USA leaving the Human Rights Council - absurdity or necessity?

Donald Trump startles the world yet again by withdrawing the United States from the United Nations Human Rights Council

                 On the 20th June 2018 shocking news was broadcasted around the world, the United State of America declared its withdrawal from the Human Rights Council, a decision seen by many as absurd, unprecedented and irrational, which leads to the question, is international cooperation meaningless to Donald Trump?

The Human Rights Council
                 The United Nations is the medium through which the countries of the world can present problems and collectively resolve pressing dilemmas through means such as mutual cooperation and planning in order to achieve Global well-being.
Founded on the 24th October 1945, roughly one month after the end of the Second World War,  is the largest Intergovernmental Organisation in the world. This global institution aimed to use the failed League of Nations as the foundation upon which the framework of a new international body could be built.
Unlike its predecessor the organisation successfully expanded to the point that what were initially 51 member states rapidly  became 193 member states and 2 observer countries, highlighting the participation of every state and independent territory around the world.  
                 Over a the short time span of 73 years the United Nations developed and thrived from a relatively small organisation to an internationally respected and highly influential democratic body for nations to mutually cooperate in an ever-growing globalised scenario. Unlike its predecessor, the UN was organised, effective and influential with regards to tackling issues of global significance and in securing peace and guarantee international development.
                 The organisation is split into six main internal organs as a means of better tackling the issues the UN has committed itself to resolving, these organs are the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Secretariat, International Court of Justice and finally the UN Trusteeship Council alongside several agencies such as the World Bank Group, World Health Organisation (WHO), World Food Programme, UESCO and UNICEF. All of which act to implement significant, long-lasting and fundamental international change
                 Among the most notable of these organs is the Human Rights Council, formed in 2006. This body seeks to promote and protect human rights around the world. For this, 47 member states of the UN are elected for three-year terms. The council itself oversees the freedoms of expression, belief, religion, women’s rights alongside ratio and ethnical minorities as a means of guaranteeing that these rights are safeguarded for all peoples of the world.

The United States and Groupwork
                 Over the course of one year the Trump administration has on numerous equations taken the press by storm. The unpredictability of the actions of Trumps administration is one of the factors which continue to surprise even the most knowledgeable and experienced political analysts.
From a ground-breaking meeting with the North Korean leader Kim John Un, to a ‘Fake News’ scandal, warming relationships with Vladimir Putin’s Russia and a unreasonable Trade War with China it seems as though Donald Trump is more interested in his image on the press rather than effective governing.
A mere four months ago the Trump administration declared a trade war on Xi Jinping’s China, an announcement which made international investors worried over stock prices and the future of economic trade. The trade sanctions imposed amount to a 25% tariff on US$34 billion worth of Chinese goods imported yearly by the USA, a trade war which according to Donald Trump is ‘good and easy to win’.
However, what is even more surprising is the dust of the China-US trade war has yet to settle and Donald Trump already wreaked havoc by lighting yet another bonfire. This time the topic does not regard economy and trade but instead the United Nations, International Cooperation and most importantly the protection of the fundamental human rights.
On 20th of June 2018 the Trump Administration astonished the world by declaring the withdrawal of the United States of America from the United Nations Human Rights Council. According to Whitehouse Spokesman and important Advisors the Council, which works towards promoting and protecting human rights on a global scale, is nothing more than a “hypocritical” organ that “makes a mockery of human rights”.
The American Secretary of State Mike Pompeo explored how “some of the world’s most serious [human rights] offenders [are] sitting on the council itself”, this same man acted as the Whitehouse spokesman when the USA withdrew from the Iran Nuclear Deal stating how the agreement was an Obama-era nuclear deal “built on lies”.
It seems as though the Trump Administration is determined to rewrite past actions made by the United States. Donald Trump is so keen to ‘Make America Great’ again that he has decided to abandon multilateral international cooperation and opt for a solo approach to international affairs.
Only a few months after his rise to the presidential office Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate accord, which according to Trump himself would “undermine the US economy” and thus places the country at a “permanent disadvantage”.
Trump’s unwillingness to deal with international affairs which share no immediate gains in the realm of politics, the economy and the media has led to an increase in global tensions and the uncertainty of what the United States will do next.


What we conclude once again from Donald Trump’s recent press appearance is that this is a man who is ready to go towards any length to defend his nationalist ideologies and the interests of the USA in the international scenario and shall regularly continue to baffle the world over the course of his candidacy. Donald Trump’s foreign policy is a lose gun which, if not controlled, will unavoidably fire a bullet-to-the-knee of international cooperation, one which we shall not recover so easily from.



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