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United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon speaking at the UN in New York earlier this month. (Reuters)
Last update - 09:22 21/06/2007
Ban Ki-moon criticizes UN Human Rights Council for singling Israel out
By Reuters

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon joined Western nations on Wednesday in criticizing the world body's own Human Rights Council for "picking on Israel" as part of an agreement on its working rules.

The European Union, Canada and the United States have already attacked the deal reached in Geneva on Monday under which Israel's actions would become a permanent item on the Human Rights Council's agenda.

A UN statement said: "The Secretary-General is disappointed at the council's decision to single out only one specific regional item given the range and scope of allegations of human rights violations throughout the world."
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The statement did not mention Israel or the Palestinian Authority by name.

The 47-nation council was set up by the General Assembly last year to try to improve the UN's image on human rights. It replaced a commission that had been widely criticized for ignoring rights violations in some developing countries.

Alejandro Wolff, deputy U.S. permanent representative at the United Nations, accused the council of "a pathological obsession with Israel" and also denounced its action on Cuba and Belarus. "I think the record is starting to speak for itself," he told journalists.

The Geneva meeting aroused further controversy after Cuba and Belarus, both accused of abuses, were removed from a list of nine special mandates, which included North Korea, Cambodia and Sudan, carried forward from the defunct commission.

The council's charter preserves the watchdog's right to appoint special
investigators for countries whose human rights records are of particular concern, something many developing states have long opposed.

