US reportedly pulls out of UN Human Rights Council
The Human Rights Tribune is reporting that the US has pulled out of the United Nations' Human Rights Council, "an international body within the United Nations System. Its stated purpose is to address human rights violations."
The news that the US has completely withdrawn from the Human Rights Council spread like wildfire Friday afternoon (June 6) through the corridors of the Palais des Nations in Geneva. There was general consternation amongst diplomats and NGOS. Reached by phone, the American mission in Geneva neither confirmed nor denied the report. Although unofficial, the news comes at a time of long opposition by the Bush administration to the reforms which created the Human Rights Council in June 2006. Washington announced from the beginning that the US would not be an active member but its observer status would mean that it could intervene during the sessions. To date even this has rarely happened.Link (via Digg)
the latest
latest episodes
boy,Cheney must be REALLY worried about those coming war crime trials
Tak-kun,
Do know anyone who can marry me so that I can get Canadian citizenship?
mmmmm... I sense a new business opportunity here...
http://www.ehow.com/how_2131384_samesex-partner-vancouver-bc-canada.html
In order to pull out, wouldn't the US first have to join?
Oh. He'd have to support me, too.
"The United Nations General Assembly established the Human Rights Council on 15 March 2006.[2] by a vote which was opposed only by United States, Marshall Islands and Palau (bound to the United States through Compacts of Free Association), and Israel.[3] The United States explained its vote was due to there being not enough safeguards to keep human rights abusing nations off the council."
The previous UN human rights body, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR), disgraced itself by allowing countries such as Algeria, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan as members, while producing criticism of such countries as Israel, Israel, and Israel. The UN Human Rights Council has not shown any greater ability to report on human rights issues in a balanced way. The genuine offenses of countries such as the US and Israel will not be moderated by ignoring greater abuses in Burma, Zimbabwe, and Sudan.
So, apparently the US hasn't sought a seat on the Council for some time, preferring to work from the outside. Internationally, this is known as the "I don't want to order pizza but I'll have some of yours" doctrine.
Yeah Antinous, time for me to step up my romantic overtures to the single Canadian women on AFF. Besides, Canadian women are sexier anyway.
Before we go off hatin' America, let's remember that the UN HRC recently endorsed draconian free speech restrictions "to prohibit the dissemination ... of racist and xenophobic ideas." As the Saudi delegation so hypocritically argued: "It is regrettable that there are false translations and interpretations of the freedom of expression."
Because saying bad things about a religion (or even worse, drawing a cartoon) is evil, but stoning someone to death is a-okay!
woooo Doggo! Been nice knowing ya!
Human Rights Watch ,America section:
http://www.hrw.org/doc/?t=usa
Got it! Cory holds a Canadian passport;
http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=20070625_106285_106285
whaddya think?
“Washington’s hands-off approach to the Human Rights Council undermined it from the start,” said Juliette de Rivero, Geneva advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. “It’s ironic that the US shares responsibility for the shortcomings it’s now using to justify further distancing itself from the council.”
(from Takuan's link)
I don't know if marrying a Canadian will solve these problems in the long run. If you want to change the country, you should be willing to push for those changes yourself. Remember, nothing happens overnight and once this atrocious administration (and a few that will follow) get out, it will be a great opportunity to bring those changes about.
We can't change it from the outside.
That said, I've been looking to leave for years, so I'm probably being a bit of a hypocrite.
The HRC is really quite problematic. The whole point of getting rid of the old human rights body was because it had some of the worst abusers as members. The newly reformed body includes China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Egypt, so I can see where a dramatic move by the United States would be appropriate. Unfortunately, the US has left itself wide open to cynical interpretation of the withdrawal the last few years.
Frankly, I wish Canada, the Swiss, the Dutch, Japan, all the countries on the council that are more consistently and, most importantly, widely perceived as consistently trying to improve world human rights would resign en masse. Even better would be if they did that and also said publicly that the rump council members are welcome to chatter on while the civilized world points and laughs.
