h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

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shazz

At the 61st session of the UNCHR in Geneva, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced his plan for a standing Human Rights Council 'to evaluate the fulfilment by all states of all their human rights obligations'. Members of the proposed council would be elected by a two-thirds majority of the UN General Assembly.

Mr Annan said that the era of human rights 'declaration' should now give way for a new era of human rights 'implementation'.

The 61st session of the UNCHR has been another farce. Once again, China has escaped censure by the UNCHR, which includes as members such champions of human rights as Nepal, Sudan and Zimbabwe (and China, too, of course!). Canada and Australia are also members, but commitment to human rights in those countries always ends short of putting the chance to make a buck in jeopardy.

I was going to look into this for next week, but I wasn't looking forward to it, as I knew what a farce it would be. Is it better than nothing though?

It's always better than nothing, but only just. I've not really bothered with it this year, to be honest, as past sessions have been so depressing. This proposal by Kofi Annan looks very interesting though. It seems to answer a lot of the grumbling that's been going on about the way things are being run.