US Ambassador of the United Nations Nikki Haley announced that the United States is withdrawing from the UN Human Rights Council Tuesday, accusing the body of bias against US ally Israel and a failure to hold human rights abusers accountable.
The US announced a year ago to withdraw from the UN Human Rights Council, if they did not see any progress. Keeping its word, it decided to officially withdraw. The body is based in Geneva and has 47 member states. Haley and other critics said that abusers use their membership to guarantee their own impunity. She is calling the body a hypocritical and a self-serving organization that makes a mockery of human rights. It’s ironic how the UN Human Rights Council is being called hypocritical when it’s the US that is the rebel of International law.
International law is based on State Sovereignty so the US is basically allowed to leave and join as they wish. But what are the consequences? The US will no longer be represented in important debates and meetings about human rights atrocities. Haley and other critics have mentioned multiple times that human rights abusers continue to serve on, and be elected to, the council. But is withdrawing the right answer? I mean how can you change or even run a club if you ain’t a member? Leaving and shutting the door behind you is just causing you more enemies and making you unpopular in the international and public legal system.. to be continued …
