Chris Smith: “the United Nations Economic and Social Council, ECOSOC, took an action again that raises grave doubts about what kind of…”

“the United Nations Economic and Social Council, ECOSOC, took an action again that raises grave doubts about what kind of organization it is. During the last 6 days, editorial writers all across this country been working overtime to try and explain away the outrageous vote to deprive the U.S. of its seat on the UN Human Rights Commission. As always, they are saying that it was the Kyoto treatment or the criminal court or somehow if we just paid our arrearages a little faster the problem would be solved. These are bogus, false pretenses, Mr. Chairman. The real reason why we have been thrown off the U.N. Human Rights Commission is because they want to silence what is clearly the strongest voice on the Commission in favor of human rights. The U.S. has insisted that the Commission tell the honest and unvarnished truth about human rights violations the world over. Some of the other nations on the commission, such as China, Cuba, Vietnam, Malaysia, Libya, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, and now Sudan, have problems with the truth-- especially at it pertains to human rights. Mr. Chairman, instead of excluding countries from the U.N. Human Rights Commission because they are too strong on human rights, the U.N. should be concerned about excluding governments that routinely engage in torture, extrajudicial killings, rape as an instrument of terror, forced abortions, sterilization, and other kinds of discriminations. I urge a yes vote on the amendment.”