March 30, 2011: When Obama took office, officials determined that rejoining the council would serve the administration’s policy of “engagement” with regimes and institutions that do not necessarily reflect American values.
The State Department says the United Nations’ Human Rights Council displays a “biased disproportionate focus on Israel,” but still announced Wednesday that the United States will seek election to a second three-year term of membership on the panel.
Formed in 2006 to replace the old U.N. Commission on Human Rights, the Geneva-based council is intended to serve as the chief vehicle for the promotion and protection of human rights across the globe. But critics have long bemoaned the council’s anti-Israel, sometimes anti-American bent, and wondered how a body that purports to advance human rights can be governed by member states with abysmal human rights records.
Current members include China, Cuba, and Russia, all countries where respect for human rights and rule of law is widely regarded as lacking. Also on the council is Bahrain, a monarchy where security forces have recently engaged in a brutal crackdown on protesters seeking political reforms. Libya was also a member, until its suspension just thirty days ago.
