GENEVA, Switzerland, May 10 (UPI) -- U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour wants members of the new Human Rights Council to act even before next month's first meeting.
Arbour, in a statement released Wednesday at her headquarters in Geneva, called the election of 47 panel members "very encouraging."
She said, "The polls were not 'business as usual;' there were genuinely contested candidacies and all those elected made specific pledges and commitments expressing their concrete engagement to promote and protect human rights."
Arbour urged members to work in the spirit shown in the election process and to be inclusive, cooperative and transparent, adding that a lot needed to be done before next month's meeting.
"Much remains to be settled in terms of organization in the five weeks remaining before the council meets," she said. "For the Council to make the most of its first meeting, members must meet and agree promptly on some basic governance and programmatic arrangements."
"The council belongs to the international community, including civil society," Arbour continued.
The United States, one of only four countries to vote against the new council arrangement, has decided not to seek election to the body this year, saying it first wants to see how the commission operates.
