The United States Exits the UN Human Rights Council

Nikki Haley, the U.S. Ambassador to the UN, announced on Tuesday, June 18, that the United States is withdrawing from the UN Human Rights Council due to its "institutional biases" against Israel. According to Reuters, Haley criticized the actions of Russia, China, Cuba, and Egypt for obstructing U.S. efforts to reform the UN human rights body during a press conference alongside Mike Pompeo at the U.S. State Department. Haley emphasized that the Human Rights Council has long supported human rights violators, who continue to be present and join the council. She added that the U.S. exit from the council is not a retreat from its commitment to human rights, but rather a step taken because its commitment does not allow it to be part of a hypocritical organization with self-serving goals that mocks human rights. The U.S. Ambassador pointed out the presence of countries like Cuba, Venezuela, China, and the Republic of Congo in the Human Rights Council, stressing that a look at the council's members shows they do not value basic rights. She further referred to the protests in Iran last year, stating that in December and January, the Iranian government killed and arrested hundreds of citizens for expressing their opinions, and the UN Human Rights Council did not respond. Haley added that when the so-called Human Rights Council does not address human rights violations in Iran and Venezuela and accepts the Republic of Congo as a member, it has lost its credibility. Haley also stated that the council's unconventional focus on Israel and its endless hostility towards the country prove that it has biased political motivations and its goal is not human rights. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked the U.S. government for its decision to withdraw from the UN Human Rights Council. The UN Human Rights Council has 47 members, and the U.S. has been a member for about a year and a half of its three-year term. The suspension of membership or complete withdrawal from this body is the latest instance of the U.S. exiting international treaties, including the Paris Climate Agreement and the nuclear deal with Iran. The U.S. government under President George W. Bush boycotted the UN Human Rights Council for three years, but rejoined in 2009 under President Barack Obama. Last year, the U.S. Ambassador to the UN announced that the country was reviewing its membership in the Human Rights Council and called for reforms to eliminate what she described as "institutional biases and anti-Israel" sentiments within the body. The UN Human Rights Council, established in 2006, has a standing agenda on "Israeli violence" in the occupied Palestinian territories, which the U.S. seeks to remove. Last month, the council voted to conduct investigations into the killing of Palestinians in Gaza, accusing Israel of using its military power "disproportionately." In that vote, only the U.S. and Australia voted against it.