LexisNexis Global

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced yesterday that the United States would seek election to the U.N. Human Rights Council, asserting that human rights are an essential part of U.S. foreign policy. Council elections will be held in mid-May.

If elected as a member, the United States would not have veto power like it possesses in the U.N. Security Council. The Obama Administration will seek to build consensus on the 47-member council without the benefit of this leverage. According to U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice, "The U.S. is seeking election to the Council because we believe that working from within, we can make the council a more effective forum to promote and protect human rights. We hope to work in partnership with many countries to achieve a more effective Council." However, many of the council’s member countries have poor track records when it comes to protecting human rights.

Like its predecessor, the U.N. Commission on Human Rights, the council has been criticized because it allegedly focuses on purported rights abuses by the Israeli military in the Palestinian conflict rather than addressing genocide, war crimes, and human trafficking abuses taking place elsewhere in the world. The council has condemned Israel 16 times yet abandoned scrutiny of Iran for human rights abuses. Because of this perceived politicization of human rights issues, the Bush Administration rejected U.S. membership in the council when it was created in 2006 as a replacement for the commission.

Although joining the council demonstrates the Obama Administration’s commitment to global human rights, it remains to be seen whether membership will be effective. If consensus can be built to address flagrant human rights abuses in places like Sudan, Zimbabwe, China, and Iran, U.S. membership will have created a positive outcome. On the other hand, if the council continues to focus on taking sides in favor of the Palestinians against the Israeli government, U.S. membership will do little to improve human rights while straining relations with a Middle East ally.