(New York, May 10, 2001)
The letters, released today, argue that the commission has helped
advance human rights despite its
many flaws and that the U.S. should
remain engaged in its work.

"Withholding U.N. dues would make it harder, not easier, for the U.S. to
regain its seat," said Tom Malinowski, Washington Advocacy Director
for Human Rights Watch, one of
the groups that signed the letters.
"Instead of writing off the commission, the U.S. should take the
process of multilateral diplomacy more seriously so that votes for human
rights are won, not lost."

The groups that signed the letters are Amnesty International, Human
Rights Watch, Lawyers Committee
for Human Rights, the International
Human Rights Law Group, the Minnesota Advocates for Human
Rights, the Robert F.
Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights, and Physicians
for Human Rights.

A copy of the letter sent to Senators Helms and Biden and
Representatives Lantos and Hyde can be found at
http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/05/lantoslet.htm

For more information on the United Nations Human Rights Commission,
please see:

U.N. Rights Body Admits Abusive Members (HRW Press Release, May 3, 2001)
at http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/05/unvote0503.htm

57th Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights (HRW Focus Page, last
updated May 3, 2001) at http://www.hrw.org/un/