Secretary of State Antony Blinken again committed the United States to rejoin the United Nations Human Rights Council on Wednesday, three years after former President Donald Trump withdrew because of what his government called prejudice against Israel.
“I am here to reaffirm the United States’ commitment to respect and defend the human rights of all people, everywhere,” Blinken said in a video speech at the UN human rights body meeting.
It is the latest move by President Joe Biden’s government to undo Trump’s legacy of disengaging from international agreements and organizations.
Blinken said the United States seeks support for its election to the council for the 2022-24 term. Elections for the three-year members of the 47-member council are due to be held at the UN General Assembly in October.
Trump withdrew the US from the international body in 2018 after repeated threats of exit – a move that Blinken had previously said created “a US leadership vacuum”. Trump’s ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, at the time cited “chronic prejudice against Israel” for US withdrawal, calling it “hypocritical and selfish”.
The Trump administration and other critics also said the council was quick to ignore abuses of autocratic regimes and governments.
On Wednesday, Blinken praised the council’s track record and “significant role” in protecting fundamental freedoms, but asked the UN body to review “how it conducts its business”, including its “disproportionate focus on Israel”.
“We need to eliminate Item 7 from the Agenda and address the human rights situation in Israel and the Palestinian Territories in the same way that this body treats any other country,” said Blinken.
Israel, a close ally of the United States, is the only country in the world whose history of rights is discussed in all sessions of the council, in “Item 7” on the agenda. As a result, “Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories” has been part of the council’s regular business at all meetings, right after the council was formed in 2006.
Blinken also asked the council to ensure that its members reflect its mission. “Those with the worst human rights record should not be members of this Council,” he said.
Currently, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Russia and Venezuela are part of the body, all accused of abuses by human rights organizations.
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Earlier this month, Blinken said that Biden instructed the State Department “to engage immediately and vigorously” with the human rights council and the United States returned as observers.
Biden has so far adhered to several international treaties and organizations, including the Paris climate agreement and the World Health Organization – both of which have been rejected by Trump. The Biden government also said it was ready to negotiate with Iran over a nuclear deal that Trump had also abandoned in 2018.
In his speech, Blinken pledged to denounce abuses in Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba and Iran, and reiterated the US request for Russia to release opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who has been in prison since the beginning of this month. Blinken also spoke about the crackdown on Uighurs in Xinjiang, the suppression of fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong, the coup in Myanmar and human rights violations in North Korea.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
