It seems that the position of chair for the UN Conference on Disarmament is due to be taken over by Iran. The US objects to this and so does Canada. I liked the following statement from Erin Pelton, spokeswoman for the US mission to the UN:
The United States continues to believe that countries that are under Chapter VII (U.N.) sanctions for weapons proliferation or massive human-rights abuses should be barred from any formal or ceremonial positions in U.N. bodies…
Now, wouldn’t that be something? It’s occasionally said that the UN can only be as good as its constituent members. Maybe, but by instituting a rule of this sort it would try to live up to the record of the best of them, and the ideals that are supposed to guide it; as it is, with any old rights-abusing country getting to participate on, or even head, UN committees, the world body makes itself a mockery.