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US delegation walks out of UN Security Council after French criticism
🇳🇱 Netherlands /Conflict & Security

US delegation walks out of UN Security Council after French criticism

From NRC Handelsblad · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • The U.S. delegation walked out of a UN Security Council meeting in protest after France criticized the U.S. on social media and in speeches.
  • The dispute began with France's social media post questioning the U.S. as a human rights beacon, referencing its vote against reappointing the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
  • The U.S. accused France of hypocrisy, saying it coddles human rights abusers while criticizing democratic nations, leading to the walkout during a Ukraine war meeting.

The United States delegation staged a rare walkout from a United Nations Security Council meeting Monday, demonstrating anger over French criticism leveled both on social media and in person. The dramatic departure occurred during a session focused on the war in Ukraine.

The United States were once 'a beacon of human rights.' That time is now over.

— French UN mission in GenevaThis quote is from a French social media post criticizing the U.S. after a UN vote, sparking the diplomatic incident.

The diplomatic spat ignited Friday after the French UN mission in Geneva posted on X, formerly Twitter, questioning the U.S. standing as a human rights advocate. The post referenced the U.S. vote against a second term for Volker Türk as High Commissioner for Human Rights, whose first term ends in October. France argued that the U.S. was once "a beacon of human rights" but that time has passed, placing the U.S. in the company of nations like North Korea and Russia, and using the hashtag #AmericaAlone.

The country stands alone, 'in the same company as North Korea, Nicaragua, Mali and Russia. And the world no longer listens to it.'

— French UN mission in GenevaThis quote from the French social media post further elaborated on their criticism of the U.S. stance on human rights.

U.S. officials, including Deputy UN Ambassador Dan Negrea, pushed back, accusing France of hypocrisy. Negrea stated that France "coddles some of the worst human rights violators" while criticizing democratic nations. He asserted that the U.S. would not dignure France's "politicized nonsense" with its attention as long as such rhetoric continued. The walkout happened when French Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont began speaking, signaling a sharp escalation in the public dispute.

France is 'coddling some of the worst human rights violators' while lecturing free, sovereign democracies.

— Mike WaltzThis quote is from a U.S. official's response on X, accusing France of hypocrisy.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by NRC Handelsblad in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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