President Trump is expected to sign an executive order withdrawing the United States from the U.N. Human Rights Council and halting future funding for the U.N. relief agency for Gaza, according to a document obtained by POLITICO.
The U.S. has long criticized the council for alleged bias against Israel and for shielding governments accused of human rights violations. The move, reinstating policies from Trump’s previous administration, comes just one day before he is set to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington.
In a fact sheet obtained by POLITICO, the White House stated that the council “has not fulfilled its purpose and continues to be used as a protective body for countries committing horrific human rights violations,” while also condemning its stance on Israel.
The executive order will also direct Secretary of State Marco Rubio to review international organizations, conventions, and treaties that “promote radical or anti-American sentiment,” with a specific focus on UNESCO, the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The U.S. officially withdrew from UNESCO in 2019, citing anti-Israel bias.
The decision marks another shift in the U.S.’s complex history with the U.N. Human Rights Council. The U.S. engaged with the council under Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, while Presidents George W. Bush and Trump previously opted to disengage.
