61st Session U. N. Commission on Human Rights

U.S. Participation in the 61st Session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights

The 2005 meeting of the UN Commission on Human Rights will take place March 14 through April 22 in Geneva, Switzerland. The United States seeks to help the Commission better fulfill its mandate to strengthen human rights and fundamental freedoms around the world.

Consistent with our commitment to promote democracy worldwide, the United States will work with like-minded states to explore ways that the Commission can foster democratic reform. It is important that the Commission take a strong, unified stand against human rights abuses. We will work to build support for resolutions that achieve that objective.

President Bush has nominated former Senator Rudy Boschwitz of Minnesota to head the U.S. delegation to the Commission. Senator Boschwitz served as former President George Bush’s emissary to the Horn of Africa. In this capacity, he was involved in Operation Solomon, which airlifted some 15,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel in 1991. Other delegates include Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Michael G. Kozak, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs Mark P. Lagon, and the U.S. Permanent Representative to the UN and Other International Organizations in Geneva Kevin Edward Moley.

The United States has three public delegates to the 61st Session of the Commission on Human Rights: Ms. Goli Ameri, President of eTinium; Mr. Leonard A. Leo, Executive Vice President of the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies; and, Mr. Lino J. Piedra, Executive Vice President of Griesinger Associates.

For further information, please refer to the U.S. Mission to Geneva website on the Commission on Human Rights, humanright-usa.net.

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Released on March 14, 2005 Press Statement Richard Boucher, Spokesman Washington, DC March 14, 2005