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The Yahoo Human Rights Fund was intended to support Chinese dissidents imprisoned for their online speech. Instead, a lawsuit alleges that only 4% of the fund’s money went to help former prisoners—and that the onetime tech giant allowed the mismanagement to happen.
The 2009 Durban Review Conference (commonly referred to as Durban II) was the follow-up to the 2001 United Nations World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance held in Durban, South Africa. The 2001 conference was hijacked by nations and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that used it as a platform to criticize Israel and the United States. After trying unsuccessfully to counter those efforts, the U.S. delegation walked out of the 2001 conference.
The Iran Freedom Support Act would extend the authority to imposesanctions on Iran.
Advancing fundamental human rights is a U.S. priority, but the U.N.Human Rights Council has proved to be ineffective. If the councildoes not significantly improve its performance in the coming yearor if abusive states succeed in gutting the council of itseffective elements, the U.S. should sever ties with the council andwithhold financial support.
While advancing fundamental human rights is a U.S. priority, theHuman Rights Council has not proven to be an effective instrumentin addressing and advancing human rights in its inaugural year.