GENEVA, July 21 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Human
Rights Committee on Friday publicly criticized the U.S. delegation's
supercilious attitude when it appeared before a hearing of the committee on U.S.
human rights record.
The committee, which oversees implementation of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, is not a "rubber stamp"
for any government, Christine Chanet, the chairperson of the committee, told
reporters in a briefing.
"The Committee isn't just there to take delivery of a
report and note it down like a clerk in a court," said Chanet, adding that the
committee's role has been recognized both by the International Court of Justice
and the U.S. Supreme Court.
The two-day hearing on America's human rights record
was held on Monday and Tuesday, during which the United States was obliged to
answer a large number of questions on its human rights problems.
But the U.S. delegation, comprising officials from
the State Department and other four government agencies, tried to steer clear of
sensitive issues related to the "war on terror" detention center in Guantanamo
Bay or military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The U.S. delegates initially refused to respond to the
questions about Guantanamo and other overseas operations, claiming that
international human rights rules did not apply to those issues, as they were
outside the U.S. territory.
In the last minute, they submitted answers to those
questions, but said the move was out of courtesy.
The committee rejects the U.S. delegation's
interpretation of the rules and this difference of opinion will be reflected in
the committee's formal conclusions on this hearing, which is to be released
later this month, Chanet said.
"You can't deny the role given to us by treaty," she said,
adding that the United States is "in a situation of isolation over its
unilateral interpretation of international treaty law."
Like all 156 parties who signed and ratified the covenant,
the United States is bound to present regular reports to the 18-member
committee and appear before hearings of the committee every few years.
Enditem
