Washington 'may quit UN rights body'

GENEVA - Talks with the United States over how to reform the main UN rights body have failed to meet Washington's demands, and diplomats say, suggesting that the Trump administration will quit the Geneva forum whose session opens on Monday.

A US source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the withdrawal appeared to be "imminent" but had no details.

Diplomatic sources said it was not a question of if but of when the US retreats from the Human Rights Council, which is holding a three-week session through July 6.

A separate US official in Geneva had no information about a looming pull-out during the upcoming talks, saying: "We are still moving ahead with our engagement for the coming session."

Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, publicly told the council a year ago that Washington might leave the body unless a "chronic anti-Israel bias" were removed.

The forum, set up in 2006, has a permanent standing agenda item on suspected violations committed by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories, which Washington wants removed.

Washington says the council is stacked with opponents of Israel and boycotted it for three years under President George W. Bush before rejoining under Barack Obama in 2009.

The 47-member forum last month voted to set up a probe into killings in Gaza and accused Israel of excessive use of force. The United States and Australia cast the only "no" votes. Israel's ambassador in Geneva, Aviva Raz Shechter, castigated the council for "spreading lies against Israel".

Lack of consensus

Talks held in Geneva and in New York for months could not find consensus around a new agenda, according to activists and diplomats who have taken part.

While the Trump administration has yet to announce a decision, any suspension or withdrawal would be the latest US rejection of multilateral engagement after pulling out of the Paris climate agreement and the deal with world powers over Iran's nuclear program.

The European Union failed to find a common position, mainly due to Belgium's wish to keep Israel firmly on the agenda of each session.

Swiss Ambassador Valentin Zellweger said: "The decision by the Americans will have a profound impact on the council. If they withdraw, we can expect significant consequences."

The United States had long played a "leadership role" in the council, Zellweger said.

Reuters