United States withdrawal from UN Human Rights Council

After yesterdays’ announcement of the United States to pull out from the UN Human Rights Council, the current President of the Council today defended the work of the Geneva-based United Nations body.
Vojislav Suc stated that “the United States of America announced last night at 11:00 pm Geneva time their decision to withdraw their membership from the Human Rights Council”.
Suc added that “if human rights issues are not discussed here, in this very room, they have little chance to be dealt with meaningfully anywhere else. The Council provides a unique setting to hear a wide range of views, including those which other organizations are unable or unwilling to discuss”.
Suc said that “concerning our next steps, as soon as the notification of withdrawal is formally received, action will be taken accordingly. A new member will have to be elected as soon as possible to replace the United States for the remainder of its term”.
Slovenia’s President Borut Pahor, who addressed the Human Rights Council today, also mentioned the US’s withdrawals in his speech. He said that “it is a bad news. It is a bad news for this Council, it is a bad news, I think, for the United Nations, it is a bad news, I think, for the United States, it is a bad news for everybody who takes care about human rights”.
President Pahor urged that “we should together endeavour to improve the work of this Human Rights Council which is among the most important bodies for protection of human rights. If it is believed that there should be reforms of its work – and it should – we should most seriously and keeping in mind its function – promotion and protection of human rights – try by dialogue and working together to introduce the necessary reforms”.
Borut Pahor noted in his remarks that “the Human Rights Council without the USA will be weaker but also endeavours of the USA in protecting and promoting human rights throughout the world will be weaker as well”.
The Human Rights Council is a 47-state body entrusted with protecting and promoting human rights, one of the three pillars set out in the U.N. Charter, along with ensuring peace, security, and international development.
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