U.N. approves Human Rights Council

U.S. wanted 30-member council
The United States had argued for a permanent body of 30 members, chosen primarily for their commitment to human rights, to deal with major rights violations. Its two key demands were a two-thirds vote for council membership and a ban on membership for any country under U.N. sanctions for human rights violations.

Bolton also objected to a two-term limit for council members and to the provision allowing one-third of council members to put an issue on the council’s agenda. Bolton said it should be a majority vote.

The United States lobbied unsuccessfully to reopen the negotiations, but Eliasson refused, saying members told him it would be tantamount to opening “Pandora’s Box.”

Diplomats said Eliasson and Annan worked behind the scenes to try to ensure that no amendments were proposed if the United States called for a vote, which almost certainly would have weakened the text.

Cuba already circulated several proposed amendments, and Russia, Pakistan and the Organization of Islamic Conference were among those also reported to have prepared amendments, the diplomats said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the closed-door proceedings.

One of the surprises was that Cuba voted in favor of the resolution, despite serious reservations that it was no improvement over the commission that it claimed unjustly targeted developing countries.

“The attacks of the current U.S. administration to the text being adopted today prove their arrogance,” Cuba’s U.N. Ambassador Rodrigo Malmierca said. “They lost nothing with this project.

“On the contrary, they have assured new means to exert confrontation, hatred and punishment, and if they protest today, is because they intended to get new concessions.”

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