The Commission on Human Rights, the central human rights event on the UN calendar, is due to commence its annual six-week session on 19th March.
Analysis: Every year, Freedom House, an independent think-tank, publishes a freedom index measuring political rights and civil liberties around the globe. Using criteria that examine, among other aspects, freedom of expression, freedom of the media and judiciary, and the right to assembly, countries are ranked on a scale where 1.1 indicates the most free and 7.7 the most repressed.
An analysis of the rankings of the 53 members of the Commission on Human Rights shows an overall deterioration in the groups ranking this year. With five members rated amongst the most repressive states in the world, the weight that should be given to the Commissions eventual outcomes is called into question.
| Commission Member |
Freedom Index |
Commission Member |
Freedom Index |
|
| Cuba | 7.7 | Mexico | 3.4 | |
| Lybia | 7.7 | Madagascar | 2.4 | |
| Saudi Arabia | 7.7 | Argentina | 2.3 | |
| Syria | 7.7 | Ecuador | 2.3 | |
| Vietnam | 7.7 | India | 2.3 | |
| Cameroon | 7.6 | Thailand | 2.3 | |
| China | 7.6 | Republic of Korea | 2.2 | |
| Congo | 7.6 | Romania | 2.2 | |
| Pakistan | 7.5 | Belgium | 1.2 | |
| Burundi | 6.6 | Costa Rica | 1.2 | |
| Qatar | 6.6 | Czech Republic | 1.2 | |
| Algeria | 6.5 | France | 1.2 | |
| Kenya | 6.5 | Germany | 1.2 | |
| Swaziland | 6.5 | Italy | 1.2 | |
| Malaysia | 5.5 | Japan | 1.2 | |
| Niger | 5.5 | Latvia | 1.2 | |
| Peru | 5.4 | Mauritius | 1.2 | |
| Zambia | 5.4 | Poland | 1.2 | |
| Liberia | 4.5 | South Africa | 1.2 | |
| Russian Fed. | 4.5 | Spain | 1.2 | |
| Colombia | 4.4 | United Kingdom | 1.2 | |
| Indonesia | 4.4 | Uruguay | 1.2 | |
| Senegal | 4.4 | Canada | 1.1 | |
| Venezuela | 4.4 | Norway | 1.1 | |
| Nigeria | 4.3 | Portugal | 1.1 | |
| Brazil | 3.4 | United States | 1.1 | |
| Guatemala | 3.4 | |||
| Average Ranking | 3.8 |
