The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs Mary Robinson, has welcomed the United States's return to the top UN rights body a year after it was knocked off the panel.
"The presence of the United States is something very important for the UN Commission on Human Rights. We look forward to the contribution of the United States to the work of the Commission," her spokeswoman told a news briefing.
The US regained its seat a year after being knocked off the 53-member forum in the annual secret ballot.
Diplomats blamed last May's humiliating defeat for the Bush administration on poor US lobbying, Washington's then-huge debt to the world body and its rejection of global treaties on arms, climate and others.
The defeat worsened relations between Washington and the United Nations and prompted intense US lobbying of European delegates to get back on the Commission.
Italy and Spain pulled out of the race this time to ensure the United States a safe seat among those reserved for Western nations on the body that investigates rights abuses around the world.
The US delegation was reduced to observer status, which prevents it from casting any votes, during the latest six-week annual session in Geneva which ended Friday.
Activist groups including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International claimed the annual forum fell hostage to "abusive" states that ganged up to stop scrutiny of Iran and Chechnya and ignore China and Zimbabwe.