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[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 419 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 419

 Expressing the sense of the Senate that the new United Nations Human 
Rights Council fails to adequately reform the United Nations Commission 
 on Human Rights, thus preventing that body from becoming an effective 
             monitor of human rights throughout the world.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 31, 2006

    Mr. Frist (for himself and Mr. Inhofe) submitted the following 
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 Expressing the sense of the Senate that the new United Nations Human 
Rights Council fails to adequately reform the United Nations Commission 
 on Human Rights, thus preventing that body from becoming an effective 
             monitor of human rights throughout the world.

Whereas the United Nations Commission on Human Rights was created in 1946 to 
        monitor and prevent the abuse of human rights throughout the world;
Whereas, since its creation in 1946, the United Nations Commission on Human 
        Rights failed to consistently uphold the ideals contained in--

    (1) the United Nations Charter; and

    (2) the Universal Declaration on Human Rights;

Whereas the United Nations Commission on Human Rights had been particularly 
        ineffective because the membership of the commission included some of 
        the worst abusers of human rights in the world, including--

    (1) Cuba;

    (2) Sudan;

    (3) Libya;

    (4) Belarus;

    (5) China; and

    (6) Zimbabwe;

Whereas the United Nations Commission on Human Rights failed to act or speak out 
        against numerous cases of egregious human rights abuses, including--

    (1) the many abuses of communism;

    (2) the genocide in Rwanda in 1994; and

    (3) the ongoing genocide in Darfur caused by the Government of Sudan;

Whereas the United Nations Commission on Human Rights failed to condemn 
        countries that sponsor terrorism, including--

    (1) Iran;

    (2) Syria; and

    (3) North Korea;

Whereas the United Nations Commission on Human Rights had repeatedly singled out 
        Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, for criticism, while 
        overlooking serious human rights abuses throughout that region of the 
        world;
Whereas President Bush and the United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, 
        have repeatedly emphasized that meaningful reform of the United Nations 
        Commission on Human Rights is a key element for making the United 
        Nations more accountable, effective, and efficient;
Whereas the creation of the new Human Rights Council on March 15, 2006, failed 
        to address the serious shortcomings of the United Nations Commission on 
        Human Rights and fell far short of creating the small standing body 
        composed of appropriate countries that was initially envisioned by the 
        United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, in his March 2005 report, 
        ``In Larger Freedom: Towards Development, Security and Human Rights For 
        All'';
Whereas the new United Nations Human Rights Council succeeds only in making 
        superficial changes to the structure of the United Nations Commission on 
        Human Rights;
Whereas the new United Nations Human Rights Council does not--

    (1) embody the recommended institutional reforms necessary to advance 
human rights;

    (2) monitor cases of human rights abuse throughout the world; and

    (3) prevent egregious human rights violators from being elected to the 
council;

Whereas the new United Nations Human Rights Council only reduces the number of 
        seats on the council from 53 to 47, which is not enough to make the 
        council more efficient or more effective;
Whereas the new United Nations Human Rights Council also maintains many 
        geographical quotas that will only ensure that human rights abusers will 
        continue to have access to membership on the council;
Whereas the new United Nations Human Rights Council is not supported by some of 
        the leading non-governmental institutions in the world that are 
        dedicated to the promotion of freedom and human rights;
Whereas the United States, while voting against the resolution creating the 
        United Nations Human Rights Council, was unable to ensure that the 
        council would be structured to best promote and protect human rights 
        around the globe; and
Whereas if the United States, working with other like-minded countries, is not 
        able to adequately reform the corrupt United Nations Human Rights 
        Commission, then the chances for the United States and other like-minded 
        countries to effect the broader changes to the United Nations that are 
        desired and needed to make the institution more effective are much 
        reduced: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) affirms that the United Nations Human Rights Council 
        should be a body that upholds the ideals contained in--
                    (A) the United Nations Charter; and
                    (B) the Universal Declaration on Human Rights;
            (2) believes that countries charged with protecting the 
        human rights of individuals throughout the world should be 
        required to--
                    (A) hold regular, competitive, and democratic 
                elections;
                    (B) allow for freedom of expression; and
                    (C) have a credible civil society;
            (3) finds that the creation of the United Nations Human 
        Rights Council fails to--
                    (A) adequately reform the United Nations Commission 
                on Human Rights; and
                    (B) prevent the worst abusers of human rights in 
                the world from attaining membership to the council;
            (4) applauds the Administration for opposing the creation 
        of the new council;
            (5) believes that the United States should adhere to its 
        principles and not seek membership on the new council, a move 
        that would undermine the credibility of the United States and 
        give the new council unwarranted legitimacy;
            (6) urges the Administration to not support the United 
        Nations Human Rights Council, and to advocate in favor of the 
        withdrawal of any financial support that would be used to 
        support the council until meaningful reforms are undertaken; 
        and
            (7) believes the United States should strengthen, deepen, 
        and operationalize the work of the international community of 
        democracies by establishing an effective human rights oversight 
        body outside the United Nations system, so as to make it the 
        primary means for examining, exposing, monitoring, and 
        redressing human rights abuses throughout the world.
                                 <all>
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