In the article, it says they don't understand the timing of this move. The timing is perfectly obvious. The Democratic and Republican National Conventions are coming up. The Minneapolis police force recently ordered 230 tazers (coincidence!) The military is sure to be called out on these protesters. It's going to be really ugly.
Antinous, I can offer both Irish and Australian citizenship, just no consummation.
I'm currently in third level education, so it'll be a couple of years before I can support you.. emm, this isn't going too well..
Do you like Irish whiskey? We could make this work..
when are we going to see some pan-sexual, marital moieties? What's wrong with having multiple bonds?
Arkizzle, care to find me a nice young man?
What is it about human rights abuses that brings out the romantic in people?
http://www.marryanamerican.ca/
in the face of death, the sexual will to live on emerges.
How about a mass moonie-style BoingBoing marriuage of everyone here on Canadian soil? technically we only need one actual Canadian citizen. .... Cory???
Also, more directly relevant:
(Associated Press) The United States says it is fed up with the United Nations Human Rights Council and will only participate in its debates when absolutely necessary.
...
The United States only has observer status on the council anyway — meaning it can engage in debate but not vote. That was by choice, because of U.S. skepticism that the body could be an effective watchdog for human rights.
Maybe there are legitimate reasons for the US to bail out of this council, I can't imagine what they might be though. It really seems that Bush & Co. are deliberately trying to make rest of the world hate and distrust the USA more and more with each move they make.
Abby
We can't change it from the outside.
We won't be on the outside. I just think it's going to be hard to work for change from the re-education camps.
/tinfoil hat on
Personally, I think they're getting ready for some serious abuses. Much more than tasing people.
/tinfoil hat off... off! come on! Crap, it's not coming off.
The Bush Administration has opposed human rights all along. I don't know why this should be an exception.
Jake:
http://www.hrw.org/doc/?t=usa
To be fair, the HRC has a boatload of countries on the council who are monstrous.
Folks, Saudi Arabia is on the UN Human Rights Council.
SAUDI FREAKING ARABIA.
Do you honestly think anything human rights are coming out of a council with Saudi Arabia on it?
It's just a council that's supposed to look like it's doing something, when in fact it's not going to be.
At least Saudi Arabia doesn't cavort around the globe bombing other countries.
All the UN can ever really do is provide forums where people can, if they work REALLY HARD FOR A LONG TIME, sometimes accomplish things. Criticizing the institution for the many failed councils/panels/etc. is like being shocked, SHOCKED I tell you, to find gambling in Rick's place.
Wow.
Canada used to be known as "America Jr.".
Now it's becoming known as "America 2.0" (the one without all the bugs).
A few cautions for those of you looking to emigrate:
1. Most of the better looking Canadian women are in Montreal. Learning French is a big plus, because the hand gestures will just get your face slapped.
2. Learn to drive through snowbanks, or prepare to spend 4 months of the year indoors. (Or move to Vancouver.)
3. You must work your way up to drinking our beer, or you will surely awake to find yourself in one of the aforementioned snowbanks with no pants.
4. Poutine is something you eat. So is tourtiere and nanaimo bars.
5. Liberal = Democrat, Conservative = Republican, New Democrat = socialist rat bastard, Green Party = a wasted vote.
6.Pogie = unemployment insurance, two-four = case of 24 beers, chesterfield = couch, serviette = paper napkin, Smarties = M&Ms
7. You're the only one who doesn't know what kind of meat is in a "smoked meat sandwich". (Kind of a smoked beef brisket, not too fat but not too lean.)
8. The last letter of the alphabet is "zed".
9. Beaver tail is not what you think it is (though it is something you eat.
10. Canadians don't eat Canadian bacon.
11. Toronto is pronounced "Trawna" or "Centre of the Universe".
12. Mounties (RCMP officers) only dress like that when they think Americans may be looking.
13. Neil Young is God. The Tragically Hip and the Bare Naked Ladies are apostles.
14. Nobody says "oot and aboot" except for maybe a couple of inbred Nova Scotians.
15. It's spelled "colour", "cheque and "centre".
16. Like the rest of the world. we use the metric system. So you're screwed.
17. Legal drinking age is 19 or 18, depending on the province.
18. A zamboni is something you do not eat.
19. Instead of 50 state capitals, there are only 10 provincial capitals to memorize (bonus points for the three territories).
