Before hailing it as a saviour, the newly established United Nations human rights council should be given a few months to prove itself, said the International Movement for a Just World (Just).

"Let the council prove its worth," said Just president Chandra Muzaffar yesterday.

He said the 'nub' of the matter in fostering a council that was 'fair, just, equitable, and even-handed' was that it should not hesitate to act against the powerful and influential and not just the weak and impotent.

"There should be no double standards. There should be no selective persecution of some states as against others," he said.

"This is why (Just) would rather wait and see how the council behaves in coming months before hailing its birth as a sign of hope for millions of people on this planet of ours," he added.

UN member countries last week voted 170 to 191 to set up the council to replace and improve on the older UN human rights commission.

Among the states that voted against the resolution were the US, Israel, Palau and Marshall Islands. Belarus, Iran, and Venezuela abstained.

Many observers said the set up of the council augured well for global human rights, as it would be more fairly represented geographically than its predecessor.

It would also be composed of members elected directly, after careful scrutiny of their human rights record, by the general assembly.

The assembly also has the powers to suspend any council member guilty of gross violations of human rights.

The council would also occupy a position directly under the UN general assembly, granting it greater authority than the commission had enjoyed as a subsidiary of the UN economic and social council.

The challenges

Among the challenges, Chandra said is its ability to 'approach its mission with courage and confidence and not succumb to the pulls and pressures of one or two powerful states' said Chandra.

"For a start, it should adopt a more wholistic view of human rights which places economic, social and cultural rights on the same level of importance as political and civil rights," he said.

This more comprehensive conceptualisation of human rights which recognises the significance of economic, social and cultural rights will harmonise with the aspirations of non-Western societies seeking to improve the well-being of their people, Chandra added.

He also said the council should also incorporate greater appreciation of collective rights and the 'sense of community' than usually accorded to human rights.

"While individual liberty is crucial, it would be wrong to ignore that sense of community that often moulds a person's idea of integrity and dignity in many non-Western societies," he said.

"In matters pertaining to land, religion and culture, many of our people are instinctively conscious of their right to collective honour," he added.