US pledges to work for UN rights body success

GENEVA, June 21 (Reuters) The United States pledged today to work hard to ensure the success of the new United Nations Human Rights Council, although Washington has decided for now to remain outside the body.

The promise was issued in a speech by Washington's new ambassador in Geneva, Warren W Tichenor, to the 45-member Council which started work on Monday, replacing the widely-discredited Human Rights Commission.

''The United States wants this Council to succeed in the promotion and protection of human rights,'' he declared.

Washington ''will work hard to make this happen''.

He spoke following a clash yesterday in the Council between US and Cuban delegates, when Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque accused Washington of running a ''concentration camp'' at its Guantanamo naval base on the island.

A US delegate rejected what he called a ''gratuitous and unfounded attacks.'' Washington chose not to stand for election to the Council, arguing that not enough had been done to keep out states known to abuse human rights, a charge often levelled at the former Commission.

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