US pulls out of UN Human Rights Council, as feared, over treatment of Israel
Washington — The US withdrew from a "hypocritical and self-serving" UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday over what it called chronic bias against Israel and a lack of reform. Activists warned the move would make advancing human rights globally even more difficult. Standing with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the State Department, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley slammed Russia, China, Cuba and Egypt for thwarting US efforts to reform the council. She criticised countries that shared US values and encouraged Washington to remain, but "were unwilling to seriously challenge the status quo". Washington’s withdrawal is the latest US rejection of multilateral engagement after it pulled out of the Paris climate agreement and the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. It also comes as the US faces intense criticism for detaining children separated from their immigrant parents at the US-Mexico border. UN human rights chief Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein on Monday called on Washington to halt its ...
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