Belarus scolded, Chechnya ignored

An AP report notes that

The UN Human Rights Commission, widely accused of shielding
some governments from criticism, concluded what might be its last
annual meeting Friday with a top UN official calling its performance
"demonstrably deficient.''

During its six-week session, the 53-nation commission condemned human
rights abuses in Belarus, Cuba, North Korea and Myanmar. But it did
not consider potential abuses in Chechnya, China or Zimbabwe.

Louise Arbour, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights,
told the commission at its final session that its performance was
"demonstrably deficient."

"There is something fundamentally wrong with a system in which the
question of the violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms in
any part of the world is answered only by reference to four states,"
said Arbour, a Canadian legal expert.

Other critics say authorities in Russia, China and Zimbabwe — whose
representatives are on the commission — have been shielded from
condemnation. Under UN rules, members are picked by regional groups,
which means that several states which have been criticized for abuses
are on the panel. Countries criticized by the UN body face no
penalties, even though most governments push hard to avoid such censure.

(Via chechnya-sl)