U.S. representatives quit a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, July 28th after France called out Washington’s voting on human rights by comparing it to that of authoritarian states.
Last week the U.S. (like North Korea and Russia) voted against extending Volker Turk‘s term as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. In response, France’s UN mission took to X, formerly Twitter—lumping it with North Korea and Russia—bemoaned how
The U.S. used to be a beacon of human rights. Not anymore.
Washington’s ambassador Mike Waltz accused Paris of backing Turk, who had been “lecturing” democratic countries (likely referring to Israel) while “cozying up to the world’s worst oppressors.” The U.S. walkout came during a speech by French ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont, part of an emergency Security Council meeting on Russia’s war in Ukraine. Ambassador Dan Negrea said his delegation would keep protesting until its French counterparts renounce “their condescending and disrespectful rhetoric.”
Last year the Trump administration cut funding for UN agencies, prompting officials to panic.
