As the United States commits human rights violations on its southern border, it should come as no surprise it is also strongly considering withdrawing from the United Nations Human Rights Council.
An anonymous source informed Reuters withdrawal from the organization formed out of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights is “imminent” after conflicts over key issues like those dealing with Israel.
Other sources have stated the U.S. withdrawal is “not a question of if but of when.”
This comes as the council has convened for a three-week session in Geneva, Switzerland.
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Nikki Haley, threatened to leave last year because of “chronic anti-Israel bias.”
Last year, in an op-ed for The Washington Post, Haley wrote:
“When the council passes more than 70 resolutions against Israel, a country with a strong human rights record, and just seven resolutions against Iran, a country with an abysmal human rights record, you know something is seriously wrong.”
The U.S. has repeatedly voted against U.N. measures designed to criticize Israel’s actions toward Palentinians.
Haley also feels it should be easier for the organization to expel countries with dubious human rights records, like Venezuela, China, and Saudi Arabia, according to her.
This is not the first time the United States boycotted the council. It left for three years during George W. Bush’s administration, and re-joined in 2009 when Barack Obama took office.
If we weren’t leaving, perhaps we would be tossed out too.
Image credit: techraptor.net
