UN, Russia call on US to rethink Human Rights Council move

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the United States today to rethink its decision to pull out of the world's top human rights body, calling it a "key tool" in efforts to combat abuse.

Washington's envoy to the United Nations announced the US withdrawal from the 47-nation UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday.

Nikki Haley accused the Geneva-based council of "chronic bias against Israel" and cited the membership of countries with poor human rights records such as China, Cuba, Venezuela and Congo.

Speaking to reporters during a visit to Moscow, Guterres said he "would much prefer for the United States to remain in the Human Rights Council."
He added: "I do believe that the human rights architecture is a key tool at the present moment in order to promote and to protect human rights around the world."
Antoine Madelin of the Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights told The Associated Press: "You're either with us or against us, that is the sense of the letter."