20. Yes, we know we don't play hockey very well any more.
It all depends whether you think UN-based 'human rights' outweigh the rights in the U.S. constitution.
---
AP: GENEVA March 28, 2008 - The top U.N. rights body on Thursday passed a resolution proposed by Islamic countries saying it is deeply concerned about the defamation of religions and urging governments to prohibit it.
The U.N. Human Rights Council, which is dominated by Arab and other Muslim countries, adopted the resolution on a 21-10 vote over the opposition of Europe and Canada.
EU countries, including France, Germany and Britain, voted against. Previously EU diplomats had said they wanted to stop the growing worldwide trend of using religious anti-defamation laws to limit free speech.
The document, which was put forward by the Organization of the Islamic Conference, "expresses deep concern at attempts to identify Islam with terrorism, violence and human rights violations."
Although the text refers frequently to protecting all religions, the only religion specified as being attacked is Islam, to which eight paragraphs refer.
Speaking for the EU, Slovenian Ambassador Andrej Logar said the 27-nation body was committed to tolerance, nondiscrimination and freedom of religion. But instead of a one-sided approach, it would be better to engage in dialogue with mutual respect.
The resolution "urges states to take actions to prohibit the dissemination ... of racist and xenophobic ideas" and material that would incite to religious hatred. It also urges states to adopt laws that would protect against hatred and discrimination stemming from religious defamation.
--
In other words, while Islamic countries actually practice serious human rights abuses including, but not limited to, oppression of women, homosexuals, children and non-believers, they think it is also their human right to silence our right to criticize those abuses.
I suppose when we are all silenced then there will be no abuse. After all, there are no homosexuals in Iran.
In on the marriage thing. Arkizzle, got any siblings? Nephews? Children?!
I'm open to either gender in nations where it applies. Brunette who can't cook but will fix your computer. Almost old enough to get married without fudging my birth certificate, too! Any takers?
Anyway, yeah, the HRC Council is like most UN (all?) councils. It does nothing. The UN is the incarnation of the LoN Wilson proposed back in the day, and is just as ineffective.
I, one the other hand, am a great cook and make a mean martini. I can be both June Cleaver and Laura Petrie, if you catch my drift.
Well, not with official government employees, no. They outsource that to freelancers.
Like so many well named committees formed by the UN the Human Rights Council eventually became just another committee dedicated to condemning Israel. If the UN had a Committee for the Appreciation of Puppies and Ice Cream it would inevitably force the US to leave it after its 25th condemnation of every behavior of Israel.
The HRC is a joke and I wish the other Western countries would drop out, too.
14. Nobody says "oot and aboot" except for maybe a couple of inbred Nova Scotians.
Hah! Maybe "oot and aboot" is an exaggeration, but the way Canadians do pronounce that dipthong is a dead giveaway. I even caught longtime U.S. resident Alex Trebek doing it the other day.
18. A zamboni is something you do not eat.
You do know that the Zamboni ice-resurfacer was invented in sunny Southern California, right?
Yeah. Funny how that happens. Obviously the majority of the world's governments are just wrong, wrong, wrong - over and over and over again.
I, one the other hand, am a great cook and make a mean martini.
I can mix a drink tooooo. -Whine-
You do know that the Zamboni ice-resurfacer was invented in sunny Southern California, right?
Yep.
How many Americans even know what it is, however?
Yeah, it's like Cuba, Algeria, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan are bulwarks of human rights. This council, like the rest of the UN, is a joke.
Maybe Zimbabwe and Burma can join next.
The UN is a debating society, it was never intended to govern and all it can do is to suggest. Our retreating from this committee is little more than a childish tantrum on the part of Bush. In other words it's SOP as usual.
"You do know that the Zamboni ice-resurfacer was invented in sunny Southern California, right?"
Oh crap, you're right.
