WASHINGTON/ UNITED NATIONS- The United States government has announced that they will be withdrawing from a “hypocritical and self-serving” United Nations Human Rights Council on Tuesday, their explanation for leaving was over what it called chronic bias against Israel and a lack of reform, a move activists warned would make advancing human rights globally even more difficult.
US Ambassador Nikki Haley standing next to US Secretary of State Mike Pomepo also slammed Russia, China, Cuba and Egypt for ruining US efforts to reform the council.
Haley criticized countries that asked them to remain but, “were unwilling to seriously challenge the status quo.”
“Look at the council membership, and you see an appalling disrespect for the most basic rights,” said Haley, citing Venezuela, China, Cuba and Democratic Republic of Congo. She did not mention Saudi Arabia, which rights groups pushed to be suspended in 2016 over killings of civilians in the Yemen war.
Haley also said the “disproportionate focus and unending hostility toward Israel is clear proof that the council is motivated by political bias, not by human rights.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the US decision.
Human rights groups have criticized this move, Zeid organisation said after Haley announcement, “Given the state of human rights in today’s world, the US should be stepping up, not stepping back,”
But Pomepo said, “The Human Rights Council enables abuses by absolving wrongdoers through silence and falsely condemning those that committed no offence.”
Photo Credit- EWN
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