AKEL on US withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 21 June 2018, Nicosia

The United States’ announcement of their withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council on the justification that it is has a “chronic bias against Israel” follows the US withdrawal from UNESCO on the same excuse, the decision to withdraw from the agreement on Iran’s nuclear program at Israel’s demand and the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of the Israeli state in violation of UN resolutions. In other words, the Trump Government is openly encouraging Israel’s policy against the Palestinians, in favour of the occupation, settlements, killings of civilians and the inhuman Gaza blockade.

 At the same time, the US decision follows the dramatic scenes at immigrant detention centres, given that US authorities have been implementing an abhorrent policy of separating children from their parents and detaining them in large cages for some months now. It is therefore in one sense to be expected that a country with such a government will not have a seat in the UN Human Rights Council. It is again reaffirmed that the US is the last country in the world in a position to give lessons to others on democracy and human rights.

AKEL joins its voice with the international wave of condemnation of Tramp’s policy both internally, as well as internationally.