Well, (CBC to the rescue) we still get credit for:
1. Insulin, Treatment for Diabetes [1921, Frederick Banting, Charles Best]
2. Telephone [1876, Alexander Graham Bell]
3. Light Bulb [1874, Henry Woodward, Mathew Evans]
4. Five Pin Bowling [1908, Thomas F. Ryan]
5. Wonderbra [1964, Louise Poirier]
6. Pacemaker [1950, John Hopps, Wilfred Bigelow, John Callaghan]
7. Robertson Screw, 1908 [Peter Robertson]
8. Zipper [1913, Gideon Sundback]
9. Electric Wheelchair [1952, George Klein]
10. Poutine [1957, Fernand Lachance]
11. Cobalt-60 “Bomb” Cancer Treatment [1951, Harold Johns]
12. Java Programming Language [1994, James Arthur Gosling]
13. Bloody Caesar [1969, Walter Chell]
14. Canadarm [1975, Spar Aerospace/NRC]
15. Standard time [1878, Sir Sandford Fleming]
16. Electron Microscope [1939, James Hillier, Albert Prebus]
17. Ski-Doo [1922, Armand Bombardier]
18. BlackBerry [1999, Mike Lazaridis]
19. Radio Voice Transmission [1900, Reginald Fessenden]
20. Birchbark Canoe [First Peoples]
21. Basketball [1892, James Naismith]
22. Retractable Beer Carton Handle [1957, Steve Pasjack]
23. UV Degradable Plastics [1971, James Guillet]
24. Instant Replay [1955, CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada]
25. Goalie Mask [1959, Jacques Plante]
26. Marquis Wheat [1908, Sir Charles Saunders]
27. Pablum [1930, Alan Brown, Theodore Drake, Frederick Tisdall]
28. Lacrosse [First Peoples]
29. Electric Oven [1892, Thomas Ahearn]
30. Steam Fog Horn [1853, Robert Foulis]
31. Walkie-Talkie [1942, Donald L. Hings]
32. Alkaline Long-Lasting Battery [1959, Lewis Urry]
33. Paint roller [1940, Norman Breakey]
34. Electronic Music Synthesizer [1945, Hugh Le Caine]
35. WeeVac 6 [1990, Wendy Murphy]
36. Green Garbage Bag [1950, Harry Wasylyk, Larry Hansen, Frank Plomp]
37. Snowblower [1925, Arthur Sicard]
38. Self-propelled Combine Harvester [1937, Thomas Carroll]
39. Instant Mashed Potatoes [1962, Edward Asselbergs]
40. Explosives Vapour Detector [1985, Lorne Elias]
41. Marine Screw Propeller [1833, John Patch]
42. Plexiglas [1931, William Chalmers]
43. Key Frame Animation [1969, Nestor Burtnyk, Marcelli Wein]
44. CPR Mannequin: “ACTAR 911” [1989, Dianne Croteau, Richard Brault]
45. G-Suit [1941, Wilbur Rounding Franks]
46. Ardox Spiral Nail [1954, Allan Dove]
47. Automatic Lubricating Cup [1872, Elijah McCoy]
48. Crash-Position Indicator-CPI [1957, Harry Stevinson]
49. Caulking Gun [1894, Theodore Witte]
50. Separable Baggage Check [1882, John Mitchell Lyons]
How many Americans even know what it is, however?
The number of Americans living in hells of ice is larger than the population of Canadia. Ice hockey is very popular in much of the US. Curling, not so much.
If the U.S. were to actually be planning human rights abuses, they would get on the council and legitimize their actions, not abandon it.
The Bush administration is distinguished, not so much by its malice, as by its stupidity. They can't even do repression with subtlety and flair.
Does this surprise anyone...we have always been behind when it comes to human rights unless it has to do with Americans...its frustrating and embarassing
It's easy to offer a knee-jerk reaction to this sort of news, isn't it?
Some of the comments in this thread have made me rethink my initial angry response.
At least the membership of the UN Human Rights Commission is less embarrassing than the membership of the Committee on NGOs, chaired by Sudan.
