Critics and friends expressed support for the council, flaws and all, and vowed its work will go on. “We have lost a member who has been at the forefront of liberty for generations,” Julian Braithwaite, Britain’s ambassador in Geneva, told the council. “While we agree with the US on the need for reform, our support for this Human Rights Council remains steadfast.”
Russia blasted the US decision, calling it “boorish” and saying Washington had “inflicted a powerful blow to its human rights reputation.” Russia’s UN mission said in a statement that the U.S. exit from the Council reflected Washington’s unilateralist approach to global affairs.
The US withdrawal is unprecedented in the 12-year history of the 47-member council — no country has ever dropped out voluntarily. libya was kicked out seven years ago.
The US pullout leaves the council without one of its traditional defenders of human rights. Just two days ago, American representatives were still taking part by condemning issues like constraints on civil society in Egypt and curbs on a free Press in Bahrain.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office called the US decision “courageous,” saying it was “an unequivocal statement that enough is enough.”
But envoys from Australia, the European Union and China — a frequent target of US criticism over Beijing’s rights record — used a break in the council’s regular work to express disappointment and regret. President Borut Pahor of Slovenia — the home country of US first lady Melania Trump — said the American withdrawal was “bad news” for “everybody” who cares about human rights.
The Chinese Government also expressed regret over Washington’s decision. In Beijing, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said the council is “an important platform” for countries to discuss human rights and that Beijing has been committed to supporting the group’s work.