THE U.N. COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS: HEARING AND BRIEFING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON AFRICA, GLOBAL HUMAN OF THE COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED NINTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION APRIL 19, 2005 Serial No. 109-24 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS AUC 01.2005 TRANSFER Printed for the use of the Committee on International Relations Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.house.gov/international_relations 20-782PDF U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS JAMES A. LEACH, Iowa HENRY J. HYDE, Illinois, Chairman CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey, Vice Chairman DAN BURTON, Indiana ELTON GALLEGLY, California THOMAS G. TANCREDO, Colorado DARRELL ISSA, California JO ANN DAVIS, Virginia THADDEUS G. McCOTTER, Michigan J. GRESHAM BARRETT, South Carolina JEFF FORTENBERRY, Nebraska TED POE, Texas TOM LANTOS, California DONALD M. PAYNE, New Jersey BRAD SHERMAN, California WILLIAM D. DELAHUNT, Massachusetts BARBARA LEE, California JOSEPH CROWLEY, New York BETTY MCCOLLUM, Minnesota BEN CHANDLER, Kentucky BRIEFING BY HEARING: THE U.N. COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS: PROTECTOR OR ACCOMPLICE? TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2005 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON AFRICA, GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, Washington, DC. The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 2:06 p.m. in room 2172, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Christopher H. Smith (Chairman of the Subcommittee) presiding. Mr. SMITH. The Subcommittee will come to order and good afternoon everybody. I am pleased to convene this hearing of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations. Today we will be examining the important, highly relevant topic of reform of the United Nations' human rights institutions. The promotion and protection of human rights has been a core task of the United Nations since its founding in 1945. The U.N. Charter created the Economic and Social Council, or ECOSOC, and its subsidiary body, the Commission on Human Rights, and tasked them to make studies and recommendations on social issues, including "the respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all." One of the first tasks of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights was the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, generally recognized as the most authoritative global definition of international human rights, and the foundation for the development and codification of several binding U.N. international human rights treaties. The Preamble of the Universal Declaration stated that, and I quote: "The peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in the fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women . . ." and that "Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms." Fifty-seven years later, it is appropriate and necessary to examine whether the institutions of the United Nations and their functioning are fulfilling not only the goals and founding ideals of the |