H.Res.557 - Strongly condemning the United Nations Human Rights Council for ignoring severe human rights abuses in various countries, while choosing to unfairly target Israel by including it as the only country permanently placed on the Council's agenda.110th Congress (2007-2008)
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Agreed to in House
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Shown Here: Engrossed in House (09/25/2007)
H. Res. 557
In the House of Representatives, U.
S.,
September 25, 2007.
Whereas Article II of Chapter I of the United Nations
Charter states that “[t]he Organization is based on the principles of
sovereign equality of all its members”;
Whereas the former United Nations Human Rights Commission
was widely discredited for its incessant attacks against Israel and for
granting membership to Cuba, Zimbabwe, China, Saudi Arabia, and other countries
that were notorious human rights violators;
Whereas the United Nations General Assembly voted
overwhelmingly to adopt a resolution establishing the United Nations Human
Rights Council, stating that “members elected to the Council shall uphold
the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human
rights”;
Whereas the resolution also stated that “the Council
shall be responsible for promoting universal respect for the protection of all
human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction of any kind
and in a fair and equal manner”;
Whereas China, Cuba, and Saudi Arabia are members of the
United Nations Human Rights Council;
Whereas in the past year that the United Nations Human
Rights Council has been in existence, the Council has held four special
sessions to address pressing human rights situations;
Whereas of the four special sessions, three sessions were
held for purposes of condemning Israel for alleged human right abuses in the
West Bank and Gaza Strip, and in Lebanon, and the fourth session was a
non-condemnatory expression of “concern” regarding the situation
in Darfur, Sudan;
Whereas the United Nations Human Rights Council has failed
to condemn serial abusers of human rights throughout the world, including Iran,
Syria, North Korea, Cuba, China, Zimbabwe, Venezuela, and others;
Whereas, on June 19, 2007, a Department of State
spokesperson specifically identified Burma, Cuba, North Korea, Zimbabwe, and
Belarus as countries that merit consideration by the United Nations Human
Rights Council due to their “serious human rights
violations”;
Whereas during its fifth special session, the United
Nations Human Rights Council voted to make Israel the only country permanently
included on its agenda; and
Whereas United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon
stated he was “disappointed at the Council’s decision to single out only
one specific regional item, given the range and scope of allegations of human
rights violations throughout the world”: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of
Representatives—
(1) strongly condemns the United Nations Human
Rights Council for ignoring severe human rights abuses in other countries,
while choosing to unfairly target the State of Israel;
(2) strongly urges the United Nations Human
Rights Council to remove Israel from its permanent agenda;
(3) strongly urges the United Nations Human
Rights Council to hold special sessions to address other countries in which
human rights abuses are being committed, adopt real reform as was intended for
the Council when it replaced the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, and
reaffirm the principle of human dignity consistent with the original intent
envisioned at the Council’s establishment;
(4) strongly urges the United States to make
every effort in the United Nations General Assembly to ensure that the United
Nations Human Rights Council lives up to its mission to protect human rights
around the world, in accordance with United Nations General Assembly Resolution
60/251 establishing the Council; and
(5) strongly urges the United States to work
with the United Nations General Assembly to ensure that only countries that
have a well-established commitment to protecting human rights are chosen to
serve on the Council.