Mike Waltz fires back at France after UN human rights vote attack

Key Points:

• France’s mission to the UN in Geneva publicly criticized the U.S. for opposing the reappointment of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, accusing the U.S. of abandoning its role as a global human rights leader and isolating itself alongside authoritarian regimes.
• The U.S. responded by condemning France for supporting Türk, whom it accused of bias against democracies like the U.S., UK, and Israel, while failing to adequately address abuses by authoritarian governments.
• The UN General Assembly approved Türk’s reappointment for a second four-year term with a vote of 144-10, despite U.S. efforts to delay the vote and objections over the accelerated process and Türk’s record.
• Critics, including UN Watch, highlighted that Türk disproportionately criticized the U.S. and other democracies while rarely condemning abuses by authoritarian states, sparking debate over his impartiality.
• Supporters, including France and the EU, defended Türk’s tenure as rigorous and impartial, emphasizing his role in upholding universal human rights standards and marking the first time a UN human rights chief will serve two full terms.