We have proved an old proverb true once more. Pride comes before the fall. Today, it was the pride of a country and her leaders. So how long until we fall? On Tuesday June 19, 2018 Nikki Haley and Mike Pompeo announced the United States would be withdrawing from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). The HRC was founded in 2006, however the Bush administration was reluctant to sign on and the United States didn’t seek membership until 2009 under Obama. Critics of the both the UN and the UNHRC have long stated their concern for a council dedicated to human rights, when that council contains member states with abbismal standards for human rights. There were several reasons why Haley and Pompeo listed as to why the US felt the need to leave the council, however also insisted the United States would continue to uphold and further human rights.
The United States and Israel have had long standing relationships that have grown stronger under the Trump administration. The mistreatment of Israel is one of the many problems our government has with the UNHRC. Democrats and Republicans agree that the council has unfairly accused Israel of human rights abuse, while other more severe offenders are overlooked. While our government may not agree that Israel is responsible for human rights abuses, it can only be seen as a semantic argument. Israel has a long and well documented history of treating Palestinians as second rate citizens. The government regulates everything from where they live to their freedom of speech. Palestinian protests are put down with deadly force resulting in numerous Palestinian casualties each year. The Israeli Parliament frequently forces Palestinians to relocate as part of “Regularization Laws”. These laws allow for Palestinian land to be seized by the government for new construction projects, leaving the people homeless. Thankfully the high courts in Israel placed a hold on the law before it could do too much damage. Human Rights Watch reported on the brutal treatment of Palestinian prisoners during a hunger strike with the goal of better conditions. According to Israeli authorities, out of the six thousand prisoners involved, over a third of them were being held without a trial. Neither the Israeli or Palestinians are innocent in this conflict, but I fail to see how the United States doesn’t see these actions as inhumane.
Haley and Pompeo also accused the HRC of containing members that abuse and disregard human rights. Those nations listed were Venezuela, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There is no doubt as to whether these nations have committed numerous abuses against humanity, however the message sent is confusing. Nations do not join the HRC because everyone running them allows or commits abuses. They join because someone, somewhere has recognized things need to change. If the Trump administration truly has such deep feelings about these countries why do we import oil from Saudi Arabia and precious metals mined in the Congo? This issue is discussed in more detail in our article The Cost of Morality. At the same time the US is withdrawing from the UNHRC for human rights abuses, the President is shaking hands with Kim Jong Un. If we can negotiate with these countries in other settings, what’s different about the UN?
Lastly, we have the rebukes by Zeid Raad al-Hussein, the UN high commissioner on human rights, on the separation of parents and children at the border. For over a year Trump has been threatening to leave the HRC, but the timing seems suspicious to say the least. Are we pulling out of the HRC because of a moral obligation or a bruised ego? It honestly could be either. Morally, we cannot condone human rights abuses and nor should we, but are we innocent of them? No, the United States has been abusing human rights since 1776. Have we improved? Absolutely. Are we perfect? Absolutely not. The US is full of human rights abuses. Yet we still strive to better ourselves and our community, to raise ourselves to the standard we know ought to be achieved.
A dangerous double standard is being established. We’ve withdrawn from the largest and most influential group of nations trying to make a difference for one of two reasons. Either we withdrew because our ally was criticized, or we withdrew because the council has members guilty of the same crimes we are. It might not be to the same degree anymore, but our hands still aren’t clean. We still cause innocent deaths as collateral damage, we still have police brutality, and we still haven’t achieved true equality for our citizens. In short, we perpetuate the idea that human rights are nothing more than an idea. We do what we can to help it, but when push comes to shove our priorities lie in other areas. We have abandoned our principles for our pride. While we distance ourselves from countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, the DRC, and others, we also abandon their citizens humanity. The UNHRC has been able to make differences in nations around the world peacefully. If we aren’t willing to work with others towards human rights, are we working towards them at all?
Sources:
- Dwyer, C. (2018, June 19). U.S. Announces Its Withdrawal From U.N. Human Rights Council. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2018/06/19/621435225/u-s-announces-its-withdrawal-from-u-n-s-human-rights-council
- HRW. (2018, January 18). World Report 2018: Rights Trends in Israel and Palestine. Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2018/country-chapters/israel/palestine
- HRW. (2018, January 31). US: Trump’s First Year Sets Back Rights. Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/01/18/us-trumps-first-year-sets-back-rights
- Koran, L. (2018, June 19). US leaving UN Human Rights Council — ‘a cesspool of political bias’. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/19/politics/haley-pompeo-human-rights-bias/index.html
- UNHRC. (n.d.). Welcome to the Human Rights Council. Retrieved from https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/Pages/AboutCouncil.aspx