Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s October 13 statement on the election of China, Russia, and Cuba to the United Nations Human Rights Council condemns the organization’s “embrace of authoritarian regimes,” and says the incident is further evidence that the Trump administration was right to withdraw the U.S. from the Human Rights Council.
The following is a translation of the full text of Secretary Pompeo’s statement.
Statement on the UN Human Rights Council’s Embrace of Authoritarian Regimes
In 2018, President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the United Nations Human Rights Council because of its consistent pattern of anti-Israeliism and its membership provisions that allowed the world’s worst human rights abusers to be elected and have seats on the Council. Prior to this decision, and since our withdrawal, the United States has been urging UN member states to take immediate action to reform the Council before it becomes irredeemable. Unfortunately, these calls have been ignored. Today, the U.N. General Assembly re-elected countries with terrible human rights records, including China, Russia, and Cuba. Venezuela will be elected in 2019.
These elections only further justify the U.S. decision to withdraw and use other avenues and opportunities to defend and promote human rights. For example, in September, the United States hosted a landmark side event during the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting week that focused on the continued importance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Last year, President Trump hosted a landmark event on religious freedom.
The U.S. commitment to human rights goes far beyond rhetoric. Through State Department actions, we have punished human rights abusers in Xinjiang, Burma, Iran, and elsewhere. Our commitment is clearly articulated in the United Nations Declaration and in our record of action. The United States is a force for good in the world, and will remain so forever.
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