United Nations Human Rights Council Loses United States as Member

Making good on a threat, United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley announced on Tuesday that the US is withdrawing from the UN Human Rights Council. In announcing the move, Haley said the US gave the organization multiple opportunities to broaden its agenda beyond attacking the state of Israel, noting those accusing the Jewish state are themselves regimes with abysmal human rights records including Cuba, China, Venezuela and the Congo. Haley called the UNHRC a “hypocritical and self-serving organization that makes a mockery of human rights.” Notably, international rights organizations did not second-guess the American criticism of the UN body, but argued it did not warrant withdrawing. The administration points out that while quitting the UNHRC was often promised by then-candidate Trump, he nevertheless waited eighteen months for some indication that the Council would change its ways.