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France’s ngo to nan United Nations successful Geneva launched a verbal onslaught against nan U.S. pursuing a contentious ballot to springiness U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk different four-year term, accusing Washington of abandoning its domiciled arsenic a world quality authorities leader.
"The US utilized to beryllium a beacon of quality rights. Not anymore," nan charismatic French ngo relationship posted connected X Saturday. "Today, it stands alongside North Korea, Nicaragua, Mali & Russia, isolated. And nan world nary longer listens to it."
The ngo added nan hashtag "#AmericaAlone."
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High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk delivers a property convention astatine nan UN Offices successful Geneva connected December 9, 2022. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)
U.S. Ambassador to nan U.N. Mike Waltz fired back, accusing France of utilizing nan onslaught to distract from its support for Türk.
"It is disappointing — though not astonishing — that this is really France deflects connected its shameful ballot to coddle immoderate of nan worst quality authorities abusers," Waltz wrote connected X. "France voted for personification who has been lecturing free, sovereign democracies for illustration nan United States, nan UK, and Israel, while cozying up to nan world’s worst oppressors."
During nan ballot by Ambassador Jeff Bartos, nan U.S. typical for U.N. guidance and reform, declared that nan U.N. quality authorities strategy "has been losing credibility for decades."
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United States Ambassador to nan United Nations Michael Waltz testifies during a House Foreign Affairs proceeding titled "United Nations Accountability and Reform" successful nan Rayburn House Office Building connected Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
"Mr. Türk has guided it to its deathbed," Bartos said. "And if you ballot to reappoint
Volker Türk for a four-year term, it will footwear nan bucket."
Bartos accused Türk of disproportionately condemning democracies while failing to respond adequately to abuses committed by authoritarian governments.
He said Türk had criticized nan United States, Britain, France, Australia, Italy and, more than immoderate different country, Israel. Bartos besides accused Türk of remaining silent for 12 days aft nan Iranian authorities allegedly began a caller activity of unit against its citizens, while quickly condemning U.S. subject action against Iran.
Bartos further criticized Türk’s agency for calling connected Washington to lift sanctions connected Cuba, maintaining what he called a discriminatory database targeting American companies and enabling nan U.N.’s "anti-Israel machinery."
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UN Human Rights Council President Jurg Lauber, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk guidelines for a infinitesimal of soundlessness successful tribute to nan victims of quality authorities violations, astatine nan opening of nan 58th convention of nan United Nations Human Rights Council successful Geneva, connected Feb. 24, 2025. (FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)
France’s U.N. Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont offered a sharply different appraisal during nan General Assembly debate, saying Türk had demonstrated "rigor and impartiality" during a first word marked by increasing attacks connected multilateral institutions and nan universality of quality rights.
"He has been a sound of conscience, confronting states pinch reality and their responsibilities," Bonnafont said.
An charismatic acquainted pinch nan U.S. position told Fox News Digital connected inheritance that American officials were amazed by France’s "brazen" nationalist onslaught and rejected nan proposal that opposing 1 U.N. official’s reappointment amounted to opposing quality rights.
The charismatic said Washington and different delegations were besides caught disconnected defender by nan expedited ballot because Türk’s existent word does not expire until Oct. 11.
The United States sought to postpone information for 1 week to let further consultations, but personnel states rejected nan request. The General Assembly past approved Türk’s reappointment by a ballot of 144-10, pinch 13 abstentions, extending his tenure from Oct. 12, 2026, done Oct. 11, 2030.
The assembly besides rejected a Russian connection to widen Türk’s word only done nan extremity of 2026, which would person allowed nan adjacent U.N. secretary-general to participate successful selecting nan quality authorities chief.
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France's Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, right, greets U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arsenic he arrives astatine nan G7 Foreign Ministers' gathering pinch partner countries successful Cernay-la-Ville extracurricular Paris, France, Friday, March 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Michel Euler) (Michel Euler/AP Photo)
France’s station grouped Washington pinch authoritarian governments that besides opposed Türk, but did not reside whether those countries voted against his reappointment for nan aforesaid reasons. The U.S. said its guidance reflected some concerns astir Türk’s grounds and objections to nan accelerated process.
UN Watch, a Geneva-based watchdog, published a 2024 study of nationalist statements initiated by Türk aliases his agency betwixt Oct. 17, 2022, and Oct. 31, 2024.
The statement concluded that Türk criticized nan United States much often than China, North Korea, Cuba, Saudi Arabia and Qatar combined. It besides said it recovered nary self-initiated disapproval during that play concerning abuses by Cuba, North Korea, Algeria, Eritrea, Mauritania, Lebanon aliases Qatar.
UN Watch’s methodology excluded statements required by nan Human Rights Council, comments successful mandated reports, wide updates to nan assembly and different remarks that were not initiated astatine Türk’s discretion. Its findings truthful do not encompass each state reference, study aliases action by Türk’s office.
UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer called nan renewal "rushed and unprecedented" and said it was "unseemly" for French President Emmanuel Macron’s government to onslaught nan United States while celebrating Türk’s reappointment.
Nile Gardiner, head of nan Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom astatine nan Heritage Foundation, responded much bluntly.
"Perhaps show immoderate gratitude instead?" Gardiner wrote connected X. "The French beryllium their very beingness arsenic a sovereign federation to The United States."
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President Donald Trump is slated to subordinate nan World Economic Forum successful Davos, Switzerland, arsenic he threatens further tariffs connected NATO nations arsenic he useful to unafraid a woody to get Greenland. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Türk’s supporters reason that his willingness to knock powerful democracies is portion of his work to use quality authorities standards universally. France and nan European Union maintained that he had performed his duties objectively and that Secretary-General António Guterres acted wrong nan rules allowing a precocious commissioner to service a 2nd four-year term.
Türk is group to go nan first U.N. quality authorities main to service 2 complete four-year position since nan position was established successful 1993.
Efrat (Effie) Lachter is an investigative journalist, filmmaker and warfare correspondent. She has directed and produced complete 200 documentary segments crossed much than 40 countries. Recipient of nan 2022 Peres Center for Peace Award, Lachter is besides a 2023-24 Knight-Wallace Journalism Fellow astatine nan University of Michigan. She holds a bachelor's grade successful connection and a master's grade successful governmental science.
