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A8 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 21 June 2018

The Latest: UN awaiting formal US notice on quitting council

Associated Press — whether it's the council
MOSCOW (AP) — The U.N. or the high commissioner
General Assembly says it's for human rights — to judge
waiting for notification from our performance or give us
the United States that it is advice on how to imple-
withdrawing from the Hu- ment the Constitution."
man Rights Council, which U.S. allies, including Aus-
is the first step toward the tralia and the European
election of a replacement. Union, have joined voices
Assembly spokesman expressing disappointment
Brenden Varma told re- and regret that the United
porters Wednesday that States is quitting the U.N.'s
the 2006 resolution creat- main human rights body.
ing the Geneva-based Diplomats from several
council doesn't mention countries made the com-
possible withdrawal but it ments in a brief break in the
does specify the way its 47 Human Rights Council's reg-
seats are to be distributed ular schedule on Wednes-
among the U.N.'s five re- day to allow for comments
gional groups. about the Trump admin-
Since the United States is istration's decision Tues-
a member of the mainly day to pull out from the
Western group, a candi- The US name sign is photographed one day after the United States announced its withdrawal at 47-member council.
date or candidates will the 38th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Wednesday. June 20, 2018. The U.S. is the first country to
have to come from that exit voluntarily in the coun-
group, known as the West Dujarric said the council, leaving the U.N. Human that share U.S. goals, "but cil's 12-year history.
European and Others which reviews the human Rights Council. not with ones who under- Elizabeth Wilde, deputy
Group. rights records of U.N., and Haley criticized the non- mine them." head of mission in Geneva
Once the country name special investigators who governmental organiza- The U.S. national security for Australia, said her coun-
or names are submitted, work on rights issues "play tions in a letter the day af- adviser has defended the try "shares many of the U.S.'s
a date will be selected by a critical role in protect- ter she announced the U.S. Trump administration's de- concerns about the HRC,"
the U.N. and Assembly Pres- ing and promoting human was exiting the council. A cision to pull out of the Unit- but will continue to sup-
ident Miroslav Lajcak for rights across the world." copy of the letter was ob- ed Nations Human Rights port the council "despite its
election by the 193-mem- He says Guterres made tained by The Associated Council, saying "we don't flaws." President Borut Pa-
ber General Assembly. these points when U.S. Am- Press Wednesday. need advice by the U.N. hor of Slovenia — the home
The United Nations is stress- bassador Nikki Haley called Haley says the organiza- or other international bod- country of U.S. first lady
ing that human rights are "a him Tuesday to give him "a tions wrote a joint letter to ies on how to govern our- Melania Trump — said the
pillar" of the organization's heads up" about the U.S. members of the Human selves." American withdrawal was
work and its secretary- action. Rights Council urging them John Bolton told Fox News "bad news" for the coun-
general wants all member Dujarric said: "The secre- to oppose a U.S.-sponsored on Wednesday the deci- cil, the United Nations, the
states to "engage actively" tary-general would want resolution to reform it. She sion was made by President U.S. and "everybody" who
in the Human Rights Coun- to see a United States that says they tried to "block ne- Donald Trump weeks ago cares about human rights.
cil and other parts of the is involved and engaged gotiations" and "thwart re- and had nothing to do with Earlier, deputy permanent
U.N.'s "human rights archi- throughout the U.N. sys- form." Haley says that was high commissioner's criti- representative Yu Jianhua
tecture." tem." "a contributing factor" in cism of the U.S. immigration of China — which has spo-
U.N. spokesman Stepha- U.S. Ambassador to the the U.S. decision to leave policies. radically faced U.S. criti-
ne Dujarric responded to United Nations Nikki Haley the council. He said the exit is about U.S. cism over its human rights
questions on Wednesday is accusing human rights Haley urged the groups to self-government, saying it's record — said his delega-
about Secretary-General groups of undermining the play a constructive, not "an assertion of American tion was "disappointed"
Antonio Guterres' response United States and putting destructive, role in human determination to stick by about the U.S. pullout. He
to the U.S. withdrawal from themselves "on the side of rights in the future. She add- its Constitution and not to said: "All delegations at-
the Geneva-based coun- Russia and China" by seek- ed the U.S. will work with recognize that there's some tach great importance to
cil. ing to prevent the U.S. from non-governmental groups higher authority at the U.N. this body."q