That committee, at Cuba's request, is deliberating stripping the World Union of Progressive Judaism of UN observer status because that group's president said "something is wrong in the state of [the UN Human rights] council" when he wasn't allowed to read passages from the Hamas charter at a hearing on Israeli human rights abuses.
Just another day at the UN.
(Source: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1212041482319)
You'd think sixty years after 1984 was published, people wouldn't knee-jerk over names. The real-life "United Nations Human Rights Council" is no more about protecting human rights than the fictional "Ministry of Truth" was about providing unbiased and accurate information.
As far as moving to Canada, well, their "Human Rights Commissions" are busy making sure no one actually try to exercise the "freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication" enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
13. Neil Young is God. The Tragically Hip and the Bare Naked Ladies are apostles.
No Rush? You should have your Canadian citizenship revoked.
Isolationist, libertarian knee-jerk reactions are part and parcel of posting this kind of subject matter.
Yeah. Funny how that happens. Obviously the majority of the world's governments are just wrong, wrong, wrong - over and over and over again.
That's what happens when most of the world governments are undemocratic and corrupt. Honestly, how highly do you value the opinion of the Central African Republic Ambassador to the UN?
If you want to condemn Israel, there are many more convincing ways to do so than by pointing to the financial circle-jerk that is the UN.
Honestly, how highly do you value the opinion of the Central African Republic Ambassador to the UN?
How many Iraqis has he killed? Is he more corrupt and bloodthirsty than Dick Cheney?
Come on, anybody over the age of 30 who watched Peanuts specials on CBS knows what a Zamboni is. Snoopy doted on the Zamboni.
Ken Hansen, please try harder to not be a jerk.
Usual Suspect, I already know all that. Can I get extra credit for knowing the lyrics to The War of 1812 and "The Maple Leaf Dog"?
Hmmm. Seems to be a trend. Here's an interesting article from Mainichi:
Draft cluster bomb ban prompts U.S. threats to pull out of peacekeeping, humanitarian missions
Teresa@59: yes! You can!
And if you can hum the theme to Hockey Night in Canada we'll give you a passport. (Hurry, this seems to be a limited time offer.)
Is this the equivalent of Bush trashing the White House before he has to move out? Like graffiti on the walls, faeces on the carpet, dead animals in hard to find places?
"C'mon Dick, let's finish this proper..."
no,it's the equivalent of trashing the United States of America. Who cares about a building when you can spray your foul bile and guano over an entire nation?
Mark my words: if any real amount of the Cheney/bush crime cabal comes to light and is actually tried in a court of law, there will be a double date with the gallows.
Promises, promises.
there is precedent
http://tiny.cc/P3D5t
Your real name isn't Thérèse Defarge by any chance, is it?
knit one, purl two...
Sometimes a great nation, ruler of the free
world, must ignore human rights to promote
liberty.
oh, China?
Eye on the UN has an interesting graph of actions (resolutions, etc) taken by the UN Human Rights Council against various countries for their human rights abuses. It probably won't surprise anyone that Israel is the #1 pick for HRC condemnations, with an impressive 642 actions taken against this country. By contrast, Rwanda earned only 49.
http://www.eyeontheun.org/browse-un.asp?ya=1&ua=1&sa=1&tpa=1
I know it shouldn't, but the rampant Bush/Cheney vitriol always takes me aback.
#70
Genocide in Rwanda ended 14 years ago.
Israel has been a relentless human rights abuser since its birth and is currently the only apartheid regime on Earth.
Also included on the top 20 list: Sudan (#2), Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Indonesia, and Bangladesh, as well as India and China
"Eye on the UN" is funded by Touro College and the right-wing Hudson Institute.
The Unusual Suspect "10. Canadians don't eat Canadian bacon."
Do so! It's round. Round bacon is real bacon. Strip bacon is gross (although strip bacon is an awesome party game).
sparkzilla "It all depends whether you think UN-based 'human rights' outweigh the rights in the U.S. constitution."
Is this the U.S. Constitution that's basically a series of recommendations at this point?
