ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL ELECTS MEMBERS OF HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, OTHER SUBSIDIARY BODIES

Economic and Social Council

2003 Organizational Session

9^th Meeting (AM)

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL ELECTS MEMBERS OF HUMAN RIGHTS

COMMISSION, OTHER SUBSIDIARY BODIES

The Economic and Social Council this morning filled vacancies on a number of its subsidiary bodies, including the Commission on Human Rights, to which it elected 24 members.

Elected by acclamation to the Commission on Human Rights were Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Mauritania, South Africa, Hungary, Russian Federation, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras and Peru. 

Bhutan, India, Nepal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Italy, the Netherlands and United Kingdom were elected after one round of secret balloting, while Indonesia was elected on the second ballot.

Speaking at the end of the meeting, the United States representative said Cuba’s election to the Commission on Human Rights was an outrage, to which his Government objected in the strongest terms.  He could not but wonder if the choice was merely an example of thoughtless power-sharing.  Simply put, Cuba had the worst human rights record in the hemisphere.  Its nomination to the Commission on Human Rights symbolized the Commission’s regrettable decline in international prestige, relevance and authority.

Responding, Cuba’s representative noted the huge prison population in the United States.  Also, the United States was a country of soft money and so-called interest groups.  It was a country, he noted, where corporate corruption was rampant.  He recalled that the United States had not been elected to the Commission two years ago.

Among other actions this morning, the Council extended the mandate of the existing members of the Board of Trustees of the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women and postponed the election of five members to the Board until the Council takes action, at its substantive session in July, on the recommendations of the Working Group on the future operations of the Institute.  The Working Group had recommended that the present Board be abolished and consideration be given to replacing it with an advisory board composed of member States. 

Elections, Appointments and Nominations

The Council completed its Statistical Commission by electing, by acclamation, Cape Verde and Kenya from the African States; Iran and Republic of Korea from the Asian States; Cuba from the Latin American and Caribbean States;

and the United States from the Western European and other States.  They will all serve four-year terms beginning on 1 January 2004. 

Since the number of candidates from Eastern European States was more than the number of vacancies, the Council proceeded to elect, by secret ballot, two members from that group.  Croatia and Ukraine were elected following one round of balloting. 

The Council then elected, also by acclamation, the following countries, to the Commission on Population and Development for a four-year term beginning on
1 January 2004:  Kenya, Libya and Madagascar from the Group of African States; Japan from the Group of Asian States; and France and the Netherlands from the Group of Western European and other States.

The Council postponed the election on one member from Asian States, one member from Eastern European States and one member from the Latin American and Caribbean States for the same term.

There were also three additional vacancies carried over from previous elections.  In the Asian States Group, there remain two vacancies for a term beginning on the date of election and expiring on 31 December 2005.  In the Latin American and Caribbean States Group, there remains one vacancy for a term beginning on the date of election and expiring on 31 December 2004. 

Following that, the Council elected 14 members to the Commission for Social Development for a four-year term of office beginning at the initial meeting, in 2004, of the Commission’s forty-third session and expiring at the close of the Commission’s forty-sixth session in 2008.  They were:  Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Mali and Tunisia from the Group of African States; Japan, Indonesia and Republic of Korea from the Group of Asian States; Russian Federation from the Group of Eastern European States; Chile, Haiti and Peru from the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States; and France, Germany and United States from the Group of Western European and other States. 

The Council postponed to a later stage the election of one member from Eastern European States for the same term of office.

As the Council proceeded to the election of the 24 members of the Commission on Human Rights for a three-year term beginning on 1 January 2004, it elected, by acclamation, Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Mauritania and South Africa from the Group of African States; Hungary and Russian Federation from the Group of Eastern European States; and Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras and Peru from the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States.

Since there were more candidates from the Groups of Asian and Western European and other States than there were vacancies, the elections of those candidates were taken by secret ballot.  The Council elected Bhutan, India, Nepal, Qatar and Saudi Arabia from Asian States after the first round of balloting.  Indonesia was elected on the second ballot. Italy, Netherlands and United Kingdom were elected after one round of balloting from the Group of Western European and other States. 

