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US walks out on France at UN Security Council
🇵🇰 Pakistan

US walks out on France at UN Security Council

From Dawn · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The United States delegation walked out of a UN Security Council meeting as the French ambassador began speaking.
  • The walkout followed a sharp diplomatic dispute over human rights and the US opposition to extending the mandate of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk.
  • France criticized the US vote against the extension, comparing it to votes by Russia and North Korea, prompting a strong reaction from Washington.

A public confrontation erupted at the United Nations Security Council when the United States delegation walked out as France's ambassador started speaking. This dramatic gesture followed a heated diplomatic exchange concerning human rights and the US decision to oppose the extension of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk's mandate.

The US used to be a beacon of human rights. Not anymore.

— France's UN Mission in GenevaCriticizing the US vote against the extension of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights mandate.

The dispute escalated after a General Assembly vote where 144 countries supported extending Turk's four-year mandate, but the US was among only 10 nations that voted against it. France's UN Mission in Geneva publicly criticized Washington's stance, stating, "The US used to be a beacon of human rights. Not anymore." The French statement highlighted the US alignment with countries like Russia and North Korea in opposing the resolution, a comparison that angered the US.

The Trump administration argued that the UN human rights system had become politically biased, accusing the High Commissioner's office of unfairly targeting democratic nations while neglecting authoritarian regimes. US Representative Jeff Bartos warned of "consequences" and a potential reassessment of American funding for UN institutions.

consequences

— US Representative Jeff BartosWarning about the repercussions of the US stance on UN funding.

The disagreement moved to the Security Council chamber. After the US delegation returned, Alternate US Representative Dan Negrea denounced the French comments as "disingenuous grandstanding" and "politicised drivel." He stated Washington would boycott French statements until Paris retracted its "condescending and disrespectful rhetoric." US Ambassador Mike Waltz defended the walkout, accusing France of diverting attention from its own actions and of supporting Turk's reappointment, which he claimed amounted to "coddling some of the world's worst human rights abusers."

disingenuous grandstanding

— Alternate US Representative Dan NegreaDescribing French comments on the US human rights stance.

France, however, defended its position and the independence of the UN human rights system. Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont did not directly address the American walkout but emphasized the historic Franco-American relationship and France's commitment to the UN system.

politicised drivel

— Alternate US Representative Dan NegreaDescribing French comments on the US human rights stance.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dawn. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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