U.N. racism envoy tours United States

20 May 2008

UNITED NATIONS-A U.N. investigator of racism and discrimination has begun a three-week visit to examine human rights abuses in the United States, a statement says.

Special rapporteur Doudou Diene of Senegal plans to meet with lawmakers and analysts across the United States and Puerto Rico "to gather first-hand information on issues related to racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance," the U.N. statement said.

Diene arrived in Washington Monday.

The visit follows a report by the human rights group Freedom House that suggests a gap in education, healthcare and equal justice available for ethnic minorities, The Washington Times said Tuesday.

Some United States officials say the U.N. itself allows some of the worst rights abusers to sit on its own Human Rights Council.

"I think it's important for the Human Rights Council to spend its time on real problems and the problems of violations of human rights of countries that are notorious violators," said U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Zalmay Khalilzad.

"But we welcome the visit."

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