Zimbabwe and Libya are off. But Azerbaijan, China, Cuba, Jordan, Malaysia, Russia and Saudi Arabia are on. Next year's members include Angola, Egypt, India and Qatar. The Council, like its predecessor, is obsessed with Israel, the most criticised and condemned UN member state in history. Israel has been criticised 15 times since the Council was set up. Four resolutions passed at the June 2008 Human Rights Council meeting criticised Israel: Burma and Sudan got one each.
The Council's stands and resolutions are weakening rather than strengthening human rights at the UN, says one UN official. Meaningful political freedoms are marginalised in favour of nebulous social and economic rights. "Human rights at the UN are under threat because of the Council. It can co-ordinate proposals, it can dictate human rights policies. It's focusing on social and economic rights, and Israel and Palestine. The countries on the Council are much more organised than we expected, especially the Non-Aligned Group's proposals and resolutions."
In March the Council passed a resolution proposed by Islamic countries expressing concern about the defamation of religion, and urging governments to outlaw it. It was adopted 21-10, with the US, Canada and European Union states opposing. The text of the resolution refers to protecting all religions, but the only faith mentioned by name is Islam.
At the same time, varioius Arab and Islamic states are pushing to change the meaning of the term "Anti-Semitism" to argue that it includes prejudice against Arabs, as Arabs are also Semites. This is a subtle and dangerous sophistry, for the word now means exclusively anti-Jewish prejudice.
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