Washington; June 19, 2018-06-20
The United States withdrew from the United Nations Human Rights Council on Tuesday over what it called a “chronic bias against Israel” and a “lack of reform”, a move activists warned would make advancing human rights globally even more difficult.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the US decision.
This is the first time, since the Human Rights Council was formed in 2006, replacing the disbanded Human Rights Commission, that a sitting member volunteered to withdraw. Libya, on the other hand, was suspended in 2011 after a government crackdown on protesters.
The Obama administration sought a seat in 2009 in an effort to improve US’s image on human rights, and to create a perception that human rights were an important aspect of U.S. foreign policy.
Standing along side US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley announced the US withdrawl from the council, and slammed Russia, China, Cuba and Egypt for upsetting US efforts to reform the council.
Washington's withdrawal is the latest US rejection of multilateral engagement after it vetoed a UN draft resolution calling for measures to protect the Palestinians, pulled out of the Paris climate agreement, and the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
It also comes as the United States faces intense criticism for detaining children separated from their immigrant parents at the U.S.-Mexico border. U.N. human rights chief Zeid Ra`ad al-Hussein on Monday called on Washington to halt its "unconscionable" policy.
The council last month voted to probe killings in Gaza and accused Israel of using excessive force. The United States and Australia were the only ones to cast "no" votes.
Critics say this sends a message that the administration turns a blind eye to human rights abuses in some parts of the world.
Twelve rights and aid groups, including Human Rights First, Save the Children and CARE, have warned Pompeo that the US withdrawal would "make it more difficult to advance human rights priorities and aid victims of abuse around the world."
Jamil Dakwar, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Human Rights Program, said Trump's "misguided policy of isolationism only harms American interests."
Peter Yeo, an official with the United Nations Foundation said, “with U.S. leadership, the attention Israel brought has dropped significantly. U.S. leadership matters. We’re still the only ones with credibility on human rights on the world stage.”
The EU said Washington's decision "risks undermining the role of the US as a champion and supporter of democracy on the world stage." British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said it was regrettable, and that the council was the "best tool the international community has to address impunity."
While announcing the withdrawl, Nikki Haley also said that the "disproportionate focus and unending hostility towards Israel is clear proof that the council is motivated by political bias, not by human rights."
It is well known that the United States has always shielded Israel at the United Nations. In citing what it says is bias against Israel, supports the Palestinian arguments that Washington cannot be a neutral mediator as it prepares to roll out a Middle East peace plan. Washington also relocated its embassy to Jerusalem, reversing decades old US policy.
Haley said, “I want to make it crystal clear that this step is not a retreat from our human rights commitments."
“When we made it clear we would strongly pursue council reform, these countries came out of the woodwork to oppose it,” she said. “Russia, China, Cuba and Egypt all attempted to undermine our reform efforts this past year.”
It shows another retreat by the Trump administration from international groups and agreements whose policies it deems out of sync with American interests on trade, defense, climate change and, now, human rights.
Many are questioning whether a U.S. withdrawal will lead to reforms, or undermine the council’s mission.
"The UN Human Rights Council has played an important role in such countries as North Korea, Syria, Myanmar and South Sudan, but all Trump seems to care about is defending Israel," said Human Rights Watch executive director Ken Roth.
“The Trump administration’s withdrawal is a sad reflection of its one-dimensional human rights policy: defending Israeli abuses from criticism takes precedence above all else… The U.N. Human Rights Council has played an important role in such countries as North Korea, Syria, Myanmar and South Sudan, but all Trump seems to care about is defending Israel.”, said Roth.
