The UN Hits Bottom

[Buff]

The pathetic joke known as the “UN Human Rights Commission” has descended to a new low, as the country of Sudan, a hellhole of genocidal murder and unrepentant slavery, is assured a seat on the commission.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - African nations have ensured that Sudan gets a seat on the chief U.N. human rights watchdog and angered rights groups who want more liberal democracies to win a place.

Fourteen vacant seats will be filled on Tuesday and on Wednesday for the 53-nation U.N. Human Rights Commission. Many have been decided by regional groups before the voting in the Economic and Social Council in New York.

Sudan has been the target of worldwide criticism, including an expression of concern from the Geneva-based commission in late April. It has been accused of backing Arab militia destroying villages, raping and killing black Africans in the Darfur region.

“A government that engages in wholesale abuses of its citizens should not be eligible for a seat at the table, especially a country just criticized by the commission,” said Joanna Weschler, U.N. delegate for Human Rights Watch, one of 10 advocacy groups that issued a protest statement.

“This is a major credibility test of the regional bloc structure at the United Nations in terms of how it nominates candidates for key U.N. posts,” Weschler said.

In the African regional group, which rotates candidacies for commission posts, Sudan, Guinea and Togo — all called undemocratic by the rights groups — will be filling seats on the commission. A fourth will go to Kenya.

Last edited by Buff at May 4 2004, 02:45 PM

[Rolo]

Sudan in UN Human Rights Commission is a joke, but the sad thing is that there are more non-democratic countries vs. truly democratic countries in the world - unfortunally this also shows in the UN. However good thing is that democracy is winning - it is expanding...

There are about 85 countries in the world representing 38 percent of the global population who are free, democratic, lawful and respectful of human rights. The numbers are growing fast - just look at the 20th century, when democracy took off, and think 100 years from now... countries like Sudan will be fewer and fewer...

If we can keep the UN alive for the next 50 years, then we might see the day, when a democratic globe solve its issues in civilized manners via the UN... and maybe, just maybe - this could leave the globle to real world peace...

[Almighty Colin]

Originally posted by Rolo@May 4 2004, 05:02 PM
There are about 85 countries in the world representing 38 percent of the global population who are free, democratic, lawful and respectful of human rights. The numbers are growing fast - just look at the 20th century, when democracy took off, and think 100 years from now... countries like Sudan will be fewer and fewer...

And the numbers are a lot higher if you just count electoral democracies. About 2/3. And if you don't like sentences that starts with a preposition, fuck off.

[RawAlex]

and the basis of the UN is that everyone gets a turn in many positions, although many of those positions are ceremonial or short lived. They have worked very hard to be too fair to too many people, but in the end, it is the only place where the world does meet. Everyone else, they just shoot.

Alex

[Almighty Colin]

Originally posted by RawAlex@May 5 2004, 08:20 AM
and the basis of the UN is that everyone gets a turn in many positions, although many of those positions are ceremonial or short lived. They have worked very hard to be too fair to too many people, but in the end, it is the only place where the world does meet. Everyone else, they just shoot.

Alex

Alex,

We agree!

I think it's good there is a place "where the world meets".