Controversy Over the US Decision Not to Participate on Human Rights Council
10 April 2006

The US decision to take the sidelines and not run for a seat on the new UN Human Right Council has resulted in strong reactions from many sectors.  The decision not to seek a seat on the Council, marks the first time that the United States has not sought representation on the UN’s premier human rights body.  Many have noted that the first year will be a defining year for the Council.

The Los Angles Times reports that Ambassador Bolton explained the US decision stating that “We concluded that this year, given the basic reasons why we voted 'no' in the first place, that we're not prepared to run.”  The New York Times reports that Bolton argued the US would be able to achieve more from off the Human Rights Council. The Times quotes Bolton as stating, “I believe rather strongly that our leverage in terms of the performance of the new council is greater by the U.S. not running and sending the signal ‘this is not business as usual’ this year than if we were to run.”

Both papers reported that many believe the US refrained from running, because it may not have been elected to the seat.  However, the Los Angeles Times reported that one UN official noted that many Western Governments were holding back from running until they found out whether or not the US would run.  They quoted the official as suggesting that  if [the US] made it clear from the start that [if the U.S.] wanted a seat, some European countries would have helped it happen by not running themselves.

The Washington Post reports that Scott McCormack, the State Department Spokesman, said that while the US would not seek a seat on the Council, it would still support the Council politically and financially.

Both the Washington Post and New York Times reported significant congressional dismay, from both sides of the aisle.  Republicans who supported the US running for a seat on the Council included Congressman Henry Hyde, Chair of the House Committee on International Relations and Senators Norm Coleman, and Foreign Relations Committee chairman, Dick Lugar.  Democratic representative Tom Lantos was quoted by the New York Times as disparaging “This…major retrenchment in America's long struggle to advance the cause of human rights around the world and it is a profound signal of U.S. isolation at a time when we need to work cooperatively with our Security Council partners.”

Others in the international community also expressed disappointment that the United States was not seeking a seat on a Security Council, including UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and Human Rights Watch.  U.S. supporters who have endorsed the decision include Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and the Heritage Foundation.