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The United States loses seat on UN rights commission
( 05/04/2001 ) ( Agencies )

The UN Human Rights Commission will lose strength as an institution with the United States absent, the State Department said Thursday, after the United States lost its seat on the commission.
"We are greatly disappointed," State Department spokeswoman Susan Pittman said, following the surprise outcome of the vote at United Nations headquarters in New York.

"We continue to believe that the commission on human rights is an important forum for the discussion of human rights, but unfortunately will not be as strong an institution without the US as a voting member," Pittman added.

About one third of the commission's 53 members are elected each year for three-year terms.

All but one of the 54 members of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) took part in the vote.

Four countries were competing for three seats in the group that represents Western European and associated countries. France obtained 52 votes, Austria received 41, Sweden received 32 and the United States came in last with 29.

"Our commitment and resolve to address human rights problems around the world is a matter of US policy," the State Department spokeswoman said. "It will not be affected by the vote," she added.

The defeat of the United States leaves Russia and India as the only two countries to have had uninterrupted membership of the Human Rights Commission since 1947.



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