[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 39 (Friday, March 31, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2692-S2693]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENATE RESOLUTION 419--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE THAT THE NEW
UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL FAILS TO ADEQUATELY REFORM THE
UNITED NATIONS COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS, THUS PREVENTING THAT BODY
FROM BECOMING AN EFFECTIVE MONITOR OF HUMAN RIGHTS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
Mr. FRIST (for himself and Mr. Inhofe) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:
S. Res. 419
Whereas the United Nations Commission on Human Rights was
created in 1946 to monitor and prevent the abuse of human
rights throughout the world;
Whereas, since its creation in 1946, the United Nations
Commission on Human Rights failed to consistently uphold the
ideals contained in--
(1) the United Nations Charter; and
(2) the Universal Declaration on Human Rights;
Whereas the United Nations Commission on Human Rights had
been particularly ineffective because the membership of the
commission included some of the worst abusers of human rights
in the world, including--
(1) Cuba;
(2) Sudan;
(3) Libya;
(4) Belarus;
(5) China; and
(6) Zimbabwe;
Whereas the United Nations Commission on Human Rights
failed to act or speak out against numerous cases of
egregious human rights abuses, including--
(1) the many abuses of communism;
(2) the genocide in Rwanda in 1994; and
(3) the ongoing genocide in Darfur caused by the Government
of Sudan;
Whereas the United Nations Commission on Human Rights
failed to condemn countries that sponsor terrorism,
including--
(1) Iran;
(2) Syria; and
(3) North Korea;
Whereas the United Nations Commission on Human Rights had
repeatedly singled out Israel, the only democracy in the
Middle East, for criticism, while overlooking serious human
rights abuses throughout that region of the world;
Whereas President Bush and the United Nations Secretary-
General, Kofi Annan, have repeatedly emphasized that
meaningful reform of the United Nations Commission on Human
Rights is a key element for making the United Nations more
accountable, effective, and efficient;
Whereas the creation of the new Human Rights Council on
March 15, 2006, failed to address the serious shortcomings of
the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and fell far
short of creating the small standing body composed of
appropriate countries that was initially envisioned by the
United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, in his March
2005 report, ``In Larger Freedom: Towards Development,
Security and Human Rights For All'';
Whereas the new United Nations Human Rights Council
succeeds only in making superficial changes to the structure
of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights;
Whereas the new United Nations Human Rights Council does
not--
(1) embody the recommended institutional reforms necessary
to advance human rights;
(2) monitor cases of human rights abuse throughout the
world; and
(3) prevent egregious human rights violators from being
elected to the council;
Whereas the new United Nations Human Rights Council only
reduces the number of seats on the council from 53 to 47,
which is not enough to make the council more efficient or
more effective;
Whereas the new United Nations Human Rights Council also
maintains many geographical quotas that will only ensure that
human rights abusers will continue to have access to
membership on the council;
Whereas the new United Nations Human Rights Council is not
supported by some of the leading non-governmental
institutions in
[[Page S2693]]
the world that are dedicated to the promotion of freedom and
human rights;
Whereas the United States, while voting against the
resolution creating the United Nations Human Rights Council,
was unable to ensure that the council would be structured to
best promote and protect human rights around the globe; and
Whereas if the United States, working with other like-
minded countries, is not able to adequately reform the
corrupt United Nations Human Rights Commission, then the
chances for the United States and other like-minded countries
to effect the broader changes to the United Nations that are
desired and needed to make the institution more effective are
much reduced: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) affirms that the United Nations Human Rights Council
should be a body that upholds the ideals contained in--
(A) the United Nations Charter; and
(B) the Universal Declaration on Human Rights;
(2) believes that countries charged with protecting the
human rights of individuals throughout the world should be
required to--
(A) hold regular, competitive, and democratic elections;
(B) allow for freedom of expression; and
(C) have a credible civil society;
(3) finds that the creation of the United Nations Human
Rights Council fails to--
(A) adequately reform the United Nations Commission on
Human Rights; and
(B) prevent the worst abusers of human rights in the world
from attaining membership to the council;
(4) applauds the Administration for opposing the creation
of the new council;
(5) believes that the United States should adhere to its
principles and not seek membership on the new council, a move
that would undermine the credibility of the United States and
give the new council unwarranted legitimacy;
(6) urges the Administration to not support the United
Nations Human Rights Council, and to advocate in favor of the
withdrawal of any financial support that would be used to
support the council until meaningful reforms are undertaken;
and
(7) believes the United States should strengthen, deepen,
and operationalize the work of the international community of
democracies by establishing an effective human rights
oversight body outside the United Nations system, so as to
make it the primary means for examining, exposing,
monitoring, and redressing human rights abuses throughout the
world.
Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, yesterday, I wrote a letter to President
Bush expressing my strong opposition to the United States participating
in the United Nations Human Rights Council. I believe the newly
established body represents little improvement over the old and
discredited commission it is intended to replace. Furthermore, any U.S.
participation or financial support of the Council undermines our
credibility as defenders of human rights around the world. I believe
many of my colleagues share my assessment, which is why this resolution
expresses the Senate's opposition to the Council and our strong belief
that the United States should take no part. The United Nations
Commission on Human Rights was established by the United States and our
allies in 1946 to monitor and prevent human rights abuses throughout
the world. It was charged to uphold the ideals embodied in the U.N.
Charter and the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. However, in the
intervening years, the Commission fell far short of these noble
expectations. In particular, the Commission consistently granted
membership to some of the world's worst human rights abusers. Sudan,
Cuba, Libya, China, and Zimbabwe all have demonstrated egregious
disregard for the human rights of their own citizens and shamefully
were all Commission members. Moreover, the Commission repeatedly failed
to act or condemn numerous cases of intolerable human rights abuses.
These include the many abuses perpetrated by Communist states, the 1994
Rwanda genocide, and even the ongoing genocide in Sudan's western
region of Darfur. Many of our colleagues by now have had the
opportunity to travel to that Darfur region. I, for one, have been
there, as well as Chad, the country immediately west, and seen the
terrible tragedies that are being created by this ongoing genocide. The
Commission refused to condemn state sponsors of terrorism, such as
Iran, Syria, and North Korea. They consistently singled out the only
democracy in the Middle East, Israel, for criticism, while overlooking
serious cases of human rights abuse in neighboring countries. The
Commission repeatedly proved itself ineffective, unaccountable, and
inefficient. It failed to achieve the goals and uphold the ideals for
which it was created. Now, to their credit, the United States and many
at the United Nations recognized the need for serious reform of the
Commission in order to restore the U.N.'s credibility. However, the
U.N.'s new Human Rights Council, established just 2 weeks ago, fails to
do just that. It falls far short of the standards envisioned by
President Bush and Secretary General Kofi Annan. It glosses over its
deficiencies and offers only superficial changes to the former
Commission structure.
Fundamentally, the Council lacks the mechanisms and standards
necessary to prevent flagrant human rights violators from gaining
membership. It maintains the geographical quotas that will, once again,
ensure that human rights abusers continue to have access to membership.
It is wrong. It does not make sense. In short, the new Council fails to
improve over the old Commission, and it is destined to fail in its core
mission of monitoring and preventing human rights abuses around the
world.
I applaud President Bush and our Ambassador at the U.N., John Bolton,
for opposing the resolution establishing the Council. I personally urge
the administration, as does this resolution, to oppose U.S.
participation in and deny American support for the U.N.'s new Human
Rights Council. This would uphold America's credibility and reputation
as a protector of human rights and deny the Council unwarranted
legitimacy.
I also believe that the United States should lead a group of like-
minded democracies to establish an effective human rights oversight
body outside of the U.N. system. At a minimum, countries charged with
protecting human rights should themselves hold regular, competitive,
democratic elections; allow for freedom of expression; and have a
credible civil society--all of which was not the case for the old U.N.
Commission, nor is it now the case for the new Council.
Regrettably, the U.N. and many of its member states have shown that
they are not serious about reform. Therefore, the United States and
those committed to protecting human rights must adhere to our
principles and work toward a solution outside of the United Nations.
For too long, the world's worst human rights abusers have
successfully shielded themselves from scrutiny. It is time for change.
It is time for sunlight. I believe that under the leadership of
America, we should create a new, a stronger, a more credible body to
protect the human rights of all of those who are vulnerable around the
world.
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