WASHINGTON _ The Trump administration said Tuesday it is withdrawing from the United Nations body that oversees human rights around the globe, saying the 47-nation council has shown an "unconscionable" bias against Israel.
The decision to leave the U.N. Human Rights Council was the latest multinational institution or treaty that the administration has abandoned, sometimes upending years of U.S. policy, and comes as the White House has largely ignored human rights concerns in foreign policy.
Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, announced the decision at the State Department. She blasted what she called the council's "disproportionate, politically motivated focus" on Israel and the group's membership, which includes governments that themselves have egregious human rights records, such as China and Venezuela.
"We have no doubt there was once a noble vision for this council, (but) today it is a poor defender of human rights," said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who accompanied Haley.
Pompeo said the council has become a "shameless" bastion of hypocrisy that "shields" and "enables" some of the world's most corrupt and abusive countries.
The U.S. departure deprives the council of a major voice in fighting for human rights and eliminates the strongest defender of Israel on the body.
