Within days, the UN Commission on Human Rights will begin its annual six week session in Geneva.
Analysis: Of the 188 UN member states, 53 are selected to vote at the Commission. As the Commission on Human Rights is among the most important human rights events on the UN calendar, it is interesting to gauge the relative respect for civil and political rights that Commission members demonstrate within their own borders.
A good way to do this is by examining the findings of Freedom House, an independent think tank measuring political freedom in countries around the world. Each year they publish a freedom index, ranking countries on a scale of 1.1 to 7.7, where 1.1 is the most free, and 7.7 is the most repressive. Criteria for freedom include the right to political participation, the right to express views and develop institutions, the right to an independent media, and the right to freedom of assembly. Here is how Commission members were ranked by Freedom House for the period 1998-1999:
| Commission Member | Freedom Index | Commission Member | Freedom Index |
| Cuba | 7.7 | Chile | 3.2 |
| Sudan | 7.7 | Bangladesh | 2.4 |
| Bhutan | 7.6 | Madagascar | 2.4 |
| Burundi | 7.6 | Ecuador | 2.3 |
| China | 7.6 | El Salvador | 2.3 |
| Qatar | 7.6 | India | 2.3 |
| Rwanda | 7.6 | Philippines | 2.3 |
| Congo | 7.5 | Venezuela | 2.3 |
| Niger | 7.5 | Botswana | 2.2 |
| Tunisia | 6.5 | Republic of Korea | 2.2 |
| Indonesia | 6.4 | Romania | 2.2 |
| Nigeria | 6.4 | Czech Republic | 1.2 |
| Swaziland | 6.4 | France | 1.2 |
| Morocco | 5.4 | Germany | 1.2 |
| Peru | 5.4 | Italy | 1.2 |
| Zambia | 5.4 | Japan | 1.2 |
| Liberia | 4.5 | Latvia | 1.2 |
| Pakistan | 4.5 | Mauritius | 1.2 |
| Russian Federation | 4.4 | Poland | 1.2 |
| Senegal | 4.4 | Spain | 1.2 |
| Brazil | 3.4 | United Kingdom | 1.2 |
| Columbia | 3.4 | Canada | 1.1 |
| Guatemala | 3.4 | Luxembourg | 1.1 |
| Mexico | 3.4 | Norway | 1.1 |
| Nepal | 3.4 | Portugal | 1.1 |
| Sri Lanka | 3.4 | USA | 1.1 |
| Argentina | 3.3 | Average ranking | 3.7 |
We provide this index without further analysis. No comment is necessary.
