Sen. Chris Coons was among those who were dismayed at the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw, said, “The U.N. Human Rights Council isn’t perfect, but withdrawing the United States from this important body sends a clear message that the Trump administration does not intend to lead the world when it comes to human rights, it also makes it harder for the United States to prevent the Human Rights Council from taking positions we oppose.“

The withdrawal was expected and the Trump administration hinted at the idea over a year ago, and with the appointment of John Bolton as National Security Advisor of the United States, the withdrawal was not as much an “if,” but a “when.” The United States withdrew on Tuesday from what Haley dubbed a “hypocritical and self-serving” Human Rights Council over what it called chronic bias against Israel and a lack of reform. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, appearing alongside Haley at the State Department, said there was no doubt that the council once had a “noble vision.”

But today we need to be honest,” Pompeo said. On Monday, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein addressed the locking up of immigrant children in camps by the U.S. in a statement to the 38th session of the Human Rights Council saying, “In the past six weeks, nearly two thousand children have been forcibly separated from their parents.
The United States announces its withdrawal from the United Nations Human Rights Council.