FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MADRE, An International Women's Human Rights Organization
Bolton Appointment Threatens Human Rights Worldwide
Contact:
Irene Schneeweis,
Media Coordinator
PHONE: 212-627-0444
EMAIL: media@madre.org
August 2, 2005-New York-MADRE, an international women's human rights organization, strongly condemns the appointment yesterday of John Bolton, an extremist who has made a career of undermining the United Nations, to the position of US Ambassador to the UN. The underhanded appointment, made while the Senate was in recess, was a fitting reflection of the impatience for public scrutiny or dissent that has characterized both the Bush presidency and Bolton's career. Bolton's appointment is another step to the extreme right, taken with no regard for public opinion in the US or the world.
As US Ambassador to the UN, John Bolton poses an alarming threat to human rights around the world. He is contemptuous of international law and unapologetically supportive of the use of force-pre-emptive or otherwise-by the United States. The UN Charter defines the organization's most fundamental purpose as saving "succeeding generations from the scourge of war." But Bolton has argued for the US to have unrestricted "discretion in using force to advance its national interests," and has expressed support for using military force to overthrow the governments of North Korea, Syria, and Iran. He also opposes any limits on civilian access to weapons and has fought against restrictions on small-arms trade, landmines, biological weapons, child soldiers, and nuclear-weapons testing.
For non-governmental organizations like MADRE, Bolton's appointment will mean an escalated struggle to make the voices of community groups heard at the UN. Bolton has said, "we do not support the promotion of international advocacy activity by international or non-governmental organizations, particularly when those political or policy views advocated are not consistent with the views of all member states."
For the United Nations, Bolton's nomination is a slap in the face. Bolton once said "if the [UN building] lost ten stories, it wouldn't make a bit of difference." He has declared that "it is a big mistake for us to grant any validity to international law," and one of the crowing achievements of his career to date was to encourage Bush to withdraw the United States from the International Criminal Court, a body recognized around the world as a crucial instrument for pursuing international justice for grave human rights abuses, such as genocide.
MADRE Executive Director Vivian Stromberg commented, "Bolton is part of a small but powerful group of 'neo-conservatives' that has pushed US foreign policy to its current right-wing extreme (the most dramatic in the country's history) by championing militarism, unilateralism, and undisguised contempt for international cooperation and the rule of law. As such, his appointment will only escalate threats to human rights around the world."
