WP: U.S. Deflects Criticism Of Commitment to U.N. (human rights council)

[DeepModem Mom]

U.S. Deflects Criticism Of Commitment to U.N.
Priority of New Rights Council Questioned
By Colum Lynch
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, January 16, 2006; Page A11


UNITED NATIONS -- The Bush administration is defending itself against criticism that it has not followed through on promises to lead a vigorous campaign at the United Nations to establish an effective new human rights council to condemn rights abusers.

For months, human rights advocates have accused the administration of leading a lackluster diplomatic effort, noting that it has assigned a mid-level representative to lead the talks in New York while other governments sent their top U.N. ambassadors.

They also expressed concern that John R. Bolton, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, has been unduly fatalistic about the prospects for success, indicating he is prepared to abandon the effort if he cannot overcome opposition to a credible council.

Kenneth Roth, executive director of the New York-based Human Rights Watch, said: "Frankly, my main critique of U.S. policy at this stage has been that the United States has been mainly AWOL, that its presence during the negotiations has been low level." Roth said he shares Bolton's assessment that the United States "shouldn't settle for window dressing." He expressed concern that Bolton's view reflects "defeatism" because "I don't accept that we can't emerge from these negotiations without a significantly improved council."

The Bush administration responded last week with a new high-level push in New York and foreign capitals to rally support for a strong council to replace the Human Rights Commission, whose credibility has suffered because of the membership of noted rights abusers, including Zimbabwe and Sudan. A six-month stretch of negotiations on the new council resumed Wednesday....


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/15/AR2006011500797.html?sub=AR

[rodeodance]

1. we knew this would happen when Bolton got there.