UN Rights Chief to Leave

Louise Arbour is to leave the UN Rights Chief position in June. She has received criticism from countries such as the US for some dubious decisions. In her letter of resignation Louise Arbour accuses certain countries, i.e. Egypt, Sri Lanka and others (all the countries with pristine human rights records), of trying to take control of the position.

I for one will not miss Louise Arbour.

GENEVA (Reuters) - United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour, under fire from the United States and several developing countries, told her staff on Wednesday she would leave at the end of June.

Her decision has been accepted by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Arbour said she would be making it public in a speech to the U.N.'s Human Rights Council on Friday.

In the text of an address obtained by Reuters, the former Canadian judge said a number of countries were seeking control over her office, which is independent of the 47-nation Council.

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Zimbabwe's justice minister Patrick Chinamasa told the Council Arbour was guilty of "repeated dereliction of duty" and had turned her office into "a deified oracle which spews out edicts we all must follow".

Chinama's strictures echoed less strident criticism at the Council this week from Arab and Asian states, including Egypt and Sri Lanka, who are among a group calling for an "executive committee" to control the commissioner's work.

All these countries have at some time been criticized, directly or explicitly, on rights by Arbour, and they complain she has failed to consult the Council before taking decisions.