Mobile UPI  |   About UPI  |   UPI en Español  |   UPI Arabic  |   UPIU  |   My Account
Search:
Go

U.N. racism envoy tours United States

|
|
 
  
Published: May 20, 2008 at 10:49 AM

UNITED NATIONS, May 20 (UPI) -- A U.N. investigator of racism and discrimination has begun a three-week visit to examine human rights abuses in the United States, a statement says.

Special rapporteur Doudou Diene of Senegal plans to meet with lawmakers and analysts across the United States and Puerto Rico "to gather first-hand information on issues related to racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance," the U.N. statement said.

Diene arrived in Washington Monday.

The visit follows a report by the human rights group Freedom House that suggests a gap in education, healthcare and equal justice available for ethnic minorities, The Washington Times said Tuesday.

Some United States officials say the U.N. itself allows some of the worst rights abusers to sit on its own Human Rights Council.

"I think it's important for the Human Rights Council to spend its time on real problems and the problems of violations of human rights of countries that are notorious violators," said U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Zalmay Khalilzad.

"But we welcome the visit."

Topics: Zalmay Khalilzad
© 2008 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

Order reprints
  
Join the conversation
Most Popular Collections
The Tibetan Moniam Festival in China Super Bowl XLVI ticker tape victory parade The making of the Oscars
The Chicago Auto Show The Most Desirable Women of 2012 Tu Bishvat Migron settlement
Additional Top News Stories
1 of 21
President Obama Signs Smuggling Prevention Act at White House
View Caption
fark
If we timewarped back by 2000 years, what job would you most qualified to do? No, you can't bring...
BAD: getting caught in a landslide while hiking. WORSE: getting struck by lightning while trying...
Weepy eyes, hot chix, Jersey Shore Ronnie and a guy with mini fishing reels stuck in his beard....
French roadbuilders find 21 German WWI soldiers...and 1 goat
Photoshop this crazy old coot in the cold
Anonymous ends the week by bringing down the CIA webpage. *golf clap*