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US elected to UN rights council for first time

By Wang Linyan (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-05-14 07:55

The United States was elected to the UN Human Rights Council for the first time on Tuesday, a move seen by analysts as part of the Obama administration's global re-engagement efforts.

The Bush administration had refused to join the new body, claiming it was not convinced the council represented much of an improvement over its predecessor - the UN Commission on Human Rights - according to the Washington Post.

"We have not been perfect ourselves. But we intend to lead based on the strong, principled vision that the American people have about respecting human rights (and) supporting democracy," US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice was quoted by Reuters as saying.

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Besides the US, 17 other countries were elected or reelected to three-year terms to the council, joining 29 others who are in mid-term. China was re-elected to the council on the same day.

The council, created by the UN General Assembly three years ago, aims to address situations of human rights violations and make recommendations on them.

Not surprised by the shift of the Obama administration's attitude to the council, analysts said the US membership benefits both the country and the rights body.

"It's win-win for both the US and the council," said Jin Canrong, deputy dean of the school of international studies at Renmin University of China.

"On one hand, the US has an important platform to express its human rights principles. On the other hand, the council can be more efficient with the inclusion of the US," Jin said.

Jin, who branded the US entry a "positive development", added that this indicates the Obama administration is more flexible than its predecessor.

Fu Mengzi, a senior researcher at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, said: "It's a step taken by the US to adjust its relationship with the UN. It's also part of Obama's efforts to engage the rest of the world in the bilateral, multilateral and regional framework."