US Finally Distances From UN Human Rights Council

Well,it took a while, but the US State Department finally decided that there's some stuff even it can't stomach.

The United States has decided to essentially walk awayfrom the UN Human Rights Council:

The United States has quietly informed Western allies of its intention to walk away from the U.N. Human Rights Council, diplomatic sources said on Friday.

The U.S. delegation has observer status, with the right to speak, in the 47-member state forum, which meets in Geneva, and has never stood for election to the Council since it was set up two years ago.

Diplomatic sources and rights activists said that U.S. officials had informed the European Union on Friday morning of its intention to halt its involvement in the Council.

“They said they were going to disengage totally,” said one representative of a rights watchdog group.

In a Council debate on Friday on the situation in Myanmar, the United States failed to take the floor on a topic on which until now it has always been vocal, a possible sign that it had little further interest in the body. The Council replaced the widely discredited U.N. Commission on Human Rights.

But it is seen by critics as having fallen under control of a bloc of Islamic and African countries, which have a majority when backed by their frequent allies Russia, China and Cuba.

State Department Spokesmouth Sean McCormack said that U.S. representatives will interact with the U.N. body only when matters of American national interest are involved,noting that it focused on Israel to the exclusion of any other human rights issues.

"Our scepticism regarding the function of the council on human rights in terms of fulfilling its mandate and its mission is well-known. It has a rather pathetic record in that regard,'' he said.

"Instead of focusing on some of the real and deep human rights issues around the world, it has really turned into a forum that seems to be almost solely focused on bashing Israel,'' Mr McCormack said.

Gee, did they expect anything to change? Especially after the UNHRC appointed a special delegation to tour the US and report on human rights abuses?

The UNHRC, like the UN itself is an obscene joke. It amazes me that anyone continues to take it seriously.