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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