UPDATE: United States seeking a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council.
QUESTION: According to The Washington Post, the Obama Administration has decided to seek a seat on the UN Human Rights Council, reversing a decision by the Bush Administration to shun the UN’s premier rights body to protest the repressive states among its membership.
Do you have anything on that?
MR. DUGUID: We released a statement on this yesterday. I trust that you have seen that.
QUESTION: Yes.
MR. DUGUID: The statement was fairly extensive. And yes, we are going to seek a seat on the Human Rights Council. We believe that by engaging in the council that we can advance the cause of human rights around the globe. This is a part of the active engagement by the Obama Administration, and we look forward to participating in this forum.
QUESTION: Susan Rice, the U.S. Ambassador to the UN, said that this decision was a part of engagement in U.S. foreign policy. Any response to this effect?
MR. DUGUID: I think Ambassador Rice speaks for the Department on this issue, as it is a UN forum. I don’t have anything to add to earlier remarks.
QUESTION: And the last. Any response to the decision which was criticized by the U.S. conservatives who regarded the council as fatally flawed?
MR. DUGUID: I think I’ve explained earlier that we feel that by engaging we can improve the record of the Human Rights Council and we can try and improve human rights around the world by this engagement.
QUESTION: Thank you, sir.
MR. DUGUID: Thank you.
Do you have anything on that?
MR. DUGUID: We released a statement on this yesterday. I trust that you have seen that.
QUESTION: Yes.
MR. DUGUID: The statement was fairly extensive. And yes, we are going to seek a seat on the Human Rights Council. We believe that by engaging in the council that we can advance the cause of human rights around the globe. This is a part of the active engagement by the Obama Administration, and we look forward to participating in this forum.
QUESTION: Susan Rice, the U.S. Ambassador to the UN, said that this decision was a part of engagement in U.S. foreign policy. Any response to this effect?
MR. DUGUID: I think Ambassador Rice speaks for the Department on this issue, as it is a UN forum. I don’t have anything to add to earlier remarks.
QUESTION: And the last. Any response to the decision which was criticized by the U.S. conservatives who regarded the council as fatally flawed?
MR. DUGUID: I think I’ve explained earlier that we feel that by engaging we can improve the record of the Human Rights Council and we can try and improve human rights around the world by this engagement.
QUESTION: Thank you, sir.
MR. DUGUID: Thank you.
Press Conference April 3, 2009: QUESTION: Recently, you announced U.S. is running for a seat on UN Human Rights Council, which Bush Administration opposed to.
MR. WOOD: Right.
QUESTION: Is that decision based on the policy review on Bush Administration’s human right policy?
MR. WOOD: Okay, our – the reason why we have decided to seek election to the Human Rights Council is because after this review – and it was a very thorough review that was undertaken by the Administration – we believe that it’s important to try to promote human rights by being in the council instead of outside. And as Secretary Clinton and President Obama have said, human rights is at the forefront of our foreign policy. And we believe that the only way that we can make the changes that we want to see in the Human Rights Council is to be in that council. And so that was the basis of the decision.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009 3:07 PM
MR. WOOD: Right.
QUESTION: Is that decision based on the policy review on Bush Administration’s human right policy?
MR. WOOD: Okay, our – the reason why we have decided to seek election to the Human Rights Council is because after this review – and it was a very thorough review that was undertaken by the Administration – we believe that it’s important to try to promote human rights by being in the council instead of outside. And as Secretary Clinton and President Obama have said, human rights is at the forefront of our foreign policy. And we believe that the only way that we can make the changes that we want to see in the Human Rights Council is to be in that council. And so that was the basis of the decision.
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This announcement was previously made by the U.S. State Dept.:
East Asia and the Pacific: UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention Calls for Release of Political Prisoners in Burma
From:
"U.S. Department of State" <usstatebpa@subscriptions.fcg.gov>
To:
editor@vietamreview.net
East Asia and the Pacific: UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention Calls for Release of Political Prisoners in Burma
Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:52:44 -0500
UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention Calls for Release of Political Prisoners in Burma
Robert Wood
Acting Department Spokesman, Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
March 24, 2009
The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued opinions today affirming that the continued detentions of Aung San Suu Kyi, Aung Myin, Ko Jimmy, Paw Oo Tun, and Mtay Win Aung are arbitrary and unjustified and that the detention of Aung San Suu Kyi is in contravention of Burma’s own law. The U.N. working group urged the Burmese government to release these individuals immediately.
We are disappointed that the regime continues to ignore the calls of the international community, including the UN Security Council, to release the more than 2,100 political prisoners immediately and unconditionally. We once again urge the Burmese authorities to release all political prisoners and initiate a genuine dialogue that can help move the country forward.
# # #
PRN: 2009/254
We are disappointed that the regime continues to ignore the calls of the international community, including the UN Security Council, to release the more than 2,100 political prisoners immediately and unconditionally. We once again urge the Burmese authorities to release all political prisoners and initiate a genuine dialogue that can help move the country forward.
# # #
PRN: 2009/254
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Keywords:
UNHumanRightsCouncil,
UNHRC,
humanrights,
Burma,
AungSanSuuKyi,
USStateDept,
UnitedNations
