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Zimbabwe Re-Elected To U.N. Human Rights Commission.

The United States needs a forceful individual like John Bolton at the United Nations, now more than ever.

This week, Zimbabwe was re-elected to the United Nations Human Rights Commission:

The U.N. Economic and Social Council Wednesday elected 15 countries to the Human Rights Commission. Among the four chosen by the African group was Zimbabwe, whose leader Robert Mugabe is under U.S. and European sanctions.

The selection drew immediate objections from several countries, including the United States, Canada and Australia.

We recently profiled the egregious record of Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe; Zimbabwe's re-election to the UN Human Rights Commission only adds to the already-ample body of evidence that the United Nations needs major reform, and it needs it A.S.A.P.

Zimbabwe is not the only country with a less-than-stellar human rights record retained on the Human Rights Commission. China and Venezuela both preserved their seats.

Freedom House asserted:

"Once again, the already tattered credibility of the Commission on Human Rights has been severely compromised," said Freedom House Executive Director Jennifer Windsor. "The government of Zimbabwe under President Robert Mugabe ranks among the most egregious violators of human rights in the world. It has no place at the Commission's table, which should be reserved for governments that honor and respect their citizens," she said.

The United Nations is a broken institution, with rapidly diminishing credibility. A strong and moral UN, one that can effectively promote liberty around the globe, is in the best interests of the United States. Today's United Nations is a den of tyrants, increasingly marginal, increasingly irrelevant, and increasingly on the wrong side of history. That Zimbabwe could remain on the Human Rights Commission is a testament to just how upside-down the United Nations has become.

It's time for the Senate to stop the pusillanimous dilly-dallying on John Bolton's confirmation as US ambassador to the UN. President Bush put it bluntly in his press conference:

“See, the U.N. needs reform. If you're interested in reforming the U.N., like I'm interested in reforming the U.N., it makes sense to put somebody who's skilled and who is not afraid to speak his mind at the United Nations.”

Let's get 'er done.

UPDATE:

Great comments from Victor Davis Hanson:

...the disdain that European utopians, Arab dictatorships, the United Nations, and Mexico exhibit toward the United States is not — as the Kerry campaign alleged in the last election — cause for tears, but often reason to be proud, since much of the invective arises from the growing American insistence on principles abroad.

America should not gratuitously welcome such dislike; but we should not apologize for it either. Sometimes the caliber of a nation is found not in why it is liked, but rather in why it is not.

Indeed, how fortunate are we to have dodged the "global test" bullet last November?

More:

Publius Pundit notes that Secretary Rice is seeking the end of political tyranny worldwide at the Community of Democracies meeting in Chile:

"...tyranny is a crime of man, not a fact of nature. Our goal must always be the elimination of tyranny in our world."

Well-put.

UPDATE:

Mark Noonan has more:

It's like electing Al Capone police commissioner.

Yeah, pretty much.

Posted by Will Franklin · 29 April 2005 01:36 PM

Comments

Posted by: Ralph at April 29, 2005 01:47 PM

Posted by: Beverly at April 30, 2005 11:23 AM

Posted by: Zsa Zsa at April 30, 2005 12:09 PM

Posted by: Zsa Zsa at May 1, 2005 10:57 AM