Annan tells new UN rights body to “break with past”

June 19, 2006 (GENEVA) — U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan told Monday’s opening session of the new human U.N. rights body, the Human Rights Council, that it must represent a break from the past.

Annan was one of the prime movers behind getting rid of the discredited Commission on Human Rights, the former U.N. forum for tackling rights abuse, where debate and action were hamstrung by a mood a confrontation, often pitting developed against developing countries.

The old 53-state commission had also been packed with countries whose own rights’ records were suspect and which combined to block effective action, rights activists said.

“The eyes of the world — especially the eyes of those whose human rights are denied, threatened or infringed — are turned towards this chamber and this council,” Annan told the new council.

Annan reminded the council, whose 47 members were chosen for the first time by the General Assembly, that they had pledged to “respect human rights at home and uphold them abroad”.

” … the council’s work must mark a clean break from the past,” he said in his address to the opening session.

While some states whose rights’ records have been questioned, such as Cuba, Saudi Arabia, Russia and China won election, others failed or did not even stand.

A host of ministers will be in Geneva to address the council, and much of the initial two-week session will be devoted to planning future work. Unlike the commission, which met annually, the council will meet at least three times a year.

FIRST TEST

Its chairman ambassador Luis Alfonso de Alba of Mexico has set aside time for rights’ crises around the world, which will offer the first test of whether the change is real.

“If we really want to concentrate on building a stronger institution, we need to avoid confrontation as much as possible,” de Alba has said.

“(But) we cannot avoid issues … we need to be very certain that the council is dealing with real issues.”

The Organisation of the Islamic Conference has already made it clear the situation in territories under Israeli military occupation must be discussed.

It also wants a debate on respect for religion following the furore stirred up by the publication last year in some Western countries of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed — something which is abhorrent to Muslims.

European countries have warned they will not allow Israel to be the only one signalled out for censure. Its routine condemnation, in resolutions repeated year after year, symbolised for many the sterility of the old commission.

European diplomats say there will certainly be discussion of Sudan, Myanmar and North Korea, although what form it will take and whether there will be resolutions was not decided.

The U.S.-led war on terrorism and suspected abuse at U.S. detention centres were also likely topics.

But the United States declined to stand for membership, although it has not ruled out a future candidacy, because it said changes to the old commission did not go deep enough.

One of the other key changes is that the rights’ records of all council members will be periodically reviewed.

(Reuters)