http://www.humanrights-geneva.info/US-quits-Human-Rights-Council,3184
US quits Human Rights Council
Geneva
6 June 08 - There was widespread consternation on Friday at the Palais
des Nations in Geneva when the US mission gave up his observer status -
a step backwards for human rights around the world, says Human Rights
Watch.
Carole Vann/Juan Gasparini/Human Rights Tribune - 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has completely withdrawn from the Human Rights Council spread like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 re****t. 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. Wa****ngton
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.
“We don’t understand the reasons nor the timing of the decision”, said
Sebastien Gillioz of Human Rights Watch. “There have even been some
positive signs during this Council. For example Belarus was not
re-elected as a member in 2007 nor Sri Lanka this year”.
The stupefaction was made greater by the fact the US actively took part
in the universal Periodic Review (UPR) process where 32 countries were
scrutinized by their peers in April and May. In particular a series of
recommendations were made regarding Romania, Japan, Guatemala, Peru,
Tunisia, Ukraine, Indonesia and others.
Diplomats are equally concerned. If the current president of the
Council, Doru Costea, declined to comment, his predecessor, Luis Alfonso
De Alba said that he didnt see any reason to justify such a decision.
Several observers mentioned Wa****ngton’s growing discontentment with the
influence of the Islamic and African countries in the Council.
“It is an aberration”, said Peter Splinter of Amnesty International. “It
seems that the government has lost its mind. How could it believe it is
going to improve human rights by running away? It is like those who say,
‘I don’t like the way this town is governed so I’m not going to vote’”.
For Human Rights Watch (HRW), the US has shown very little commitment to
human rights in general. The working group against arbitrary detention
gave up going to Guantanamo last month because Wa****ngton would not
allow its members to have face to face meetings with detainees. For its
part, the Rap****teur against racism, Doudou Diene, has fought for years
to be able to pay a visit and only recently got permission.
But Eric Sottas, director of the International Organisation against
Torture sees it as a a political gesture. “The US has always clearly
shown its opposition to the Council. This is a slightly more public way
of putting pressure on it in order to raise the stakes. What is more the
Bush dynasty is coming to the end of its mandate,” he said. “It reminds
me of the time when the Nixon administration, which backed Pinochet in
Chile, chastized the UN for criticising the Chilean dictator. But when
Carter was elected in 1977, the American government took the floor at
the Human Rights Commission to ask forgiveness. After a presidency like
that of Bush, you can expect some im****tant changes in US policy on
human right.”
HRW is still worried about the withdrawal. “The message is worrying”,
says Sebastien Gillioz. “ Ever since September 11, 2001, the US has
constantly interpreted international standards in an “ a la carte”
manner that has eroded human rights. Its behaviour has served as an
example to a stream of states, including Pakistan, Egypt and other, who
are not embarrassed to review human rights standards on homo***uality,
abortion, capital punishment. It is a step backwards.”
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