The United States regained its seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council on Thursday after former United States President Donald Trump's administration left the group in 2018 due to alleged hypocrisy and anti-Israel prejudice.
Despite the previous allegations on the council, U.S. President Joe Biden's administration has taken a far more supportive stance towards the 47-member council. The Democrat argued that American interests were better served if the country was part of the council and sought to change itself from within.
US in UN Human Rights Council
In a vote by the 193-member General Assembly, the United States won a three-year term for one of the council's 18 open seats. The council, which is based in Geneva, is regarded as the world's leading human rights body. It can undertake investigations that help change the global image of countries despite not having criminal enforcement or sanctioning powers.
The council also has the power to exert influence on the behavior of world countries if they consider them to have poor rights records. However, the council faces many critics who argue that many of its members are abusers of human rights themselves, citing nations like China, Russia, Cuba, and Venezuela, the New York Times reported.
On Thursday, Biden lauded the United States' election to the council, saying that he was grateful for the support of the nations that voted for America. The Democrat said he looked forward to the U.S. being, once again, a constructive voice that would help the council live up to its mandate and protect the values of its member nations.
In a statement, the current U.S. ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, celebrated America's reentry into the council. She noted that the country's initial efforts as part of the council will prioritize Afghanistan, Myanmar, China, Ethiopia, Syria, and Yemen. Thomas-Greenfield noted that the U.S.'s goals included supporting human rights defenders in speaking out against violations and abuses of human rights.
"More broadly, we will promote respect for fundamental freedoms and women's rights, and oppose religious intolerance, racial and ethnic injustices, and violence and discrimination against members of minority groups, including LGBTQI+ persons and persons with disabilities," said Thomas-Greenfield, CNN reported.
Allegations of Hypocrisy
However, the former UN ambassador, Nikki Haley, on Thursday said that Biden's reentry of the United States into the UN Human Rights Council was hypocritical. The former official said that the council suffered from controversies over human rights abuses of its own members. She also called the council a "cesspool."
Haley said that former President Trump distanced the United States from the council because he refused to lend the country's credibility, as the most generous country in the world, to cover for what she called the "worst tyrants and dictators." The former ambassador said Biden's actions were not just embarrassing, but dangerous for the American people.
Many others have criticized the council for having a sweeping anti-Israel bias, arguing that Israel was regularly discussed and condemned by council members. They also allegedly ignored human rights violations made by other countries, including those who were a member of the council, Fox News reported.
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