The United States announced yesterday that it will no longer be participating in the UN Human Rights Council. Many conservatives are regarding this as a positive step in favor of pro life, pro family values, as well as parental rights. Supporters of the state of Israel are also regarding this as a major victory, given the fact that the Council has always shown a strong bias and hostility toward Israel.
The Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley announced the departure of the United States from the Council, citing a lack of progress during the past year. To the contrary, Haley had strong words of detest referring to the UN Human Rights Council as “a protector of human rights abusers, and a cesspool of political bias.”
Nikki Haley stated the United States’ primary reason for removing itself from the council was because of the bias the Council has shown towards Israel. Haley almost pulled the United States from the Council last year, pointing out that the inclusion of countries like China, Venezuela, and Cuba – responsible for some of the worst human rights violations in modern history – makes the council unworthy of its name. Fox News has more on Haley’s statements:
“I want to make it crystal clear that this step is not a retreat from our human rights commitments. On the contrary. 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,” she said. “We did not make this decision lightly. When this administration began 17 months ago, we were well aware of the enormous flaws in the Human Rights Council. We could have withdrawn immediately. We did not do that. Instead, we made a good faith effort to resolve the problems.”
Haley also stated that if the Council reforms in some of the areas that served as the United States’ departure from the Council, the United States “would be happy” to consider re-joining at some point.
According to Arutz Sheva, and Israel National News source, “Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon welcomed the announcement by the United States that they will withdraw from the Human Rights Council:”
“The Human Rights Council has long been the foe of those who truly care about human rights around the world. The United States has proven, yet again, its commitment to truth and justice and their unwillingness to allow the blind hatred of Israel in international institutions to stand unchallenged. We thank President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Ambassador Nikki Haley for their leadership and call on the moral majority at the UN to hold all of its institutions accountable,” he said.
Trump himself has long been critical of the Council, and his current National Security Advisor John Bolton opposed the creation of the body when he served as the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. under President George W. Bush.
