Russ Feingold: “I wish to express my regret that the administration has decided to decline the opportunity for candidacy on the newly…”

“I wish to express my regret that the administration has decided to decline the opportunity for candidacy on the newly formed U.N. Human Rights Council. I supported the creation of the Human Rights Council because I believe that we need to create a system where human rights abusers are held accountable for the atrocities they commit. It was for that same reason that there was overwhelming international support for the creation of the Human Rights Council. In choosing not to join the council, the U.S. Government has signaled its intention to address worldwide human rights abuses unilaterally. This decision will damage U.S. credibility when weighing in on the human rights debates of the future and further isolate the United States from multilateral decisions. Human rights abuses should be addressed through an international strategy to ensure that there are internationally agreed-upon standards to protect all members of society. I am deeply concerned that the administration's decision will undermine our human rights agenda, rather than advance it. I have repeatedly expressed my concern about the approach to the U.N. taken by this administration and am further disappointed by this most recent decision. The U.N. is by no means perfect, but a world without a global human rights body would be a more dangerous one for people everywhere and would serve to undermine fundamental U.S. interests. I urge the administration to reconsider its decision. ____________________”