The diplomatic dispute followed a heated General Assembly vote in which the US and Russia unsuccessfully opposed Turk’s second term…reports Asian Lite News Desk
The United States and France publicly clashed at the United Nations on Monday over the re-election of Volker Turk as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, with Washington staging a rare walkout during a Security Council meeting as France addressed the chamber.
The dispute marked an unusual public confrontation between two longstanding Western allies and highlighted widening differences between the administration of US President Donald Trump and several of Washington’s traditional partners.
The walkout took place during a Security Council discussion on Ukraine when France’s Permanent Representative Jerome Bonnafont began speaking. Senior US diplomat Dan Negrea left the chamber before accusing France of “disingenuous grandstanding” on human rights.
The tensions stem from Friday’s General Assembly vote that confirmed Turk for a second four-year term beginning in October. The United States and Russia both tried unsuccessfully to block his re-election before voting against his renewed mandate.
Turk secured an overwhelming victory with the backing of 144 countries. Ten countries voted against his reappointment, while 13 abstained.
India voted in favour of Turk’s re-election despite the UN human rights chief having criticised the country on several occasions.
The disagreement escalated after France’s UN mission in Geneva criticised Washington in a post on X following the vote.
“The US used to be a beacon of human rights. Not anymore. Today, it stands alongside North Korea, Nicaragua, Mali & Russia, isolated. And the world no longer listens to it”, the French mission wrote.
US Permanent Representative Mike Waltz responded on X, saying: “France voted for someone who has been lecturing, free, sovereign democracies like the United States, the UK, and Israel, while cozying up to the world’s worst oppressors”.
“It is disappointing – though not surprising – that this is how France deflects on its shameful vote to coddle some of the worst human rights abusers”, he added.
Addressing the Security Council after the walkout, Negrea said the United States would not be “listening to their politicised drivel until they renounce their condescending and disrespectful rhetoric and behave in a manner commensurate with their seat on this Council”.
He further accused France of attempting to lecture other countries on issues beyond the Security Council’s mandate.
“France will feign moral outrage and pretend to lecture the rest of us about every topic, whether it’s about the very conflict we’re discussing yet again today, or even those unrelated to international peace and security, like human rights”, Negrea said.
“That is why we walked out during France’s intervention”, he added.
Turk has frequently drawn criticism from governments across the political spectrum during his tenure by raising concerns over human rights practices in countries including the United States, Russia and their respective allies.
A veteran UN official with decades of experience in the organisation’s human rights office and secretariat, Turk was first elected High Commissioner in 2022.
Ahead of Friday’s vote, the United States sought to delay the election. US diplomat Jeffrey Bartos argued that member states had not been given sufficient notice of the reappointment process.
The proposal was rejected after receiving support from 27 countries, while 63 voted against it and 47 abstained.
Russia then proposed postponing the election until next year, when a new UN Secretary-General will be in office. That motion also failed, with 71 countries voting against it, 19 in favour and 52 abstaining.
India abstained on both procedural motions.
Although they opposed his reappointment, both the United States and Russia criticised Turk on similar grounds, accusing him of applying double standards.
Russia’s Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Chumakov said Turk and his office displayed “political bias” by advancing “Western geopolitical interests under the pretext of promoting and protecting human rights”.
Bartos accused Turk of condemning “free democracies including the United States, UK, France, Australia, Italy, and more than any other country, Israel”.
Following the confirmation of Turk’s second term, Bartos wrote on X that the UN human rights chief had led the organisation’s human rights office “to its deathbed”.
“Today’s vote kicked the bucket”, he said.
