S. Korea congratulates U.S. on election to U.N. Human Rights Council

SEOUL, May 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korea congratulated the United States Wednesday
on its first election to the U.N. Human Rights Council, expressing support for
the U.N. body that promotes human rights.
"We would like to congratulate the U.S. for being elected to serve on the council
and express our hope the council will become an effective body to safeguard and
protect human rights around the world," a government official said.
On Tuesday, the U.S. and 17 other countries were elected to a three-year term on
the U.N. council in a vote at the General Assembly. The term starts in June.
The election to the council marked a turnaround from U.S. human rights policy
under the administration of then President George W. Bush, which had distanced
itself from the council and criticized it for being generous to countries accused
of human right violations.
The decision of President Barack Obama's administration to participate in the
council is interpreted as a move to differentiate its human rights policy from
that of its predecessor.
Headquartered in Geneva, the human rights body was formed in 2006 after the U.N.
Commission on Human Rights was reformed.
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