02 October 2009
United States Working to Bridge Gaps in U.N. Human Rights Council, October 2, 2009
By Stephen Kaufman
Staff Writer
Washington — The first session of U.S. participation in the United Nations Human Rights Council has been “a terrific learning experience,” and although the United States will not always agree with the body’s opinion, “it’s important that we’re in there defending the values we hold dear,” says Esther Brimmer, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for international organization affairs.
Speaking at the State Department October 2, Brimmer highlighted a resolution the United States co-sponsored with Egypt that affirms “the fundamental universal values of freedom of speech, opinion, expression and freedom of the media.”
The measure addresses free speech interference practiced against journalists, writers, Internet users and human rights activists and “confirms the central role of free speech, open debate and the battle of ideas in combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance,” she said.
In co-sponsoring the resolution, the Obama administration “thought it was important to bridge gaps that have appeared in the past in the Human Rights Council, and to bring together Western states, [Organization of the Islamic Conference] member states, and to transcend previous gaps here,” she said. (See “U.S. Emphasizes Freedom of Expression at Human Rights Council.”)
The resolution is significant for setting the norms by which all countries are judged on free speech issues, and Brimmer said the Human Rights Council is also implementing a mechanism known as the Universal Periodic Review that requires all U.N. member states to regularly discuss their human rights records.
Along with reinforcing human rights standards, the resolution and the periodic review will provide support to human rights defenders who can use those standards to “support the human rights they’re trying to claim at home.”
The council’s three week-session, which concluded October 2, also discussed human rights in Burundi and Cambodia, and strengthened the mandate of the U.N.’s independent expert on Somalia. It also adopted a U.S. co-sponsored resolution on judicial independence and passed other measures including resolutions on HIV/AIDS and extreme poverty, Brimmer said.
The United States often has been critical of the Human Rights Council, describing it as a “flawed” institution that spends a disproportionate amount of its time condemning Israel. (See “Obama Administration Seeks Greater Involvement with U.N.”)
The Obama administration did not agree with all of the council’s actions, but “that was not our expectation,” Brimmer said. “We have, however, launched an effort to build new partnerships and strengthen dialogue to transcend some of the common impediments to multilateral effectiveness,” she added.
“It's important that we're in there defending the values we hold dear. That's why we wanted to rejoin the council. We wanted to be part of making the case of why human rights are important, [to] be the ones who are standing up for universality and standing with those who share those values, and we have to be in the body in order to do that,” she said.
Asked about the Goldstone report which reported on alleged Israeli and Palestinian human rights violations during the December 2008-January 2009 violence in Gaza, the assistant secretary said the United States has “serious concerns about the report’s unbalanced focus on Israel, its sweeping factual and legal conclusions, and many of its recommendations.”
However, the report contains “serious allegations” concerning violations of international human rights and humanitarian law which “need follow-up.” Both sides are encouraged to undertake domestic investigations by the report and “look at their responsibilities in that regard,” she said.
Brimmer also said the United States appreciates the U.N.’s decision to defer consideration of the report for an additional six months.
