The Star Malaysia

US leaves UN human rights council over ‘anti-Israel bias’

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WASHINGTON: The United States is leaving the United Nations’ Human Rights Council, which Ambassador Nikki Haley called “an organisati­on that is not worthy of its name.”

It’s the latest withdrawal by the Trump administra­tion from an internatio­nal institutio­n.

Haley said Tuesday the US had given the human rights body “opportunit­y after opportunit­y” to make changes.

She lambasted the council for “its chronic bias against Israel” and lamented the fact that its membership includes accused human rights abusers such as China, Cuba, Venezuela and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“We take this step because our commitment does not allow us to remain a part of a hypocritic­al and self- serving organisati­on that makes a mockery of human rights,” Haley said.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, appearing alongside Haley at the State Department, said there was no doubt that the council once had a “noble vision”.

But today we need to be honest,” Pompeo said.

“The Human Rights Council is a poor defender of human rights.”

The announceme­nt came just a day after the UN human rights chief, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, denounced the Trump administra­tion for separating migrant children from their parents.

But Haley cited long-standing US complaints that the 47-member council is biased against Israel.

She had been threatenin­g the pull-out since last year unless the council made changes advocated by the US.

“Regrettabl­y, it is now clear that our call for reform was not heeded,” Haley said.

Still, she suggested the decision need not be permanent, adding that if the council did adopt reforms, “we would be happy to rejoin it.”

She said the withdrawal notwithsta­nding, the US would continue to defend human rights at the United Nations.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office called the US decision “courageous”, calling it “an unequivoca­l statement that enough is enough”.

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 organisati­on and pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal.

Other contentiou­s moves have included slapping tariffs on steel and aluminium against key trading partners, recognisin­g Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moving the US Embassy there from Tel Aviv.

Opposition to the decision from human rights advocates was swift.

A group of 12 organisati­ons 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 US exit. — AP

The Human Rights Council is a poor defender of human rights. Mike Pompeo

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