UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States, for the first time
since 1947, failed to win re-election on Thursday to the
Geneva-based Human Rights Commission which probes rights
abuses throughout the world.

Instead France, Austria and Sweden were chosen for the three
seats allocated to Western countries that were up for election.
The vote was conducted among 53 nations in the Economic
and Social Council, the umbrella group for the commission, U.N.
officials said.

France was high scorer with 52 votes, followed by Austria with
41 and Sweden with 32.