Human Rights and the UN

New York Times editorial; April 27, 2005

The United Nations Commission on Human Rights is an “ineffective tool of cynical politics”, writes the New York Times in its April 27 editorial. For only six weeks every year, the fifty-three nations of the Commission meet to discuss hundreds of issues related to human rights. Such states as China, Cuba, Sudan, Nepal, Congo, Guatemala, Zimbabwe and Saudi Arabia count themselves as members, further diluting, in the view of the Times, the mission of this important body. Many of these, and other, “abusive” states pursue membership on the Commission “so they can block criticism of their policies.” What, one might ask, should be done to help correct these problems? The Times, supporting the assertions of Secretary General Kofi Annan, supports a “real, functioning human rights commission,” requiring a different sort of membership, without the influence of regional blocs, and meeting year-round in order to better address important issues of human rights, such as the present crisis in Sudan.