US allies, including Australia and the European Union, have joined voices expressing disappointment and regret that the United States is quitting the UN’s main human rights body.
Diplomats from several countries made the statements in a brief break in the Human Rights Council’s regular schedule on Wednesday to allow for comments about the Trump administration’s decision Tuesday to pull out from the 47-member council.
The US is the first country to exit voluntarily in the council’s 12-year history.
Elizabeth Wilde, deputy head of mission in Geneva for Australia, said her country “shares many of the US’s concerns about the HRC,” but will continue to support the council “despite its flaws.”
President Borut Pahor of Slovenia — the home country of US first lady Melania Trump — said the American withdrawal was “bad news” for the council, the United Nations, the US and “everybody” who cares about human rights.
Earlier, deputy permanent representative Yu Jianhua of China — which has sporadically faced US criticism over its human rights record — said his delegation was “disappointed” about the US pullout. He said: “All delegations attach great importance to this body.”
— AP
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