U.S. ousted from two U.N. panels

Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS — In another embarrassing blow, the United States lost its seat on an international drug monitoring body on the same day it was voted off the U.N. Human Rights Commission, U.S. officials confirmed Monday.

The United States had campaigned for a third term for American representative Herbert Okun, who has served as vice president on the International Narcotics Control Board. But he was voted off Thursday in the same secret-ballot procedure and by the same countries that cost the United States its seat on the human rights commission.

The 13-member International Narcotics Control Board monitors compliance with U.N. drug conventions on substance abuse and illegal trafficking.

Seven countries — Iran, Brazil, India, Peru, France, Netherlands and Austria — were elected to the board Thursday. China, Russia, Nigeria, Turkey, Mexico and Chile complete their current terms in 2005.

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U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher would not speculate as to why Okun lost re-election but, coupled with the loss of the human rights seat, he said "there’s something happening out there."

"Clearly, I think it’s fair to speculate there may be issues related to how we handled ourselves, to how we position," he said.

The 54-member U.N. Economic and Social Council, the main U.N. body responsible for economic and social issues, cast secret ballots Thursday that led to the U.S. ouster from the narcotics board and the Human Rights Commission.