Russia criticises US exit from UN human rights council


FE Team | Published: June 20, 2018 16:08:52 | Updated: June 21, 2018 14:40:13


United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley speaks to reporters at United Nations headquarters. Haley says the US is withdrawing from UN Human Rights Council, calling it ‘not worthy of its name.’ AP photo.

Russia says that the US exit from the United Nations’ Human Rights Council reflects Washington’s unilateralist approach to global affairs.

The US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, announced the pullout Tuesday, criticising the council for “its chronic bias against Israel” and pointing out that it includes accused human rights abusers such as China, Cuba, Venezuela and Congo.

Russia’s UN mission responded in a statement that the US had tried but failed to turn the Council into an “obedient instrument for advancing their interests and punishing the countries it dislikes.”

It added that the US criticism of the council for failing to make changes advocated by Washington appears ‘cynical.’

The Russian mission described the council as a “key international platform for cooperation in protecting human rights.”

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