US Considering Withdrawal From UN Human Rights Council

The US administration is thinking over whether the nation should stay on the UN Human Rights Council roster that also includes what it regards as oppressive regimes, sourced told US media.

کد خبر: ۶۷۱۵۵۲

تاریخ: ۰۸ اسفند ۱۳۹۵ - ۱۱:۰۷

Sputnik — The news outlet was told that an imminent withdrawal from the 47-seat watchdog, which is due to meet for a 34th session this Monday, was not in question, but said US State Department chief Rex Tillerson had been increasingly skeptical of the UN body.

"There’s been a series of requests coming from the secretary of state's office that suggests that he is questioning the value of the US belonging to the Human Rights Council," the department’s former official familiar with the matter told Politico.

Some of the concerns are that the council has been targeting Israel, a key US ally, over its treatment of the Palestinian minority, including a perceived lenient jail term for an Israeli soldier who had killed an incapacitated Palestinian attacker. Washington has also been critical of the UN body for giving seats to China and Saudi Arabia.