Irish Examiner view: New UN human rights council members too bizarre

These countries, nearly all shameless, serial human rights offenders, have records that are an affront to the very idea.

Sadly, the UN seems more than capable of shooting itself in the foot through concessions to the most powerful and questionable regimes. 

The return of Spitting Image, the benchmark in TV political satire after 24 years, may be one of the strongest arguments for the re-election of Donald Trump. 

His behaviour, veering between the toxic and the unhinged, would swamp the programme with opportunity.

However, reality intervenes and the programme has an immediate but equally bizarre wellspring to draw from. China, Russia, Cuba, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were expected to be elected to the board of the UN human rights council yesterday. 

These countries, nearly all shameless, serial human rights offenders, may have the power to secure these seats but their records are an affront to the very idea.

One of the best arguments for not re-electing Trump is that he is undermining the international institutions we rely on. Sadly, the UN seems more than capable of shooting itself in the foot through concessions to the most powerful and questionable regimes. 

This process also puts our seat in the UN Security Council in a questionable light.