Diplomats expect US to pull out of UN human rights council over Israel
Talks with the US on reforms to the UN Human Rights Council have failed to meet Washington’s demands, campaigners and diplomats say.
They said the lack of progress could lead US President Donald Trump to pull out of the Geneva forum, the latest session of which begins tomorrow.
A US source said the withdrawal appeared to be “imminent”.
Diplomatic sources said the US would retreat from the council, which is holding a three-week session, but it was not known when.
Another US official in Geneva had no information about a pull-out during the talks but said: “We are still moving ahead with our engagement for the coming session.”
Nikki Haley, US Ambassador to the UN, told the council a year ago that Washington might leave the body unless a “chronic anti-Israel bias” was addressed.
The forum, set up in 2006, has a permanent standing agenda item on offences committed by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories. The US wants the item removed.
The US claimed the council is stacked with opponents of Israel and boycotted it for three years under president George W Bush, before rejoining under Barack Obama in 2009.
The 47-member forum last month voted to investigate killings in Gaza and accused Israel of excessive use of force. The US and Australia cast the only “no” votes. Israel’s ambassador in Geneva, Aviva Raz Shechter, castigated the council for “spreading lies against Israel”.
Talks held in Geneva and New York for months could not find consensus on a new agenda, said campaigners and diplomats who took part.
While Mr Trump’s government has yet to announce a decision, any suspension or withdrawal would be the latest US rejection of international co-operation after pulling out of the Paris climate agreement and the deal with world pow-
Trump may pull out of the council as the US objects to critical appraisal of Israel and its human rights record
ers over Iran’s nuclear programme.
Diplomats said it could also lead to Israel being more isolated in the council and could bolster the positions of countries such as Cuba, Egypt, Pakistan and Russia, which resist what they consider to be UN interference in sovereign issues.
The EU failed to find a common position, mainly because of Belgium’s wish to keep offences in countries firmly on the agenda of each session.
While supporting Israel, the US wants to make it easier to kick member states with egregious human rights records out.
The council is continuing investigations into offences in countries including Myanmar, South Sudan and Syria, with a view to gathering evidence that could lead to prosecutions.
Marc Limon, executive director of the Universal Rights Group think tank, said there were “rumours and mutterings” of a “political decision” in Washington to disengage.
“They could either leave the seat empty, which could happen in June, or if withdrawing formally notify the UN General Assembly,” Mr Limon said.
Swiss ambassador Valentin Zellweger said: “The decision by the Americans will have a profound impact on the council. If they withdraw, we can expect significant consequences.”
The US had long played a leadership role in the council, Mr Zellweger said.
“Unfortunately, I agree with them that not all members fulfil the criteria,” he said.