U.S. pulls out of U.N. Human Rights Council
Haley alleges body’s anti-Israeli bias in defending decision
WASHINGTON — The United States announced Tuesday that it was leaving the United Nations’ Human Rights Council, with Ambassador Nikki Haley calling it “an organization that is not worthy of its name.”
It was the latest withdrawal by the Trump administration from an international institution.
Haley, Trump’s envoy to the U.N., said the U.S. had given the human rights body “opportunity after opportunity ” t o make changes. She lambasted the council for “its chronic bias against Israel” and lamented that its membership includes accused human rights abusers such as China, Congo, Cuba and Venezuela.
“We take this step because our commitment does not allow us to remain a part of a hypocritical and self-serving organization 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,” he said. “The Human Rights Council is a poor defender of human rights.”
The announcement came a day after the U.N. human rights chief, Zeid Ra’ad al- Hussein, denounced the Trump administration for separating migrant children from their parents. But Haley cited long-standing U.S. complaints that the 47-member council is biased against Israel. She had been threat- Ambassador Nikki Haley had threatened the U.S. withdrawal since last year. ening the pullout since last year unless the council made changes advocated by the United States.
“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 U.S. would continue to defend human rights at the United Nations.
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 U.N. educational and cultural organization and pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal. Other moves have included slapping tariffs on steel and aluminum against key trading partners, recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moving the U.S. Em- bassy 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.
But the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank close to the Trump administration, defended the move, calling the council “notably incurious about the human rights situations in some of the world’s most oppressive countries.”
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.
Israel is the only country in the world 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 United States’ current term on the council ends next year. It was not clear if the U.S. would remain a non-voting observer on the council.
There are 47 countries in the Human Rights Council. Members serve for threeyear 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.