United States: A US envoy said that President-elect Trump’s administration should remain an active member of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to address what she deemed as China’s “dangerous” influence.
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During his first term in office, Trump withdrew the United States from the international organization headquartered in Geneva, citing an anti-Israel bias. However, the US rejoined in 2022 under Joe Biden, who succeeded Trump.
Michele Taylor, who has served as Washington’s envoy to the council since said it was crucial to remain involved and that she intended to argue this with Trump’s advisors in a handover.
According to Taylor, “All of our priorities that are addressed at the council deserve to have the United States’ voice,” Reuters reported.
“Our understanding is that human rights belong to individuals, and China would really like to see that norm changing,” she added.

“I think it is very dangerous,” she continued, lamenting the possibility of seeing that view used as an example to explain arbitrary detentions.
China’s diplomatic mission
Until 2026, China was a member of the council, and they stated that every state should decide its own human rights and economic rights as equal to civil rights.
It frequently moves to avoid investigative look into the alleged violations, not to mention those of its own.
China’s diplomatic mission in Geneva responding to Taylor’s comments said it supports dialogue and cooperation on human rights and has had positive impacts in the council.
As it added, “On the contrary, the U.S. instrumentalises human rights as a weapon to serve its political agenda, while ignoring real human rights crises at home and abroad,” Reuters reported.
Currently with 47 elected members of the council and convening several times a year the UN has an exclusive intergovernmental body aiming at the defense of intrinsic global human rights.
It cannot make law but it: – convenes meetings that provoke attention – can order inquiries to establish infringements, which occasionally serve as the basis for war crimes trials.
From January, Washington will be without voting rights since its term expires in three years. The US struck out for a second term in what Taylor said was a decision made prior to the November 5 presidential election = Republican Donald Trump.
But it may have it in 2028, and, in the meantime, it can yet be invited to join as an observer. The council’s work can be influenced by debates and the private negotiations on motions by the observers.
As diplomats and UN officials say, when Trump had his first term, Washington skipped almost all discussions.