The United States is leaving the United Nations’ Human Rights Council, accusing the organisation of bias against Israel and pointing out that it includes accused human rights abusers such as China, Cuba, Venezuela and Congo. The announcement came a day after UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, denounced the Trump administration for separating migrant children from their
parents at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Prez Bhandari attends reception organized to mark Human Rights...
The 47-member UNHRC was created in 2006, with states selected for three-year terms by the UN General Assembly. The United States voted against its creation because it allowed human rights offenders to be seated, and didn’t join until 2009.
The council meets three times a year, and reviews the human rights records of all UN members in a process the body says gives countries the chance to say what they have done to improve human rights, according to BBC News. The council also sends out independent experts and has set up commissions of inquiry to report on human rights violations in countries including Syria, North Korea, Burundi, Myanmar and South Sudan.
