Discredited UN human rights body voted out

The UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly yesterday to replace its discredited human rights body with a new Human Rights Council, ignoring US objections that not enough was done to prevent abusive countries from becoming members.

Ambassadors from most of the 191 UN member states burst into sustained applause when General Assembly President Jan Eliasson, announced the results of the vote: 170 in favour, four against, and three abstentions.