The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Friday to reinstate Libyaโs membership on the Human Rights Council after its new government pledged before the world body to defend human rights and establish the rule of law.
The General Assembly suspended Libya from the U.N.โs top human rights body on March 1 as part of the international effort to halt Moammar Gadhafiโs violent crackdown on protesters. It accused Gadhafiโs regime of committing โgross and systematic violations of human rights.โ
With Gadhafiโs death and a new interim Libyan government in place, the assembly adopted a resolution by a vote of 123-4 with six abstentions to restore Libyaโs rights on the council. The four countries voting โnoโ were Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia and Ecuador.
Before the vote, Libyaโs deputy U.N. ambassador Ibrahim Dabbashi told the 193-member world body that the โnew Libyaโ deserved to return to full membership on the Geneva-based council after Gadhafiโs 42-year rule which saw massive violations of human rights.
He stressed the commitment of the National Transitional Council and all Libyan authorities โto respect and adhere to all the obligations of Libya in the field of human rights and โฆ pay great attention to establish rule of law.โ
Libyaโs suspension was the first from the 47-member Human Rights Council since it was formed in 2006. Based in Geneva, the council is charged with strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe.
Reflecting the views of the resolutionโs opponents, Venezuelaโs U.N. Ambassador Jorge Valero accused NATO of violating Security Council resolutions aimed at protecting civilians by conducting a bombing campaign and โmassacringโ thousands of civilians, and by providing military assistance and support to Gadhafiโs opponents.
The ouster of Gadhafiโs regime would have been impossible without the involvement of NATO, which maintains its 7-month air campaign was consistent with the Security Councilโs resolution and aimed solely at protecting civilians.
Several opponents of the resolution also criticized the circumstances surrounding Gadhafiโs Oct. 20 death after he tried to escape from his hometown, Sirte, in a convoy that was struck by NATO on a highway on the outskirts. Gadhafi suffered some injuries and tried to flee on foot but was captured, beaten by a mob, and died later that day in mysterious circumstances, prompting international demands that Libyaโs new leaders investigate his death.
Dabbashi told the General Assembly that โthe new Libyan authorities understand and agree that some violations did take place during the confrontation between the revolutionary forces and the forces of the tyrant following the arrest of Gadhafi.โ
โThis will not be overlooked,โ he said. โHowever, these are isolated, individual incidents which are being carefully investigated in order to realize justice, the rule of law and to make sure that they are not repeated.โ
Dabbashi said Libya wanted to assure all countries โthat no violations of human rights will take place on Libyan territory in the future โ and if it happens, its perpetrators can never get away with it.โ
