Matarr,
No country has a clean or perfect human rights record. After all, we are
talking about the real world, run by real people. A clean record on human
rights is what countries should strive towards. Some countries (e.g. USA &
Sweden) have done more than others (e.g. Libya & Saudi Arabia) in getting
towards this goal. Therefore some countries, because of their progress, have
more legitimacy on human rights issues than others. So, it follows that
Libya has no business sitting on a UN human rights commission.

Ousman


>From: Matarr Amadou Sallah <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing >
>Ousman
>I share your views. My question is how many of those countries have a clean
>human rights records?
>
>Matarr
>
>
>
>
>
>
>>From: Ousman Gajigo <[log in to unmask]>
>>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
>><[log in to unmask]>
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: UN and AU Joke
>>Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 13:54:31 -0800
>>
>>Folks,
>>If you were ever wondering how seriously the new African Union is going to
>>be taken, all you have to do is read this story from the AP (in the NY
>>times). Of all African leaders who could be nominated to head the UN human
>>rights watchdog, the AU selected Ghaddafi. If Lybia is the is the bastion
>>of
>>human rights and democracy on the continent, then we have a long way to
>>go.
>>I guess his checks to our corrupt leaders had to be repaid soon.
>>
>>Ousman
>>
>>Libyan Elected Head of U.N. Rights Panel
>>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
>>
>>
>>Filed at 3:48 p.m. ET
>>
>>GENEVA (AP) -- The United Nations' human rights watchdog elected a Libyan
>>diplomat Monday as this year's president, overriding objections from the
>>United States that the country's ``horrible'' record disqualifies it for
>>such a post.
>>
>>Riding on a wave of African solidarity, Libyan ambassador Najat Al-Hajjaji
>>received votes from 33 countries in her bid to chair the 53-member U.N.
>>Human Rights Commission for its annual session starting in March.
>>
>>The United States and two other nations voted against her, and 17
>>abstained.
>>
>>``It is especially sad today when America celebrates the birthday of
>>Martin
>>Luther King, a champion of human rights, that a nation which flaunts human
>>rights abuses would be elected chair,'' U.S. Ambassador Kevin E. Moley
>>told
>>reporters.
>>
>>``It is not appropriate for a nation under U.N. sanctions -- a nation with
>>the horrible human rights record that Libya has -- to be chairman of this
>>commission.''
>>
>>To oppose the nomination, the United States had to break with the
>>half-century U.N. tradition of sharing such jobs on a rotating basis among
>>regional groups. Whereas previously each group's choice was accepted by
>>acclamation, the United States insisted Monday on a vote.
>>
>>``It is regrettable that the United States opted for this method,'' said
>>South African Ambassador Sipho George Nene. ``The previous, reliable
>>practice has been violated.''
>>
>>The African Union put forward the Libyan choice as one of its first
>>decisions last year.
>>
>>Al-Hajjaji said the U.S. move set ``a bad precedent'' because it
>>undermined
>>respect for the regional groupings and worsens divisions in the world by
>>labeling countries as ``bad guys or good guys.''
>>
>>``I don't think there is any country free of human rights violations,''
>>she
>>said.
>>
>>In a gesture of reconciliation, the African group accepted the Libyan
>>ambassador's appeal and withdrew a demand for a tit-for-tat vote on a
>>nomination of a member of the Western group to another post on the
>>commission.
>>
>>``I will be in a position to cooperate with all the members of the
>>commission,'' Al-Hajjaji told reporters later. ``I will be the chair of
>>all
>>participants here.''
>>
>>Yaakov Levy, Israeli Ambassador to U.N. offices in Geneva, said the
>>selection marked a ``descent to a new low in the credibility of the work
>>of
>>the Human Rights Commission.''
>>
>>Although the ballot was secret, the United States immediately told
>>reporters
>>it had voted against her. Canada had already signaled it would join with
>>the
>>United States. Observers said Guatemala also voted against, although there
>>was no immediate confirmation.
>>
>>Although European nations were dismayed at the nomination, they chose to
>>abstain. Diplomats said this was because Europe didn't want to alienate
>>Africa and other developing countries and undermine the commission's work.
>>
>>Al-Hajjaji once held the post of vice president, and western diplomats
>>said
>>there were no problems with her impartiality. As president, she would be
>>able to wield some influence over the commission's six-week long meeting,
>>which examines human rights abuses around the world.
>>
>>Moley said the Libyan government continues to commit serious violations.
>>
>>Its leader, Moammar Gadhafi, ``has detained political opponents for years
>>without trial,'' Moley said. ``Security forces torture and mistreat
>>prisoners. Arbitrary arrests are used to suppress domestic opposition.''
>>
>>The United States and its allies want Libya to accept responsibility for
>>the
>>1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over the Scottish village of Lockerbie
>>and
>>to pay compensation to families of the victims.
>>
>>The U.N. Security Council imposed sanctions against Libya because of the
>>Lockerbie attack, but suspended them several years ago.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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