U.S. welcomes UN investigator's racism probe


UNITED NATIONS, May 19 (Reuters) - The U.S. envoy to the United Nations on Monday welcomed the visit of a special U.N. human rights investigator to probe racism but said the Human Rights Council should focus on "real problems" elsewhere.

The United Nations has said Doudou Diene will meet federal and local officials, lawmakers and judicial authorities during his visit, which runs from Monday to June 6. The focus of the visit is racism, which has become an issue in this year's U.S. presidential election campaign.

"We don't think (the visit) is needed but we welcome the visit," U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad told reporters after a meeting of the U.N. Security Council.

"I think it would be important for the Human Rights Council to spend its time on real problems and the problems of violations of human rights in countries that are notorious for their violations of human rights," Khalilzad said.

Among the notorious violators of human rights are North Korea, Iran and Belarus, he said.

Diene routinely visits countries to assess racism. Race has developed into a central issue in the United States ahead of November's presidential election because Sen. Barack Obama, the frontrunner in the Democratic nomination battle, could become the country's first black president.

His campaign has increased turnout among black voters but has also turned off some white voters in a country with a history of slavery and racial segregation.

Diene's three-week visit, officially sanctioned by the U.S. government, will cover eight cities -- Washington, New York, Chicago, Omaha, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Diene, a Senegalese lawyer who has served in the independent post since 2002, will report his findings to the U.N. Human Rights Council next year.

However, the United Nations has almost no clout when it comes to U.S. domestic affairs and is widely perceived by many as interfering. The United States is not among the 47 member states of the Geneva-based forum, but has observer status.

In a report last year Diene said Islamophobia had grown worldwide since the Sept. 11 2001 attacks on the United States, carried out by al-Qaeda militants.

A U.N. panel which examined the U.S. record on racial discrimination last March urged the United States to halt so-called racial profiling of Americans of Arab, Muslim and South Asian descent and to ensure immigrants and non-nationals are not mistreated. In racial profiling, a person's racial or ethnic background is taken into consideration when assessing the likelihood he or she will commit a crime.

The report also said America should impose a moratorium on the death penalty and stop sentencing young offenders to life in prison until it can root out racial bias from its justice system. (Reporting by Louis Charbonneau, editing by Cynthia Osterman)

i dont think america puts you in prison depending on your race. I have seen a documentary on Rikers Island Jail House in New York city. They have the same amount of people of different race there.

in the meantime, america needs to leave the world alone and focus on the US of A, Start lowering gas prices.

You obviously know nothing about the prison system in the USA. NOTHING.

And gas prices arent lowered by America's say so, its a little more complicated than that honey.

the USA will always be racist so no point in sending UN envoys on the issue. Its like throwing a bucket of water in the center of an active volcano.

shango:

You obviously know nothing about the prison system in the USA. NOTHING.

And gas prices arent lowered by America's say so, its a little more complicated than that honey.

the USA will always be racist so no point in sending UN envoys on the issue. Its like throwing a bucket of water in the center of an active volcano.

WHAT COUNTRY IS NOT RACIST?

Racism in America exists both in the black and white communities. Even with foreigners. The situations in the prisons have nothing to do with racism as statistics after statistics show that whites are punished just as their black counterparts. Infact there are just as many whites on life sentences as there are blacks but more whites on deathrow than there are blacks. So unless someone is going to come back with this being racism against whites, I say we try to keep the jails out of this.

As a Nigerian I have witnessed more racism from the black community than I have from the white. The UN coming to america to investigate racism is just a waste of the american people's money. America donates billions more to the UN than most other countries and this is what our share is being used for?? To investigate stupidity? I also wonder about the timing of this investigation. What is it that suddenly prompted the UN to do this now? The Elections?? Cause a black man is running for office?? I can only guess what the result of this so called investigation will be but I wait to post my opinion.

Kobojunkie:

Racism in America exists both in the black and white communities. Even with foreigners. The situations in the prisons have nothing to do with racism as statistics after statistics show that whites are punished just as their black counterparts. Infact there are just as many whites on life sentences as there are blacks but more whites on deathrow than there are blacks. So unless someone is going to come back with this being racism against whites, I say we try to keep the jails out of this.

As a Nigerian I have witnessed more racism from the black community than I have from the white. The UN coming to america to investigate racism is just a waste of the american people's money. America donates billions more to the UN than most other countries and this is what our share is being used for?? To investigate stupidity? I also wonder about the timing of this investigation. What is it that suddenly prompted the UN to do this now? The Elections?? Cause a black man is running for office?? I can only guess what the result of this so called investigation will be but I wait to post my opinion.

that is exactly my point. White, Blacks and Latinos get as much jail time. It depends on the crime. To me america seems to be sliding in racism. It is not bad as it was before.

everywhere there is racism,
South Africans discrmininate againts foreigners.

In america if you get discriminated againts, you can file a lawsuit againts the company.

"I hold this truth to be self eveident that all men are created equal" good peace of statement ever written.