US replacement on HR Council soon

UNITED NATIONS: The head of the UN Human Rights Council said Wednesday that the election of a new member state to replace the United States, which has withdrawn from the Geneva-based body, would take place "as soon as possible" to fill the vacant seat, as the world expressed regrets and disappointment over the Trump administration's move.

The development follows an announcement on Tuesday by Nikki Haley, US Ambassador to the UN, that the US was pulling out after repeated warnings during the past year that the Council was biased against Israel and in need of major reform.

Speaking hours after the US move, Vojislav Suc, the president of the 47-member Council, said that the poll would take place once US "notification of withdrawal is formally received". Members are elected by majority vote at the UN General Assembly in New York and Suc told the council in Geneva that he intended to "be in touch" with its President, Miroslav Lackack, about choosing a replacement to complete the unfinished US term. Commenting on the development, Lajcak's office issued a statement noting his regret at the move.

The US had traditionally played a "strong human rights advocacy role" across the world, the text explained, before adding that in view of today''s global challenges, the President of the General Assembly "believes that our collective work to ensure a better world will benefit from more dialogue and collaboration not less.

"Also reacting to the US decision, UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al-Hussein described it as "disappointing, if not really surprising". The US should be "stepping up, not stepping back" given the state of human rights today, the UN High Commissioner tweeted, echoing comments by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that he would have "much preferred" the US to remain. At the start of the Council's thirty-eighth session on Monday" which is also Zeid's last session before his mandate ends he defended multilateralism and rounded on the rise of what he described as hauvinistic nationalism as the greatest threat to the world.

Too many Governments had failed to make a success of the UN by "feigning a commitment to the common effort", the High Commissioner continued, before highlighting rights concerns in more than 20 countries, including Israel and the US. Under General Assembly rules, membership of the Human Rights Council is open to all UN Member States.