Trump withdraws the US from the UN Human Rights Council — see why
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Today, U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to issue an executive order to once again withdraw the United States from the UN Human Rights Council and to ban future funding for the UN aid agency for Gaza. Interestingly, during his previous term, Trump withdrew the United States from the same Council.
This possibility is stated in a document obtained by POLITICO.
What Trump is unhappy with?
The United States has long accused the council of being biased toward Israel and shielding governments from human rights abuses. It comes after the Biden administration suspended funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, known as UNRWA, following reports that staffers participated in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
The White House, in a fact sheet obtained by POLITICO, said the council "has failed to serve its purpose and continues to be used as a shield for countries that commit heinous human rights abuses" and condemned its stance on Israel.
"The Human Rights Committee has demonstrated a persistent bias against Israel, giving it unfair and disproportionate attention at Council meetings. In 2018, when President Trump withdrew from the UN Human Rights Council during his first administration, the organization passed more resolutions condemning Israel than Syria, Iran, and North Korea combined," the document reads.
But human rights organizations and some lawmakers argue that the Human Rights Council is an important, if flawed, organization that monitors human rights violations around the world, POLITICO notes.
As a reminder, on January 30, Donald Trump evaded a direct answer to journalists' questions about possible contacts with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. He only said that "things are going very well in both directions".
As a reminder, in October 2024, Ukraine received a third of the ammunition under the Czech initiative. The rest was to arrive by the end of the year.
