GENEVA (Reuters) – A U.S. envoy told Reuters that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s team must remain active at the United Nations Human Rights Council, in part to combat what she described as the “dangerous” influence ” from China.
In his first term, Trump left the Geneva-based body, citing an anti-Israel bias. The US returned to participate in 2022 under the command of Trump’s successor, Joe Biden. Michele Taylor, who has been Washington’s envoy to the council since then, said it’s important to stay engaged and that she plans to present that to the Trump team as part of the transition.
“All of our priorities that are addressed in the council deserve to have the voice of the United States,” Taylor told Reuters in an interview.
“Our understanding is that human rights belong to individuals and China would really like to see that norm changing,” she said. “I think it’s very dangerous,” she added, expressing concern that China’s views could be used, for example, to justify arbitrary detentions.
China, a member of the council until 2026, has stated that each state must choose its own path in terms of human rights and that economic rights are as important as civil rights. She regularly objects to the analysis of alleged violations, including her own.
China’s diplomatic mission in Geneva said in response to Taylor’s comments that it promotes dialogue and cooperation on human rights and has made positive contributions to the council.
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“On the contrary, the US weaponizes human rights to serve its political agenda, ignoring real human rights crises at home and abroad,” he said.
The council, which has 47 elected members and meets several times a year, is the only body
intergovernmental organization that works to protect human rights around the world. It has no legally binding powers, but its meetings increase scrutiny and can prompt investigations to document abuses, which sometimes form the basis for war crimes prosecutions.
