Haley slams rights groups after US quits UN council

UNITED NATIONS, United States: US Ambassador Nikki Haley on Wednesday accused human rights groups of thwarting a US push for changes to the UN Human Rights Council and contributing to Washington’s decision to quit the body.

In a letter sent to nongovernmental organizations, Haley complained that they had played a ‘deconstructive’ role by refusing to support US efforts to take Israel off the council’s agenda.

Haley on Tuesday announced that the United States was quitting the rights council, condemning the ‘hypocrisy’ of its members and its alleged ‘unrelenting bias’ against Israel.

“You should know that your efforts to block negotiations and thwart reform were a contributing factor in the US decision to withdraw from the council,” said Haley in the letter seen by AFP.

“You put yourself on the side of Russia and China, and opposite the United States, on a key human rights issue.” Haley was referring to a letter by 18 rights groups including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International to United Nations member-states in May expressing concern that a US draft resolution at the General Assembly could weaken the rights council.

The rights groups had warned that the proposed changes could trigger ‘hostile amendments,’ possibly from China and Russia, to undermine the work of the council which monitors human rights crises worldwide. — AFP