New York: The United States on Wednesday called on the UN Human Rights Council to drop its “obsession with Israel” amid reports that the Trump administration is considering quitting the body.
In a speech before the Geneva-based council, US envoy Erin Barclay claimed the United States’ commitment to human rights “is stronger than ever”.
“Regrettably, too many of the actions of this council do not support these universal principles. Indeed, they contradict them,” said Barclay, the US deputy assistant secretary of state for international organisation affairs.
She cited ongoing abuses in Syria and North Korea, and noted in particular the top UN human rights body’s long-standing focus on Israel.
“The obsession with Israel... is the largest threat to this council’s credibility,” said Barclay, a career diplomat.
“When it comes to human rights, no country should be free from scrutiny, but neither should any democratic country be regularly subjected to unfair, unbalanced and unfounded bias,” she added.
After the United States abstained from voting, the UN Security Council passed a resolution in December demanding Israel stop building colonies on occupied Palestinian territory, a reversal of US practice to protect Israel from United Nations action.
The move, one of Obama’s last as US president, was widely praised globally with many countries commending the US for finally taking a stand against its top ally, Israel, which has flouted international law for decades with direct and tacit support from Washington.
The US declined to seek a seat on the 47-member council when it was formed in 2006, citing scepticism about the membership of some authoritarian states. It joined the council in 2009, after Obama’s election, and has played a key role rallying like-minded nations in condemning human rights abuses around the globe.
Barclay said the United States is dedicated to protecting and promoting universal human rights, including freedom of religion, freedom of assembly and freedom of speech.
“As we consider our future engagements, my government will be considering the council’s actions with an eye toward reform to more fully achieve the council’s mission to protect and promote human rights,” she said.