The document, which was put forward by the Organization of the Islamic Conference, "expresses deep concern at attempts to identify Islam with terrorism, violence and human rights violations."
"That's our job." said a disturbing percentage of the Middle East, including the 40,000,000 people that went apesh*t after the Danish cartoon "incident", as well as those who burned sh*t up when a child named a teddy bear Mohammad.
The resolution "urges states to take actions to prohibit the dissemination ... of racist and xenophobic ideas" and material that would incite to religious hatred.
"Yeah, that's our job, too." they said again, before publishing Blood Libel on Israel.
"In other words, while Islamic countries actually practice serious human rights abuses including, but not limited to, oppression of women, homosexuals, children and non-believers, they think it is also their human right to silence our right to criticize those abuses."
With so much in common with the big "C" Conservative Christianity, why can't they get along?
Antinous "Ice hockey is very popular in much of the US. Curling, not so much."
That's too bad. Curling is...filthy. "Hurry! Hurry! Hard! Hard!". Women's curling is really quite erotic, if you've had enough rye.
Is he more corrupt and bloodthirsty than Dick Cheney?
That can't be right.
I'm not very good at this, am I?
CountSmackula "I know it shouldn't, but the rampant Bush/Cheney vitriol always takes me aback."
Two terms of "Do as we say, not as we do" from various members of the Christian Right will cause some blowback. The worst Clinton ever did was chubby-chase on the side (for which he should have stepped down, IMO. That's a gross abuse of his position. Not Gitmo "gross abuse", but still...), which pales beside the abuses of the last two terms.
So it looks like we have a side saying "The US record on human rights is appalling, especially the last 7 years!" We have a side saying "The UN Human Rights Council is a sham and a travesty!"
Why argue? Both can be true. Maybe it would have been LESS of a sham and a travesty had we participated.
While the Human Rights Council is not the squeaky clean organization we all wish it was, the Bush Cabal distances itself from any body that doesn't support their view of "we are the power; go fuck yourself".
Frank_in_Virginia; Yeah, they're totally like Prince Adam when he went to Castle Grayskull and he got the Power Sword and he was all "By the power of Grayskull..." and "I have the power!" and Skeletor was all "I'll be back!" and Teela was all "I have no lines in this episode." and Orko tried to cast a wicked spell and it went wrong and everyone laughed and mom came in and she shut off the tv and then told me to go outside.
Yes! That's exactly the analogy we've been searching for! Thread closed!
Hurray!
WoAH! I'm from Canada and welcome any positive comments about the "true north strong and free". However, when the topic is human rights, we better not be picking up any stones lest we smash our glass house.
Canada was formed by oppressing and erradicating aborginal people. Things are still far from rosy for the people of the First Nations. I have been embarrassed to read repeatedly that the South African apartheid system was based on the reserves of Canada.
http://www.turtleisland.org/news/news-humanrights-uncanada.htm
"We Canadians have been well schooled to write Aboriginal peoples out of our national identity, and to try hard to ignore the struggles going on right now for Aboriginal land rights and recognition."
http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.cgi?path=21131196630123
umgrego2, I've also heard that Hitler's concentration camps were based on the US Indian Reservation system. You can hear all sorts of stuff; I wonder if any of it is true.
None of which changes your point, which is well taken.
the first use of Zyklon B was by America on Mexicans
@#73,
"The worst Clinton ever did was chubby-chase on the side (for which he should have stepped down, IMO. That's a gross abuse of his position."
I Don't think so. What's gross about being a chaser? Most men are, to one degree or another. The worst thing he did was NOT stepping down and locking Al Gore in place as sitting President. I blame that goddamned redfaced peckerwood for Bush's election. The blowjob was nothing. He wasn't the first head of state to get head in the Oval Office, and I 'm sure that he won't be the last.
have to agree with you there, Buddy. A criminal failure of vision. What use is a leader who won't die for you?
I can understand the US withdrawing, but the weird thing is some of the comments about horrible countries on the Council, like Saudi Arabia. That would make sense, if it weren't the US -- one of the world's most reliable supporters of SA -- doing the withdrawing.