UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 23 (Xinhuanet) -- UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Thursday called on member states to adopt the draft resolution on the establishment of the Human Rights Council.

    In a statement released by his spokesman, Annan said the memberstates have reached "a critical moment," stressing that "now is the time for the membership to support the (General Assembly) President's compromise text and adopt a resolution in the coming days."

    Annan issued the statement after the plenary of the General Assembly at which a new text of the draft resolution was circulated.

    "Failure to do so would undermine this Organization's credibility, render the commitments made by world leaders meaningless, and deal a blow to the cause of human rights," he warned.

    Meanwhile, the secretary-general admitted that the current draft does not reflect everything he called for when he first proposed a new council.

    However, he pointed out that "there are important elements in it that ensure that the Council will be more than a cosmetic change."

    "The new body will better reflect universality of human rights by elevating the Council into a body directly elected by the General Assembly, giving it greater transparency and legitimacy," he added.

    Annan also noted the Council will also have an explicitly defined function of periodically reviewing the record of all states, starting with that of its own members, in fulfilling theirhuman rights obligations.

    "I hope the General Assembly will adopt this draft resolution within the next few days," he observed.

    The latest text of the draft resolution is the product of many months' efforts to reach consensus among member states. World leaders agreed at a UN summit in September, 2005 to create a new body to replace the 53-member Commission on Human Rights.

    It is widely believed that the new Council should be established mid-March, just before the human rights commission convenes its annual world conference. Enditem