U.S. Leaves UN Human Rights Council

Date: 20 June 2018 - 21:14

News ID: ۵۴۲۱۷

MOSCOW (Dispatches) -- Russia Wednesday voiced surprise at the United States' decision to withdraw from the UN Human Rights Council, accusing Washington of "gross cynicism" and "disregard" for the world body.
"The U.S. has once again brought a powerful blow to its own human rights reputation by demonstrating its disregard for the UN and its bodies," Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a briefing in Moscow.
She charged the U.S. with "stubbornly refusing to acknowledge the existence of serious human rights problems at home while at the same time trying to shape the council under its own interests".
She also criticized the U.S. for "imposing a specific American understanding of human rights on other countries".
Zakharova said the withdrawal was "unexpected" for Moscow although "a precedent was already set with UNESCO", the UN's Paris-based cultural body that Washington left in October last year.
"The UN Human Rights Council has worked effectively without the U.S. in the past and we hope that it will continue to do so," she said.
Washington withdrew on Tuesday, condemning the "hypocrisy" of council members and an alleged "unrelenting bias" against the occupying regime of Israel.
The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, went to Washington to announce the decision alongside Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
The announcement came after the top UN human rights official criticized Washington for separating migrant children from their parents who are seeking asylum after arrival from Mexico.
Haley had been threatening the pull-out since last year unless the council made changes advocated by the U.S.
The move extends a broader Trump administration pattern of stepping back from international agreements and forums under the president's "America First" policy. Although numerous officials have said repeatedly that "America First does not mean America Alone," the administration has retreated from multiple multilateral accords and consensuses since it took office.
Since January 2017, it has announced its withdrawal from the Paris climate accord, left the UN educational and cultural organization and pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal. Other contentious moves have included slapping tariffs on steel and aluminum against key trading partners, recognizing Jerusalem Al-Quds as Israel's so-called capital and moving the U.S. Embassy there from Tel Aviv.
Opposition to the decision from human rights advocates was swift. A group of 12 organizations including Save the Children, Freedom House and the United Nations Association-USA said there were "legitimate concerns" about the council's shortcomings but that none of them warranted a U.S. exit.
Haley has been the driving force behind withdrawing from the human rights body, unprecedented in the 12-year history of the council. No country has ever dropped out voluntarily. Libya was kicked out seven years ago.
The move could reinforce the perception that the Trump administration is seeking to advance the Zionist regime’s agenda on the world stage, just as it prepares to unveil its long-awaited Israeli-Palestinian "peace” plan despite Palestinian outrage over the embassy relocation. Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, is visiting the Middle East this week as the White House works to lay the groundwork for unveiling the plan.
The occupying regime of Israel is the only member on the council whose rights record comes up for discussion at every council session, under "Item 7" on the agenda. Item 7 on "Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories" has been part of the council's regular business almost as long as it has existed.
The U.S. pullout was bound to have ripple effects for at least two members at the council: China and Israel. The U.S., as at other UN organizations, is Israel's biggest defender. At the rights council, the United States has recently been the most unabashed critic of rights abuses in China - whose growing economic and diplomatic clout has chastened some other would-be critics, rights advocates say.
There are 47 countries in the Human Rights Council, elected by the UN's General Assembly with a specific number of seats allocated for each region of the globe. Members serve for three-year terms and can serve only two terms in a row.
The United States has opted to stay out of the Human Rights Council before: The George W. Bush administration opted against seeking membership when the council was created in 2006. The U.S. joined the body only in 2009 under President Barack Obama.