Human Wrongs

Remember how the UN earlier this year reformed its so-called Human Rights Commission? The UN replaced it with the re-labeled Human Rights Council, the promise being to put an end to such perversions as Libya three years ago chairing the meetings. Well, in some ways, Libya never left. From a Geneva-based monitoring group, UN Watch, comes a reminder of the Libya connections of the UN Human Rights Council’s Special Rapporteur on the right to food — Swiss socialist, Jean Ziegler. While serving as a UN eminence on food, Ziegler has exalted terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, and urged boycotts of Israel (here is some background on his 2004 letter to Caterpillar, Inc.). But the punch-line is, Ziegler serves as vice-chairman of an outfit that hands out — get ready for this — the lucrative “Moammar Khaddafi Human Rights Prize.” According to UN Watch, this prize was set up by Libya’s dictator in 1989, “with Mr. Ziegler’s help,” and winners have included Louis Farrakhan, Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez. …Ummm, where were we before this tale of UN human-rights endeavors defaulted to the twilight zone? Oh yes, Ziegler is in New York this week to offer the UN General Assembly his expertise on who deserves free food.

… And, speaking of Chavez and the UN General Assembly, the latest news on the contest between Guatemala and Chavez’s Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for a two-year seat on the UN Security Council is that the General Assembly remains deadlocked this evening after four days and 41 rounds of voting. With a two-thirds majority of those voting needed to end this showdown, the good news is that Guatemala remains in the lead. The bad news is that Venezuela in the latest round received 82 votes. In other words, the UN — the same UN that Condi Rice is hoping will cope with nuclear-happy North Korea and Iran — is an outfit where more than 40% of the member states think having Hugo Chavez on the Security Council is a great idea.