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In the last Congress, he spent much of his time investigating whether and to what degree policies of President George W. Bush's administration were hurting U.S. interests abroad. He co-sponsored legislation to ban U.S. use of waterboarding, an interrogation technique considered torture by many people in the United States and around the world.

And he supports the establishment of a "Truth Commission" to investigate alleged abuses of power by the Bush administration, including any related to enhanced interrogation techniques.

At times he has courted controversy with his efforts to open up U.S. relations with Cuba and broker a deal for Venezuela's state-owned oil company to provide subsidized home heating oil to Massachusetts residents.

Smith, a devout Roman Catholic with socially conservative views, has been involved in many human rights issues around the globe during his quarter-century in Congress. In recent years, he has pressured Russia, Vietnam and China on human rights issues -- including his unsuccessful call for Bush to boycott the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

He is the ranking Republican on the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health.

The nominees require confirmation by the Senate.

"The U.N. has shown time and time again that it is the pre-eminent international body for dealing with issues that no single country -- not even the U.S. -- can deal with on its own," Delahunt said. "The fact is that if the U.N. didn't exist, the U.S. would be called upon to address some of these issues -- at a substantial increase in cost to Americans."

According to a release from his office, Delahunt will focus on climate change, women's rights, increasing United Nations involvement in elections in Iraq and Afghanistan and improving peacekeeping capabilities.