III 

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; 


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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 SecretaryGeneral, 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; 


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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 


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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 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) affirms that the United Nations Human 

3 Rights Council should be a body that upholds the 

4 ideals contained in— 

5 (A) the United Nations Charter; and 

6 (B) the Universal Declaration on Human 

7 Rights; 

8 (2) believes that countries charged with pro9 tecting the human rights of individuals throughout 

10 the world should be required to— 

11 (A) hold regular, competitive, and demo12 cratic elections; 

13 (B) allow for freedom of expression; and 

14 (C) have a credible civil society; 


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1 (3) finds that the creation of the United Na2 tions Human Rights Council fails to— 

3 (A) adequately reform the United Nations 

4 Commission on Human Rights; and 

5 (B) prevent the worst abusers of human 

6 rights in the world from attaining membership 

7 to the council; 

8 (4) applauds the Administration for opposing 

9 the creation of the new council; 

10 (5) believes that the United States should ad11 here to its principles and not seek membership on 

12 the new council, a move that would undermine the 

13 credibility of the United States and give the new 

14 council unwarranted legitimacy; 

15 (6) urges the Administration to not support the 

16 United Nations Human Rights Council, and to advo17 cate in favor of the withdrawal of any financial sup18 port that would be used to support the council until 

19 meaningful reforms are undertaken; and 

20 (7) believes the United States should strength21 en, deepen, and operationalize the work of the inter22 national community of democracies by establishing 

23 an effective human rights oversight body outside the 

24 United Nations system, so as to make it the primary 


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1 means for examining, exposing, monitoring, and re2 dressing human rights abuses throughout the world. 

Æ 


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