US loses seat on UN Human Rights Commission

The United States has lost the seat it has held for more than half a century on the UN Human Rights Commission.

The US defeat in voting for one of the 53 seats on the commission stunned many diplomats and American officials.

Speculation on why ranged from poor lobbying and the absence of a US ambassador to the United Nations, to US condemnation of rights abuses in China, Cuba and elsewhere.

"It was an election understandably where we're very disappointed," acting US ambassador James Cunningham said after the vote.

"This won't at all, of course, affect our commitment to human rights issues in and outside of the United Nations. We'll continue to pursue them."

Candidates are nominated by regional groups and this year the Western Europe and Others Group had four candidates vying for three seats.

In the balloting at UN headquarters in New York, France got 52 votes, Austria 41 votes, Sweden 32 and the United States 29.

The loss of its seat means the United States will not be able to vote for at least a year on commission resolutions - though it can still initiate and co-sponsor resolutions and lobby other governments to vote a particular way.

Joanna Weschler, UN representative for Human Rights Watch, said there was growing resentment by both Western and developing countries against the United States for voting "on the wrong side of several important human rights initiatives in the last few years".

She cited US opposition to the treaty to abolish land mines, the Bush administration's refusal to ratify the treaty creating an International Criminal Court and its opposition to making Aids drugs available to everyone.