Why we re-joined U.N. Human Rights Council – US
By EPHRAIM NWOSU
The United States of America has explained why they rescinded it’s decision to pull out of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Monday that the U.S is rejoining the United Nations Human Rights Council, reversing yet another of the Trump administration’s moves to exit multilateral organizations and pacts. President Joe Biden instructed the State Department” to re-engage immediately and robustly” with the body as part of his administration’s commitment to pursuing a foreign policy centered on democracy, human rights, and equality with the use of multilateral tools, Blinken said in a statement.
Former President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the international body in 2018 – a move that Blinken said “did nothing to encourage meaningful change, but instead created a vacuum of U.S leadership”.
“When it works well, the @UN Human Rights Council shines a spotlight on countries with the worst human rights records and can serve as a beacon for those fighting against injustice and tyranny”, Blinken also said in a post on Twitter, adding, ” that’s why the U.S. is back at the table”.
Blinken noted that the Council is flawed and needs reform, but walking away won’t fix it”.
“The best way to improve the Council so it can achieve it’s potential, is through robust and principled U.S. leadership, ” he added.
In the immediate term, the U.S would engage as an observer, he said in his statement, adding,” we strongly believe that when the United States engages constructively with the Council, in concert with our allies and friends, positive change is within reach.”
In June 2018, Trump’s ambassador to the U.N., Nikki Haley, announced the US was withdrawing from the Council, citing “chronic bias against Israel.”
The move made good on the administration’s repeated threats to leave the 47-member body, which Haley slammed as “hypocritical and self-serving.”
Israel has received by far the largest number of critical resolutions against any country.
The Biden administration’s action is one of several so far to undo Trump’s moves to pull the U.S. out of international agreements and organizations. Since taking office last month, Biden has rejoined both the Paris Climate Accord and the World Health Organization – both of which Trump exited.