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      1.   So what? 08:24  |  Don Camillo 21/06/07
      2.   At last, a little more Justice. 08:46  |  Dagma 21/06/07
      3.   human rights 08:49  |  colin 21/06/07
      4.   um shmum 08:49  |  DAVID WOLGROCH 21/06/07
      5.   HE DOESN`T KNOW WHAT HE`S DOING 08:53  |  indrajaya 21/06/07
      6.   Ban the Moon 09:28  |  Roland 21/06/07
      7.   Dear Don 09:30  |  Brad 21/06/07
      8.   Indrajaya # 5 09:52  |  ChanahS 21/06/07
      9.   better than kofi 09:54  |  Tina 21/06/07
      10.   The EU and her incredible logic 10:06  |  Swiss (Dino) 21/06/07
      11.   Canada, the inventors of peacekeeping, even agree 10:15  |  Ryan 21/06/07
      12.   I HATE INDRAJAYA 10:15  |  Maria do Rosario 21/06/07
      13.   Haaretz Dating Service - Indrajaya meet Roland 10:16  |  David 21/06/07
      14.   Singling out Israel 10:20  |  Daniel Leopold 21/06/07
      15.   Law of the Brad`s Jungle 10:23  |  alan 21/06/07
      16.   Ban Ki-Moon is No Waldheim! 10:26  |  FOX 21/06/07
      17.   Indrajaya-# 5-I agree with you on this 10:28  |  Daniel Leopold 21/06/07
      18.   Oil speaks 10:28  |  Joseph 21/06/07
      19.   `a pathological obsession with Israel` 10:29  |  Rufus 21/06/07
      20.   Roland-#6 Free Palestine? 10:31  |  Daniel Leopold 21/06/07
      21.   Roland, even if what you say is true... 10:31  |  FOX 21/06/07
      22.   The UN HRC is a joke. 10:41  |  Bernd 21/06/07
      23.   Forgive Me God! I Don`t Know What I`m Saying! 10:42  |  Indrajesus 21/06/07
      24.   #5 Indrajaya 10:43  |  John 21/06/07
      25.   Dino stop being so small minded 10:43  |  FOX 21/06/07
      26.   "Bad moon rising"... 10:43  |  Maureen Ann 21/06/07
      27.   I applaud Ban Ki-moon he is a true leader 10:45  |  Johnny 21/06/07
      28.   Ban Should Dis-ban the Human Rights Council 10:49  |  G. Stark 21/06/07
      29.   David-#11-Promoting Jihadism 10:49  |  Daniel Leopold 21/06/07
      30.   # 2 "unfair and unjust", dagma? 10:52  |  eric 21/06/07
      31.   I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE HIM ADVISE 10:52  |  indrajaya 21/06/07
      32.   # 12, MARIA DE ROSARIO 10:57  |  indrajaya 21/06/07
      33.   # 12, MARIA DE ROSARIO 10:57  |  indrajaya 21/06/07
      34.   # 16, FOX 11:01  |  indrajaya 21/06/07
      35.   It`s a honour to be put as permanent item 11:03  |  Senex 21/06/07
      36.   #5 No - KiMoon is NOT a puppet for the counsil 11:08  |  Kate 21/06/07
      37.   Daniel Leopold (Post No. 14) 11:08  |  Johnny Weintraub 21/06/07
      38.   HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL A PATHETIC JOKE 11:09  |  don 21/06/07
      39.   SG Ban Ki-moon showing leadership 11:10  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 21/06/07
      40.   #1 THE FAKE DON GETS THE MESSAGE 11:13  |  paul harris 21/06/07
      41.   Israel, the Human Rights Council and the (right) dress code 11:13  |  Swiss (Dino) 21/06/07
      42.   FOX - couldn`t have said it better myself 11:14  |  India 21/06/07
      43.   Roland-keeps ya rolling with laughter 11:20  |  For those who hate 21/06/07
      44.   To Roland # 6 - Ban the Moon 11:21  |  Dagma 21/06/07
      45.   # 10 Swiss DINO 11:25  |  Alicia 21/06/07
      46.   Banking Moon 11:27  |  AKH 21/06/07
      47.   # 23, JOHN 11:30  |  indrajaya 21/06/07
      48.   This is an embarrassing indictment of Kofi Annan 11:30  |  Ben 21/06/07
      49.   D.CAMILLO.What have Arabs done with UNresolutions they don`t like 11:34  |  PETER SM 21/06/07
      50.   Ban is trying to save the little credibility that is left. 11:41  |  PETER SM 21/06/07
      51.   # 39, SWISS (DINO) 11:49  |  indrajaya 21/06/07
      52.   spread the word, indrajaya! 11:54  |  johnny 21/06/07
      53.   #6 Roland 11:55  |  JonathanInTelAviv 21/06/07
      54.   D.Leoplod.#5 Keeping the focus on Israel & away from themselves. 12:05  |  PETER.SM 21/06/07
      55.   Monkeys and Africans got mixed with Muslims and 12:08  |  Sal 21/06/07
      56.   # 45 Alicia 12:09  |  Swiss (Dino) 21/06/07
      57.   #41, the problem is not with the skirt 12:09  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 21/06/07
      58.   # 40 Swiss Dino - the Onion of Chastity 12:14  |  Alicia 21/06/07
      59.   # 51 indrajaya 12:19  |  Swiss (Dino) 21/06/07
      60.   United Nations Secretary-General 12:31  |  Even Steven 21/06/07
      61.   #32 Indrajaya who appointed you? 12:34  |  Sarah 21/06/07
      62.   # Swiss (Dino) - In respect to what we have said 12:34  |  Gil 21/06/07
      63.   Well done the Moonster! 12:34  |  Nerys 21/06/07
      64.   spread the word, indrajaya! 12:34  |  JonathanInTelAviv 21/06/07
      65.   # 52, JOHNNY 12:36  |  indrajaya 21/06/07
      66.   "War Crimes in Gaza happen without the Israelis!! 12:37  |  a wandering Jew 21/06/07
      67.   Indrajaya get educated dear 12:39  |  Nerys 21/06/07
      68.   Swiss taxation is a national issue under EU 12:41  |  Johnny 21/06/07
      69.   # 40 # 41 Cipora and Alicia " 3 steps to Israeli felicity" 12:54  |  Swiss (Dino) 21/06/07
      70.   Palestinian PR machine is outdated and lost 12:55  |  ScotGuy 21/06/07
      71.   No other situation in the world 13:07  |  Nerys 21/06/07
      72.   Johnny in Stockholm 13:08  |  Rufus 21/06/07