The U.S. will withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley announced Tuesday. The decision to exit the U.N. comes after more than a year of calling for reform, and accusing it of an anti-Israel bias. However, it also comes just one day after its High Commissioner criticized the U.S. over President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, especially separating families at the U.S.-Mexican border. Haley blasted the U.N. body as a “hypocritical and self-serving organization that makes a mockery of human rights” and “is not worthy of its name.” She said that after repeated warnings by the Trump administration, “Regrettably, it is now clear that our call for reform was not heeded.” In her remarks Tuesday, Haley specifically cited countries like Venezuela and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, both of which are members of the body. The Human Rights Council was created in 2006 after its precursor the Human Rights Commission was disbanded by then-Secretary General Kofi Annan because of a “credibility deficit.” The body consists of 47 member states, with a specific number of seats given to each region of the world.
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