The United States Decides not to Pursue Reelection to UN Human Rights Council

October 2, 2024 TruthUSA

The State Department announced that the United States will not pursue another term on the U.N. Human Rights Council, with plans to run for a seat on the council in 2028. America’s allies have been encouraged to take the lead in advancing human rights issues in the meantime.

On October 1, the State Department confirmed that the United States will not seek re-election to the Human Rights Council for another term.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller explained, “We decided not to seek another spot on the Human Rights Council this time just because we were engaged with our allies about the best way to move forward.”

Miller mentioned that three seats are available on the council, and countries like Spain, Iceland, and Switzerland are running for those spots alongside the United States. He expressed confidence in these countries to champion human rights, stating, “We thought they could carry the flag forward. But we will engage – we will continue to remain engaged on human rights issues and are currently slated to run again in 2028.”

It remains unclear which allies Miller was referring to, although the United States has consistently supported Israel during resolutions that criticized the country’s actions in Gaza.

In April, the council passed a resolution calling for a halt to arms sales to Israel, which drew opposition from the United States.

Twenty-eight council members voted in favor of the resolution, and the United States was among the six who voted against it, with 13 abstentions.

Meirav Eilon Shahar, Israel’s representative to the United Nations in Geneva, criticized the resolution for its bias against Israel. She highlighted the inconsistency of not selling arms to Israel while arming terrorist organizations like Hamas.

Following the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the council in 2018, the United States reengaged with the council under the Biden administration in 2021. The decision to rejoin was prompted by the need for reform within the council, particularly addressing its focus on Israel and membership.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged the shortcomings of the council and emphasized the importance of U.S. leadership in driving meaningful change within the organization.

Established in 2006 to replace a discredited human rights commission, the council has faced criticism for allowing rights abusers to gain membership in order to protect themselves and their allies.

Cathy He and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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