As the Human Rights Council conducted its fourth regular session in March in Geneva, B'nai B'rith International urged the Council to better promote human rights by ending its obsession with Israel.

"The United Nations Human Rights Council has had a short, but dubious existence," said B'nai B'rith International Executive Vice President Daniel S. Mariaschin. "In less than a year, the body created to replace the discredited and disgraced U.N. Commission on Human Rights has not been able to improve on its predecessor, and continues to perpetuate disdain for Israel. All this distracts from the vital mission of the Human Rights Council – to promote and protect universal human rights."

So far, the Council has convened three special sessions, adopted five resolutions, and three decisions – all to condemn Israel. Meanwhile, there has been only one watered-down resolution on Darfur, which Sudan prevented from being fully implemented.

The Human Rights Council has been hijacked from its original, much-needed mission. Israel is being used to distract those on the Council who might wish to address real international human rights issues. We demand that human rights standards be applied universally and that the Council work toward an effective and uniform measure of reviewing countries' human rights performance. Countries' human rights records should serve as basic criteria for membership on the Council.

It is inconceivable that while global human rights atrocities continue, while women are not allowed to congregate publicly in Iran, genocide continues in Darfur, and North Koreans starve to death, the council focuses so much of its efforts exclusively on Israel.

Further, countries should maintain the special procedure system where experts report on various countries and human rights-related themes. These experts should be selected on the basis of specific criteria, such as expertise in their fields, independence from any governmental influence, and demonstrated impartiality and integrity.

As a non-governmental organization deeply involved in the U.N. since its inception, B'nai B'rith International is in a strong position to effect positive change. Our annual delegation to the Council consists of a team of more than a dozen members from eight countries, is led by B'nai B'rith International President Moishe Smith, and organized by the BBI permanent office in Geneva.