18 March 2003
U.N. Commission on Human Rights Opens Six-Week Session
(U.S. one of the 53 commission members this year) (420)
The 59th session of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights began in
Geneva March 17 and will continue until April 25, the U.S. Mission to
the United Nations in Geneva announced.
A mission news release issued March 18 said the United States is one
of the 53 members of the CHR this year and the delegation is headed by
Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick, a former U.S. permanent representative
to the United Nations.
Among the issues the United States will focus on during the session
will be the human rights situations in Cuba, Iraq and North Korea, the
news release added.
Following is the text of the U.S. Mission's news release:
(begin text)
Commission on Human Rights
The 59th Session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights
(CHR) began today, March 17, and continues through April 25. The
United States is one of the 53 members of the CHR this year, after
being off the Commission in 2002. The Commission is the foremost
international body charged with fostering improvement in the respect
for and the protection of human rights around the world.
The U.S. delegation is headed by Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick, who
currently serves as a Senior Fellow and Director of Foreign and
Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. She
served as the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations with
the rank of Ambassador during the Reagan administration.
The United States will focus on the Commission's work regarding the
protection and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms
embodied in the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights. The United States will seek the adoption of resolutions
dealing with the human rights situations in Cuba, Iraq, North Korea
and other countries. The United States will also introduce a
resolution on Belarus and co-sponsor one on Turkmenistan.
In recent years, the work of the Commission has been compromised by
the efforts of certain member states seeking to deflect scrutiny of
their own human rights records. Increasingly, countries with poor
human rights records have sought membership on the Commission in order
to influence the agenda and protect themselves from criticism. We will
challenge the Commission to live up to its mandate and
responsibilities.
In January, the Commission members selected Libya as the CHR Chair for
2003. The United States vehemently opposed the candidacy of Libya and
will closely monitor the Chair.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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