TALKING POINTS: programs/intl_instit/latest_news/HRC_letter_SecRice.html"> HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

Last year, Kofi Annan proposed a new Human Rights Council to replace the old Commission on Human Rights, which has long suffered from what he called a "credibility deficit." The U.S. joined with other nations and NGOs to support Annan's vision. Now, the U.S. is threatening to oppose what it views as a "glass half empty" version of the Council. For the Council - and UN reform - to be successful, we need more from the U.S.

• The proposed Human Rights Council is a step forward.
  The Council lays out criteria for membership, requires that all members be scrutinized, and will meet year-round in order to respond to crises in real-time. It should accept the body as it stands and then work with allies to seek further improvements and help it protect human rights.

• How did we get here? Dysfunctional diplomacy.
  Improvement as it is, the Council could have been much better if it were not for Ambassador John Bolton, who has lobbied over 70 editorial boards but missed 29 of 30 early negotiating sessions on the Council. Amb. Bolton consistently ignored instructions and promoted his own far out ideas. As a result, important and easily achievable U.S. goals for the Council were derailed.

• The administration needs to get its act together.
  After eight months of negotiations, the U.S. still has not clearly communicated its priorities for the Human Rights Council. With important issues like terrorism, management reform, Iran, and Darfur coming up fast on the UN agenda, the administration must articulate a plan to succeed. For it to work, everyone from Bush to Bolton must be on the same page.

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