The United States on Tuesday announced it has withdrawn from the United Nations Human Rights Council over an anti-Israel bias.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley made the announcement at a press conference.
This is the first time a member country has left the council voluntarily.
Washington has decided to walk out of the UN Human Rights Council. The US has long cited concerns about the body’s “anti-Israel bias.” https://t.co/l7yNY3ksLl
— RT (@RT_com) June 19, 2018
There are 47 members on the Human Rights Council.
CNN and Reuters reported earlier Tuesday that the announcement was expected, according to their sources. CNN was first to break the news.
The U.S. and other member states have been having talks about reforming the council’s purpose, which the U.S. believes has been singling out Israel.
The U.S. also wants to be able to expel member states who partake in human rights violations, and set stricter criteria for membership.
The U.N. Human Rights Council is based in Geneva, Switzerland.
