GENEVA, June 19: The UN Human Rights Council, heralded as a new start in the world body’s attempt to uphold fundamental freedoms, opened on Monday under pressure to show it can do better than its discredited predecessor.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan was among government ministers and dignitaries to address the inaugural session with calls to avoid the finger-pointing and political point-scoring that hampered the work of the disbanded Human Rights Commission.
“This council represents a great new chance for the United Nations and for humanity to renew the struggle for human rights. I implore you not to let the opportunity be squandered,” Annan said.
Unlike the 53-state commission, where members were nominated by regional blocs, the council’s 47 members were elected by the UN General Assembly, a change which proponents say makes it more difficult for rights violators to win a seat.
One of the biggest criticisms of the 60-year-old commission, among whose successes was the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, was that it made it too easy for states with a poor record to use membership to protect themselves from scrutiny.
While some states whose rights records have been questioned, such as Cuba, Saudi Arabia, Russia and China won election, others failed or did not even stand.
