Following the policy of breaking with any national or international institution considered as not convenient to the hegemonic interests of the United States, the current administration in Washington has taken another alarming step towards isolation and unilateralism.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order to end U.S. participation in the UN Human Rights Council, and continue the suspension of funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (Unrwa).
“I have always felt that the UN has enormous potential, but it is not fulfilling it at the moment. For a long time it has been ineffective. There are high hopes for it, but, to be honest, it’s not well managed,” Trump said at the White House.
Will Scharf, an advisor to the president, in presenting the document for signature, asserted that the decision was made “in light of the numerous actions taken by various United Nations agencies that demonstrate a deep anti-U.S. bias.”
These actions accentuate the White House’s backtracking on its commitment to the UN, not only isolating the country from the concert of nations, but also undermining the vital work of these organizations in protecting the most vulnerable.
The fallacious accusation that the Human Rights Council “enables” countries like Iran, China and Cuba to “shield” themselves from criticism ignores the efforts of member states, including the aforementioned, to address human rights violations around the world.
Donald Trump attempts to justify such action with criticism of the ineffectiveness of the UN, which he accuses of being “anti-Israel”. This position, which is not new, reinforces the U.S. approach of a priori defense of Zionism and its complicity in crimes against the Palestinian people.
In that sense, the suspension of funds to Unrwa, a vital agency for Palestinian refugees, aggravates the already precarious humanitarian crisis in the region.
It should be clarified that Trump’s decree goes beyond the exit from the Human Rights Council, he also intends to review Washington’s participation in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco).
What else to expect from one who intends to eliminate the Department of Education in his own country?
These measures, added to the U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Agreement, evidence a clear tendency to ignore international commitments and dismantle the multilateral system built after World War II.