Ten members of the Commission on the Status of Women were then elected without a vote for a four-year term beginning at the initial meeting, in 2004, of the Commission’s forty-ninth session and expiring at the close of the Commission’s fifty-second session in 2008.  Ghana and Mauritius were elected from the Group of African States; China and Kazakhstan from the Group of Asian States; Hungary from the Group of Eastern European States; Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Suriname from Latin American and Caribbean States; and Iceland and United States from the Group of Western European and other States.

The Council then proceeded to elect 33 members to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs for a four-year term beginning on 1 January 2004, including the following:  Algeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Madagascar, Sudan, Uganda, Zambia from the Group of African States; India, Iran, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, United Arab Emirates from the Group of Asian States; Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Hungary from the Group of Eastern European States; and Austria, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and United States from the Group of Western European and other States.

Since the number of candidates from the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States were more than the number of vacancies, the Council proceeded to elect six members by secret ballot.  Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Guatemala and Peru were elected after one round of balloting.

For the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, 20 members were elected, without a vote, for a three-year term beginning on 1 January 2004:  Botswana, Burundi, Egypt and Nigeria from the Group of African States; India, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Thailand from the Group of Asian States; Czech Republic and Ukraine from the Group of Eastern European States; Brazil, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico and Paraguay from Latin American and Caribbean States; and Canada, Finland, United Kingdom and United States from Western European and other States.

In addition, the Council elected Turkey to complete Germany’s term of office on the Commission, which ends on 31 December 2005.

To membership in the Commission on Sustainable Development, the Council then elected, by acclamation, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Ghana and Sierra Leone from the Group of African States; Iran, Kazakhstan, Pakistan and Qatar from the Group of Asian States; Georgia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia from Eastern European States; Brazil, Colombia and Paraguay from the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States; and Austria, Finland, France and Luxembourg from Western European and other States.  Those countries will serve for three-year terms beginning at the organizational meeting of the Commission’s thirteenth session in 2004 and expiring at the close of its fifteenth session in 2007.

For the Commission on Science and Technology for Development, Turkey was elected for a term beginning today and expiring on 31 December 2006.  Two vacancies from the same group for terms beginning on the date of election and expiring on 31 December 2004, and one vacancy from the same group for a term beginning on the date of election and expiring on 31 December 2006 still remain to be filled. 

As it went on to conduct elections to the Committee for Programme and Coordination, the Council nominated, by acclamation, Comoros and Zimbabwe from African States; Russian Federation from Eastern European States; Bahamas and Mexico from Latin American and Caribbean States; and France and United States from Western European and other States.  Concerning one postponed vacancy for a term beginning on the date of election and expiring on 31 December 2005, the Council nominated Canada from the Western European and other States.

Burundi, Nigeria and Tunisia were elected from the African States to serve on the Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting for a three-year term beginning on 1 January 2004. 

The Council postponed the election of the remaining 10 vacancies, namely one from African States, four from Asian States, two from Eastern European States, and three from Latin American and Caribbean States.

Also, there were still 13 additional vacancies on the Working Group, which had been carried over from previous elections.  There was one vacancy from the Eastern European States and one from Latin American and Caribbean States for terms beginning on the date of election and expiring on 31 December 2003.

Likewise, there were the following vacancies for terms beginning on the date of election and expiring on 31 December 2005:  one from African States, two from Asian States, two from Latin American and Caribbean States, and six from Western European and other States.

The election of 24 experts to the Committee for Development Policy for three-year terms beginning on 1 January 2004 was postponed.

Fourteen members of the Executive Board of the United Nations Children’s Fund were elected by acclamation, for three-year terms beginning on
1 January 2004:  Algeria, Burundi, Djibouti, Malawi and Senegal from African States; Bangladesh, Lebanon and Myanmar from Asian States; Belarus from Eastern European States; El Salvador from Latin American and Caribbean States; and Austria, Denmark, Italy and Sweden from Western European and other States.

The Council also elected France to complete Germany’s term through
31 December 2005; Norway to complete Ireland’s term of office ending
31 December 2004; and Japan to complete Luxembourg’s term of office through
31 December 2004.

Following the decision by the General Assembly to expand the Executive Committee of the Programme of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Council elected, by acclamation, Cyprus, Kenya and Yemen as new members.

