| BRVC Board Supports UN Human Rights Council |  |
At its March 12 meeting the Blue Ridge Virginia Chapter took a position of support for the current form of the new UN Human Rights Council. The position appears below in the copy of the letter sent to the president. Similar letters were sent to Secretary of State Rice, UN Ambassador Bolton, Senators Warner and Allen, and Congressmen Goode, Cantor and Goodlatte.
In the recent positive vote by the UN General Assembly to approve the new Council, the U.S. voted against the Council since it did not meet all of the administration's recommendations. The UNA-USA, however, urged support for the Council, which led the BRVC Board to take its position.
President George W. Bush The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 March 18, 2006 Dear Mr. President,On behalf of the Blue Ridge Virginia Chapter of the United Nations Association of the USA, I am writing to strongly encourage the administration to support the new Human Rights Council just approved by the U.N. General Assembly.
Despite the recent U.S. vote against the Council in the General Assembly, we welcome the U.S. government's stated commitment to helping fund the Council and to working cooperatively with other member states to strengthen the Council in the future.
The protection of human rights has been a core function of the UN since the inception of the organization, and is a key determinant in the promotion of global security and development. The proposed Human Rights Council will enhance the capacity of the UN and the international community to promote and protect human rights around the globe.
The draft framework for the Human Rights Council that has been approved by the General Assembly contains several significant improvements over the U.N. Commission on Human Rights. In order to be selected to the new Council, prospective members would need the support of a majority of all 191 UN member states -- not just those participating in the voting. This important provision will make it much less likely that serious offenders of human rights will be elected to the new body, which is a problem that plagues the existing Commission on Human Rights. Once elected, members of the new Human Rights Council are subject to suspension if they commit serious human rights violations. In addition, the new Council would periodically review the human rights records of all UN member states, beginning with those of its own members. Finally, the Human Rights Council would meet throughout the year, as opposed to the Commission's current single six-week annual session.
We believe that the Human Rights Council just approved by the General Assembly will represent a substantial improvement over the Commission on Human Rights, and deserves the firm and active support of the United States. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely, Helen B. Reynolds, President, Blue Ridge Virginia Chapter, United Nations Association of the USA