US seeks seat on UN Human Rights Council three years after Trump withdrawal
- Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US will seek election to the rights body for the 2022-24 term
- Washington’s departure left a void that China and others have been eager to fill at the council
“I’m pleased to announce the United States will seek election to the Human Rights Council for the 2022-24 term,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the council in a video message.
“We humbly ask for the support of all UN member states in our bid to return to a seat in this body.”
The US announced earlier this month that it would re-engage with the 47-member council after Trump’s administration pulled the country out in June 2018.
He complained about its “unrelenting bias” against Israel and the “hypocrisy” of allowing rights-abusing nations a seat at the table. The US departure left a void that China and others have been eager to fill at the council.
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While Washington has vowed to begin active participation in the council’s activities immediately, it could not automatically regain the membership it walked away from three years ago.
Elections for the next term will be held towards the end of this year.
“The United States is placing democracy and human rights at the centre of our foreign policy, because they are essential for peace and stability,” Blinken told the council’s main annual session, which this year is being held mainly virtually due to the pandemic.
US pulls out of UN Human Rights Council
“This commitment is firm and grounded in our own experience as a democracy, imperfect and often falling short of our own ideals, but striving always for a more inclusive, respectful, and free country,” he said.
“Institutions are not perfect,” he said.
“As the United States re-engages, we urge the Human Rights Council to look at how it conducts its business. That includes its disproportionate focus on Israel,” he said.
“In addition, we will focus on ensuring that the council membership reflects high standards for upholding human rights,” he added.
The US has long complained that prominent rights abusers are given seats on the council.
Currently the membership includes China, Russia, and Venezuela, along with Cuba, Cameroon, Eritrea and the Philippines.
“Those with the worst human rights records should not be members of this council,” Blinken said. “We must work together to improve the work and membership of the council so it can do even more to advance the rights of people around the world.”
