The US withdrew from the UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday, dealing a blow to human rights campaigners and efforts by US allies to keep Washington as a member.
The US made the decision after repeatedly failing to push through reforms. Secretary of state Mike Pompeo said the body was guilty of “shameless hypocrisy” that “enables human rights abuses by absolving wrongdoers through silence”.
Announcing the withdrawal, Nikki Haley, US ambassador to the UN, insisted the move was “not a retreat from human rights commitments”. The US would “continue to lead” on human rights, citing her work at the UN Security Council on Syria, Iran and Venezuela.