Also, the Council’s attention was drawn to a letter from Egypt, contained in document E/2003/3, regarding further enlargement of the Executive Committee.  The Council would consider that request at its substantive session in July, when it would take action on a draft decision submitted by Egypt in document E/2003/L.4.

Fourteen members of the Executive Board of the United Nations Development Programme/United Nations Population Fund were elected by acclamation:  Botswana, Cameroon, Congo, Eritrea and Gambia from African States; China, Indonesia and Iran from Asian States; Poland from Eastern European States; Cuba from Latin American and Caribbean States; and Denmark, Germany, Netherlands and Sweden from Western European and other States.  They will serve three-year terms beginning on
1 January 2004.

Senegal from African States; India and Pakistan from Asian States; and Russian Federation from Eastern European States were elected to the Executive Board of the World Food Programme for a three-year term beginning on
1 January 2004.  The Council postponed the election of two members from Western European and other States for the same term.

The following countries were elected to the Committee for the United Nations Population Award for three-year terms beginning on 1 January 2004:  Algeria and Kenya from African States; Bangladesh from Asian States; Peru from Latin American and Caribbean States; and the Netherlands from Western European and other States. 

The Council postponed the election of one member from African States, one member from Asian States, one member from Eastern European States and two members from Latin American and Caribbean States for the same term. 

There were also three leftover vacancies, which were not filled at previous elections.  They were:  two from Asian States and one from Latin American and Caribbean States.  All three terms of office expire on 31 December 2003.

For the Programme Coordination Board of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the Council elected, by acclamation, Cape Verde and Swaziland from African States; China and Japan from Asian States; Czech Republic from Eastern European States; Bahamas from Latin American and Caribbean States; and Netherlands, Switzerland and United Kingdom from Western European and other States, for a three-year term beginning on 1 January 2004.

For the Governing Council of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, the Council elected, by acclamation, 18 members for a four-year term beginning on 1 January 2004:  Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Swaziland from the Group of African States; India, Jordan, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka from Asian States; Belarus and Bulgaria from the Group of Eastern European States; Costa Rica, Mexico and Paraguay from Latin American and Caribbean States; and Germany, Spain and Greece from the Group of Western European and other States.

The election of one member from the Western European and other States was postponed. 

Statements

SICHAN SIV (United States) said the election of Cuba to the Commission on Human Rights was an outrage to which the United States objected in the strongest terms.  The United States could not but wonder if the choice was merely an example of thoughtless power-sharing made without any reference to what should be the lofty purpose represented by the Commission.  Simply put, Cuba had the worst human rights record in the hemisphere.  Its nomination to the Commission on Human Rights symbolized the Commission’s regrettable decline in international prestige, relevance and authority.

He recalled that while the Commission was in session this year, with Cuba sitting as a member, the Cuban authorities rounded up 78 opposition leaders, independent journalists and librarians.  Summary trials were held and they were sent to prison for terms of up to 28 years.  The Cuban Government also arrested three alleged hijackers and shot them to death within a week of incarceration. 

There was no real trial, no appeal and no justice.  Those heinous acts were in keeping with a regime that had not had a free election for over 40 years.

He said that the Commission, to its credit, and despite the strongest efforts of the Cuban Government, had repeatedly passed resolutions on human rights in Cuba. It had called on Cuba to accept a visit by a personal representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.  Cuba had rejected the validity of those resolutions and refused a visit.  The United States supported the candidacies of countries with strong human rights records, he said.

BRUNO RODRIGUEZ PARRILLA (Cuba) said that the United States had a penal population of more than 2 million; and 2,000 prisoners had no access to counsel.  Minors and the mentally ill were among those who were executed in State prisons.  United States authorities were holding prisoners in Guantanamo Bay in inhuman conditions which were against international humanitarian law.  They were subjected to psychological torture.  Three children were among prisoners being held there, he said.  The prisoners had not been told of their rights.

He said there was political corruption in the United States, and referred to the electoral fraud in Miami.  The United States was a country of soft money and so-called interest groups.  It was a country where corporate corruption was rampant.  He recalled that the United States had not been elected to the Commission two years ago.

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