US ambassador lambasts UN rights council

[Naijaloaded]

BOOK INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS TICKETS LOCAL FLIGHTS HOTELS BOOKINGS WORLDWIDE AND MORE AT CHEAPEST RATE EVER! CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR FLIGHT AND RECEIVE YOUR FLIGHT TICKET INSTANTLY

Loading...

Visiting Geneva, US envoy Nikki Haley has slammed the makeup of the UN human rights council and its "anti-Israel bias." She also threatened US withdrawal if it failed to rid itself of abusive regimes.

Haley delivered twin addresses Tuesday, first telling the council that violator nations should not be allowed seats, and then a university audience that the US could advance human rights outside the body "if it fails to change."
Jorge Valero, the UN-Geneva ambassador for conflict-torn Venezuela replied that the United States had "no moral authority" to lecture on human rights.

Challenged by a questioner during her address at Geneva's Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Haley said the Trump administration was not "gonna commit today whether we're gonna stay in or out of the Human Rights Council."

Haley reiterated US concerns about what she termed the council's "chronic anti-Israel bias," epitomized by a regular council agenda item known as Item 7.
Her earlier speech, directly to the council, with 47 rotating members, was the first by an American UN ambassador since its creation in 2006. It was boycotted by the past Bush administration but obtained a seat in 2009 under Barack Obama.

Membership reform urged

Haley urged the council to reform its seating by switching to an election process within the UN General Assembly - based on a nation's record - to replace the council's existing regional nomination system.
Singling out Venezuela, she said "it should voluntarily step down from its seat "until it can get its own house in order."
She also called for strong council resolutions on abuses in Syria, Eritrea, Belarus, Ukraine and the Democratic Republic of Congo, at its current session.

UN rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein also upbraided Venezuela and other council members, including Egypt, the Philippines and Burundi.