— This is the script of CNBC's news report for China's CCTV on June 20, 2018, Wednesday.
This time, it is not surprised that US announced to withdraw from UN Human Right Council after it withdrew from several international institutions. Let’s have a look of the reflection from different angles. First, the U.S. and this institution already have disagreements on several issues. First of all, the UN Human Rights Council launched an internal poll regarding conducting investigation on the human rights problems in Gaza and accused Israel of excessive use of force. We know that when the former U.S. President Bush in position, the US had resisted the human rights council for 3 years, taking the human rights council is full of the enemy of Israel as a reason. The US re-joined this institution till Obama won the white house in 2009. Second, Trump government takes “zero tolerance” policy to illegal immigrants, being accused by many parties including the UN.
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Hussein criticized Trump government’s immigration policy on 18th, June. He thinks that forcing children to be separated from their immigrant parents that happens on the boarder of America and Mexico can’t guarantee the children’ rights and will cause unreversed lifelong impact to them, however, Trump posted several Twitter on 18th, indicating that he would not allow the tragedy of European immigrant happens again in US. Therefore, it is believed that the Israeli issue and the recent immigration policy eventually led US and UN Human Rights Council go different ways again.
[NIKKI HALEY l U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UN] "For too long the Human Rights Council has been a protector of human rights abusers and a cesspool of political bias. Regrettably, it is now clear that our call for reform was not headed. Human rights abusers continue to serve on and be elected to the council. The world's most inhumane regimes continue to escape scrutiny"
After US withdrew from this council, Secretary-General of the UN Guterres made a statement through speaker, saying that he still wants the US staying in this council, additionally, he said that the UN human rights system play an important role in the world regarding prompting and protect human rights.
At the same time, Boris Johnson, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs also said that this decision that the US withdrew from the UN human rights council is “regrettable”. Meanwhile, in US society, there are many people worry the US will continue to withdraw from different councils. How many council has the US withdraw from since Trump in position?
Let’s list that: US withdraw withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement on 23rd Jan last year; US withdrew from the Paris climate agreement on 2nd June last year; US withdrew from the UNESCO 13th Oct last year; US withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal on 8th May this year, adding US withdrew from the UN human rights council this time, US has a more and more longer withdraw list.
There are concerns that withdrawing from those councils will cause the US to loss leadership and influence on many international issues.