IV 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 557 
Strongly condemning the United Nations Human Rights Council for ignoring 
severe human rights abuses in various countries, while choosing to un-
fairly target Israel by including it as the only country permanently 
placed on the Council’s agenda. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 19, 2007 
Mr. CAMPBELL of California (for himself, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. 
ADERHOLT, Mr. AKIN, Mrs. BACHMANN, Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland, 
Mr. BILBRAY, Mr. BISHOP of Utah, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mr. BRADY of 
Texas, Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida, Mr. BUCHANAN, Mr. BUR-
TON of Indiana, Mr. CANTOR, Mr. CHABOT, Mr. CONAWAY, Mr. CROW-
LEY, Mr. DAVIS of Kentucky, Mr. DOOLITTLE, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. FEENEY, 
Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey, Mr. GINGREY, Mr. GOHMERT, Mr. GOODE, 
Mr. HENSARLING, Mr. HERGER, Mr. HOEKSTRA, Mr. JOHNSON of Illi-
nois, Mr. JORDAN of Ohio, Mr. KIRK, Mr. KLINE of Minnesota, Mr. 
LAMBORN, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. LINDER, Mr. MCCARTHY of California, Mr. 
MCCAUL of Texas, Mr. MCHENRY, Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California, 
Mr. MILLER of Florida, Mr. PEARCE, Mr. PITTS, Mr. POE, Mr. PORTER, 
Mr. PRICE of Georgia, Mr. RENZI, Mr. ROSKAM, Mr. ROYCE, Mr. RYAN 
of Wisconsin, Mr. SALI, Ms. LINDA T. SA´NCHEZ of California, Mr. 
SAXTON, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. SHADEGG, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. SIRES, Mr. 
TERRY, Mr. WALBERG, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. WESTMORELAND, Mr. 
WEXLER, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, and Mr. BARTON of Texas) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Strongly condemning the United Nations Human Rights 
Council for ignoring severe human rights abuses in var-
ious countries, while choosing to unfairly target Israel 
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•HRES 557 IH 
by including it as the only country permanently placed 
on the Council’s agenda. 
Whereas Article II of Chapter I of the United Nations Char-
ter states that ‘‘[t]he Organization is based on the prin-
ciples of sovereign equality of all its members’’; 
Whereas the former United Nations Human Rights Commis-
sion was widely discredited for its incessant attacks 
against Israel and for granting membership to Cuba, 
Zimbabwe, China, Saudi Arabia, and other countries that 
were notorious human rights violators; 
Whereas the United Nations General Assembly voted over-
whelmingly to adopt a resolution establishing the Human 
Rights Council, stating that ‘‘members elected to the 
Council shall uphold the highest standards in the pro-
motion and protection of human rights’’; 
Whereas the resolution also stated that ‘‘the Council shall be 
responsible for promoting universal respect for the pro-
tection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for 
all, without distinction of any kind and in a fair and 
equal manner’’; 
Whereas China, Cuba, and Saudi Arabia are members of the 
Human Rights Council; 
Whereas in the past year that the United Nations Human 
Rights Council has been in existence, the Council has 
held four special sessions to address pressing human 
rights situations; 
Whereas of those four sessions, three were condemning Israel 
for their possible human right abuses in the Occupied 
Palestinian Territories and in Lebanon, and the fourth 
special session was a non-condemnatory expression of 
‘‘concern’’ regarding the situation in Darfur, Sudan; 
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•HRES 557 IH 
Whereas the Human Rights Council has failed to adequately 
address a number of other pressing human rights con-
cerns throughout the world; 
Whereas the 2006 Country Reports on Human Rights Prac-
tices of the Department of State notes that, with respect 
to Iran, ‘‘the government’s poor human rights record 
worsened . . . and it continued to commit numerous, se-
rious abuses’’; 
Whereas, between June 10 and 15, 2007, Hamas-armed gun-
man violently took over the Gaza Strip, executing men, 
women, and children; 
Whereas, on June 19, 2007, a Department of State spokes-
person specifically identified Burma, Cuba, North Korea, 
Zimbabwe, and Belarus as countries that merit consider-
ation by the United Nations Human Rights Council due 
to their ‘‘serious human rights violations’’; 
Whereas during its fifth session, the Human Rights Council 
voted to make Israel the only country permanently in-
cluded on its agenda; and 
Whereas United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon 
said he was ‘‘disappointed at the Council’s decision to 
single out only one specific regional item, given the range 
and scope of allegations of human rights violations 
throughout the world’’: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) strongly condemns the United Nations 
Human Rights Council for ignoring severe human 
rights abuses in other countries, while choosing to 
unfairly target Israel; 
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•HRES 557 IH 
(2) strongly urges the Council to remove Israel 
from its permanent agenda; 
(3) strongly urges the Council to hold special 
sessions to address other countries where human 
rights abuses are being committed, adopt real re-
form as was intended for the Council when it re-
placed the United Nations Commission on Human 
Rights, and reaffirm the principle of human dignity 
consistent with the original intent envisioned at the 
Council’s establishment; 
(4) strongly urges the United States to make 
every effort in the General Assembly to ensure that 
the Council lives up to its mission to protect human 
rights around the world, in accordance with United 
Nations General Assembly Resolution 60/251 estab-
lishing the Council; and 
(5) strongly urges the United States to work 
with the United Nations General Assembly to ensure 
that only countries who have a well-established com-
mitment to protecting human rights are chosen to 
serve on the Council. 
Æ 
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