Military

DATE=1-22--03

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=U-S-Libya Human Rights (L-Only)

NUMBER=2-298678(CQ)

BYLINE=David Gollust

DATELINE=State Department

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

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INTRO: The United States Wednesday lamented Libya's election as chair of the U-N Human Rights Commission, saying it is "unconscionable" that countries would support a "serious" human rights violator such as Libya to head the top international human rights body. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

TEXT: The Bush administration knew ahead of time that it would lose its effort to deny Libya the chairmanship. But it took the unprecedented step of demanding a formal vote, rather than the customary election by acclamation, to at least force member countries to give more consideration to the implications of their decision.

Libya, the sole candidate in Monday's election in Geneva, had been nominated for the post by the African grouping at the U-N, whose turn it was to make the choice under a system of annual rotation among the world's five main geographical regions.

The United States, and major human rights groups, had appealed unsuccessfully to African leaders to reconsider the choice. In Monday's voting, a secret ballot, 33 member states of the commission voted for Libya, 17 abstained, and three voted against.

It is understood that Guatemala and Canada joined the United States in voting against Libya, while European members were among those abstaining.

Briefing reporters, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said it is "unconscionable" that people could find it possible to vote for a serious human rights offender, like Libya to chair the commission, and that those who did so need to do some soul-searching:

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We are indeed disappointed that Libya will take over this body. But I think we've made it clear that Libya, nor any other future candidate, can expect automatic approval of the world. And the members of this body, of the U-N Human Rights Commission, need to examine their role, need to examine their conscience, they need to act on that to make sure that the commission is effective. And we'll continue to call on members to fulfill that destiny.

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Libya has been cited by the United Nations itself for human rights violations. The most recent U-S State Department human rights report, issued last March, said the rights record of the Muammar Gaddafi government was "poor" with numerous, serious abuses.

Among them, it said, were the use of summary judicial proceedings and detentions-without-trial of against domestic political opponents and the torture of prisoners by security forces.

Libya has rejected past criticism of its human rights record as "lies." Its representative on the Human Rights Commission, Najat al-Hajjaji, said Monday the U-S stand set a "bad precedent" by undermining the regional election system.

She said there is no country free of human rights violations and that she is prepared to work with all 53 members of the commission.

Non-governmental human rights groups say they fear Libya's chairmanship will erode the credibility and standing of the U-N commission. (Signed)

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