US: New UN Human Rights Council has been a failure

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
The United States blasted the new UN Human Rights Council Friday, saying it has failed to address serious human rights violations in its first few months of operation, particularly in the Darfur region of Sudan. In response, Sudan attacked the United States for its human rights record, saying it had no right to judge other countries or the effectiveness of the rights body. The barbs came during the Human Rights Council's first annual report to the General Assembly. The US is not a member of the council, which was created earlier this year to replace the highly politicized and much-maligned UN Human Rights Commission. Miriam Hughes, head of the economic and social development section of the American mission to the UN, criticized the council for a "slow and discouraging start," saying it has "accomplished little that will make a concrete and significant difference in the lives of millions around the world."