Trump again pulls out of UN rights council, cuts relief funding

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday withdrawing the United States from the United Nations Human Rights Council. The order also extended the pause in funding to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, or UNRWA, the primary UN aid agency for Palestinians. President Joe Biden temporarily stopped funding to the UN agency after reports that some of its employees were involved in the Oct. 7 massacre perpetrated by Hamas.

The orders coincide with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington D.C. to meet with Trump. Netanyahu’s relationship with the United Nations has been troubled, particularly since Oct. 7. Different facets of the UN accused Israel of committing genocide with its war on the terror group Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Israel also accused the UN of what it characterized as moral confusion after it criticized Israel for its actions in its war on terror.

What does leaving the Human Rights Council mean? The council is made up of 47 member states which are elected by secret ballot. Every presidential administration since the council was formed in 2006 has opted to either enter or exit the council. Aside from the United States’ back-and-forth on the council, member countries may only serve two consecutive three-year terms. The council monitors and promotes human rights in countries across the world. About every four-and-a-half years, the council completes a review of the human rights records of UN member states and makes recommendations for improvements.