Global Policy Forum

By Stephen Zunes

The United States is understandably angered by it being voted out of the United Nations Human Rights Commission but it is a democratic right of the majority to do this. The United States House of Representatives may not like the decision that is humiliating to the US but the decision has to be accepted in the democratic spirit.

The advocates of democracy and human rights must show by example and deeds that they gracefully respect the wishes of the majority, whether they are rich or poor. It is a travesty of democracy if we extol democratic ideals only if the majority vote for decisions that are acceptable to us. But we cry foul the moment the majority does not go along with us.

It is therefore not fair for the House to react in an extreme manner and punish all the UN members by freezing back payments of dues to the UN. Punitive action through the use of financial muscle to express dismay at a legitimate decision reached by the majority does not speak well of those who pride themselves in advocating democracy and human rights.

Even President George W. Bush, who has described the removal of the US from the UN Human Rights Commission as " outrageous", disagreed with the House of Representatives in withholding the payment of dues to the UN. What is galling is that the House is freezing the payment of dues until the US regains its seat on the Commission. This is a subtle form of backmail which is unlikely to go down well with UN members nor with any right thinking people of the world. The US should not dictate to the commission what it can and cannot do. The US may be the sole remaining superpower in the world but it must face reality and recognise that there are also limits to its influence and power.

The majority of members who voted the US out of the UN Human Rights Commission must have their own good reasons for doing so. The UN members which voted the US out of the commission include European countries which are as equally committed to the cause of human rights in the world as the US. Several reasons have been put forward to explain why the US was voted out of the commission. One is its arrogance and overbearing attitude in pushing for human rights. Other reasons include the anger caused to other nations by its withdrawal from the Kyoto Treaty on global warming and its decision to go ahead with the missile defence shield which could spark off a new arms race.

Instead of severely criticising some other members of the commission and attacking the decision to vote it out, the US could adopt a more constructive approach. What the US can instead do is to humbly take stock of its position, find out where it can make amends and patiently work its way back to the commission by winning back the support of the majority of the members.

The voice of the majority is what finally counts in a democratic institution and if the majority comes around to the US point of view that the commission will be rendered less effective without its participation, then surely the US will be voted into the commission again in future. In the meantime, the US will have to bear with its absence from the commission and continue with its fight for human rights through other channels. Universal human rights is a cause which the US obviously believes in passionately and it should in fact be prepared to go it alone in this noble struggle should this be necessary.