United Nations Human Rights Farce

If any doubt existed as to the extent to which the United Nations has been hijacked by third world thugs and their leftist-multiculturalist apologists in the West, one need only witness the disgraceful re-election of Zimbabwe to the United Nation's farcically named Human Rights Commission (HRC).

Zimbabwe, the human rights pariah accused of violence, intimidation and suppression of free speech against its people, has been re-elected to the United Nations Human Rights Commission for a three-year term over the strong protests of Australia, the US and Canada.

Australia's deputy ambassador to the UN, Peter Tesch, said Canberra was "very disappointed" that Zimbabwe had been re-elected to the 15-member body.

"The Mugabe regime and the international community can be in no doubt about our views on Zimbabwe's human rights record," Mr Tesch said. "We condemn the systematic use of state-sponsored violence, intimidation and harassment and call for the repeal of anti-democratic legislation that denies rights of free expression, association and assembly."

He said Zimbabwe's re-election reflected badly on the functioning of the world's pre-eminent human rights body and its credibility, and "underscores the need for fundamental reform of the UN's human rights machinery".

Australia's reaction was mild compared with the US, which said it was "perplexed and dismayed" by Zimbabwe's election.

"How can we expect the Government of Zimbabwe to support international human rights standards at the Commission on Human Rights when it has blatantly disregarded the rights of its own people?" asked William Brencick, of the US.

Zimbabwe maintained repressive controls on political opposition and the media, and encouraged "a climate where the opposition fears for its safety", Mr Brencick said.

Zimbabwe's election to the HRC is not the first time the commission has sullied itself and erased any claim to moral credibility.

Two years ago Libya was elected chairman of the body and Cuba and Sudan are past members. Such states have used the position to either stymie criticisms of their human rights records, or to deflect attention by criticising Western countries.

The UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, proposes replacing the commission with a smaller human rights council, to be elected by the General Assembly with a two-thirds majority. He suggests qualification for membership should be a good human rights record.

Gee, you think? And it only took 50 years for the UN to realize that.

This is the organization to which so many on the international left want to entrust international peace and law. One can only imagine the consequences of doing so. The US and those Western nations which actually care about democracy and human rights (which by definition excludes France and Germany), need to strongly protest the composition of the HRC. In particular, the US should use this outrage to demand immediate and comprehensive reform of the UN and withhold any US funding until such reforms are accomplished. Simply sending a reform-minded US ambassador to the UN will not suffice. Washington must demand reforms, or withdraw. The UN Security Council should be informed that the next time a human rights abusing nation is elected to the HRC, the US will cut off all funding, or withdraw from the UN on the spot.