Trump Administration Pulls Out Of United Nations Human Rights Council

U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a joint statement explaining that the United States, in an unprecedented move, is withdrawing from the United Nations Human Rights Council. They accused the council of protecting human rights abusers, even allowing them to serve as members. They also claimed that the council has a history of bias pointing out that they passed more resolutions this year which condemned Israel than resolutions against Iran, Syria and North Korea combined. 

“For too long, the Human Rights Council has been a protector of human rights abusers, and a cesspool of political bias,” Haley said during the announcement at the State Department. She called the council a "hypocritical and self-serving organization that makes a mockery of human rights.”

Haley said that attempts to reform the group have been met with resistance from countries like Russia and China.

“When we made it clear we would strongly pursue Council reform, these countries came out of the woodwork to oppose it,” she said. “Russia, China, Cuba, and Egypt all attempted to undermine our reform efforts this past year.”

It is the first time in the 12-year history of the 47-member council that a country chose to drop out voluntarily. Libya was kicked off of the council in 2011. Nations are elected to serve three-year terms on the council. The United States joined in 2009 and was in the middle of its current term. 

Photo: Getty Images


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