The Biden administration said Wednesday that the United States will hold elections to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), almost three years after former President Donald Trump withdrew from the body, according to a report.
“I am pleased to announce that the United States will hold elections to the Human Rights Council for the 2022-24 term,” Foreign Minister Antony Blinken told Reuters. “We humbly ask for the support of all UN member states in our efforts to return to a seat in this body.”
The decision is likely to provoke criticism from those in the pro-Israel community and conservative legislatures. Trump resigned from the UNHRC in 2018 after accusing the world body’s main agency for human rights of having a prejudice against Israel.
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In 2018, a senior official said the council adopted more resolutions that year condemning Israel than Iran, Syria and North Korea combined.
“While the United States is entering into talks again, we call on the Human Rights Council to look into how it is doing its business. This includes the excessive focus on Israel,” Blinken added, according to Reuters.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken will address the State Department in Washington on Thursday, February 4, 2021. (AP Photo / Evan Vucci)
The Trump administration has also criticized the body’s membership, which currently includes China, Cuba, Eritrea, Russia and Venezuela – all of which are accused of human rights abuses.
Hillel Neuer, the executive director of the UN Watch advocacy group, said the Obama administration had a “tendency to become a cheerleader for the council.” He called on the Biden government to call the council ‘abusive’ instead.
Annual elections for three years of 47-member council membership usually take place each year in October at the UN General Assembly. The UK was elected as a member and began its three-year term last month.
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The U.S. involvement in the council and its predecessor, the UN Commission on Human Rights, has been a political footballer between Republican and Democratic governments for decades. Although the Democratic presidents acknowledged the shortcomings, they usually wanted to sit at the table while the Republicans abandoned their criticism of Israel.
Trump has also walked away from the Paris Climate Agreement, the Iran nuclear deal, the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO and several arms control treaties.
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Since taking office, Biden has rejoined the Paris Agreement and the WHO and has been interested in returning to the Iran Agreement as well as UNESCO.
Earlier this month, Blinken said the U.S. would initially liaise with the council in observation status.
Associated Press contributed to this report