Libya's election as chair of the UN Human Rights Commission troubles Western human rights groups, writes Gamal Nkrumah The omens look good for Libya. The North African country has, to Washington's chagrin, scored big on the international arena. In a secret ballot for the position of chair of the United Nations Human Rights Commission, Libyan ambassador to the UN, Najat Al- Hajjaji, was backed by 33 members, with three countries voting against and 17 members abstaining. She was ecstatic. The vote was a publicity coup for Libya. The UN vote was partly aimed at giving Libya the appearance of good standing with the international community. "If I make any mistake, please correct me, guide me," Al- Hajjaji told her fellow UN ambassadors. Her humble attitude seem to reflect that of her government's, which is now eager to make new friends and obliterate its old pariah state image. Libya has won a signal victory in its game of cat and mouse with the United States. It is no small feat for Libya to chair the UN's chief human rights watchdog. The vote confirmed the growing anti-American sentiments sweeping the world. If its warmongering escalates any further, Washington will surely reap the whirlwind. Detractors dismissed Libya's accomplishment as a tawdry deal negotiated by the Libyans in return for financing the newly- formed African Union (AU). US officials cried foul. "This is not a defeat for the US, this is a defeat for the Human Rights Commission," said US ambassador to the UN Kevin Moley. Western human rights organisations have focussed on what they consider gross violations of human rights in Libya, especially the so-called people's court system. The Libyan authorities are now reviewing the situation and hint that the system might be scrapped. Can anything then be said in Libya's favour? It would not be easy. A litany of political assassinations in cold blood, abductions and forced disappearances of political opponents have been reported by Western- based human rights organisations. Reports by the London-based Amnesty International and the New York-based Human Rights Watch warn of the widespread torture of detainees and the detention without trial of political opponents to the regime. "Today hundreds of people remain arbitrarily detained, some for over a decade, and there are serious concerns about how they are being treated and the fairness of procedures in several ongoing high-profile trials before the People's Courts," read a recently- released Human Rights Watch statement about Libya. Still certain aspects of Libya's human rights record can be defended. "There have been marked improvements in recent years. If we look at key social and economic indicators, such as the relatively egalitarian distribution of income and wealth, Libya's human rights record is not that poor," Mohamed Fayek, head of the Arab Human Rights Organisation, told Al-Ahram Weekly. "Still, there is room for improvement," he added. Western human rights organisations concur. "Libya's election poses a real test for the Commission," said Joanna Weschler, UN representative of Human Rights Watch. However, the human rights group conceded "some positive commitment". They said they hoped for a real commitment on the part of the Libyans to cooperate with the UN on human rights. Countries must be persuaded to ratify human rights treaties and comply with conventions already ratified. The Libyan authorities' clampdown on militant Islamist organisations such as the Libyan Fighting Group and the Libyan Islamic Jihad Group have been reported by human rights organisations. Libya was one of the first countries to warn of the dangers of Islamic militancy in North Africa and call for the arrest of Saudi dissident Osama Bin Laden when the now-notorious outlaw was a US protégé in Afghanistan. Admittedly, Libya has in the past couple of years polished up its act. High profile "prisoners of conscience", such as Omaran Al- Turbi, who was held without trial for 17 years, and Libya's longest serving political prisoner, Ahmad Al-Zubayr Al-Sanoussi, imprisoned for 31 years, have been set free amid much publicity. Libyan officials counter that the US record of human rights is far worse than Libya's. No country has a perfect human rights record, and least of all the United States, with its history of racial discrimination and the obvious racial bias of its death penalty. "US military spending stands at a staggering $400 billion. Even a mere $10 billion to the world's poorest and neediest will make a tremendous difference," said Ali Al- Treiki, Libya's foreign minister. He added that the historical US treatment of racial minorities is deplorable. "African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Arab and Muslim Americans are discriminated against to this day. Post-11 September, anti-terrorism campaigns have intensified this injustice," he said. Libya's ascension to the UN human rights commission chair must no doubt be viewed as a humbling experience for the US. For the Libyans, this is an opportunity to forge closer diplomatic and trade ties both with industrially advanced Western powers and fellow developing countries. How Libya responds to this new challenge will determine whether the North African state is to reap the full benefits of its ardent efforts to woo Western powers. At any rate, this is certainly a defining moment for Libya's international standing.
