condemnatory 
        expression of ``concern'' regarding the situation in Darfur, Sudan;
Whereas the Human Rights Council has failed to adequately address a number of 
        other pressing human rights concerns throughout the world;
Whereas the 2006 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices of the Department of 
        State notes that, with respect to Iran, ``the government's poor human 
        rights record worsened . . . and it continued to commit numerous, 
        serious abuses'';
Whereas, between June 10 and 15, 2007, Hamas-armed gunman violently took over 
        the Gaza Strip, executing men, women, and children;
Whereas, on June 19, 2007, a Department of State spokesperson specifically 
        identified Burma, Cuba, North Korea, Zimbabwe, and Belarus as countries 
        that merit consideration by the United Nations Human Rights Council due 
        to their ``serious human rights violations'';
Whereas during its fifth session, the Human Rights Council voted to make Israel 
        the only country permanently included on its agenda; and
Whereas United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said he was ``disappointed 
        at the Council's decision to single out only one specific regional item, 
        given the range and scope of allegations of human rights violations 
        throughout the world'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) strongly condemns the United Nations Human Rights 
        Council for ignoring severe human rights abuses in other 
        countries, while choosing to unfairly target Israel;
            (2) strongly urges the Council to remove Israel from its 
        permanent agenda;
            (3) strongly urges the Council to hold special sessions to 
        address other countries where human rights abuses are being 
        committed, adopt real reform as was intended for the Council 
        when it replaced the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, 
        and reaffirm the principle of human dignity consistent with the 
        original intent envisioned at the Council's establishment;
            (4) strongly urges the United States to make every effort 
        in the General Assembly to ensure that the Council lives up to 
        its mission to protect human rights around the world, in 
        accordance with United Nations General Assembly Resolution 60/
        251 establishing the Council; and
            (5) strongly urges the United States to work with the 
        United Nations General Assembly to ensure that only countries 
        who have a well-established commitment to protecting human 
        rights are chosen to serve on the Council.
                                 <all>