United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan has called for the reform of the UN's human-rights organisation.
"Unless we remake our human rights machinery, we may be unable to renew public confidence in the United Nations itself," he told the UN Commission on Human Rights, which is holding its annual six-week session at its Geneva headquarters.
"We have reached a point at which the commission's declining credibility has cast a shadow on the reputation of the United Nations system . . . and where piecemeal reforms will not be enough," he said, in the text of a speech to be delivered later on Thursday.
Created some 60 years ago, the commission is the UN's main mechanism for monitoring respect for human rights around the world. But critics say infighting and its inability to act firmly in the face of clear abuse have eroded its authority.
Mr Annan has called for the commission, which comprises representatives from 53 countries nominated by regional groupings, to be replaced by a smaller Human Rights Council, whose members would be elected by the UN General Assembly.
Direct election, with prospective members needing a two-thirds majority and a "solid record of commitment" to human rights, aims to put an end to a situation in which many members - including Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Zimbabwe - are themselves accused of widespread abuse.