US walks out of UN Security Council meeting during France’s remarks

The US delegation walked out of a UN Security Council meeting on Monday, in protest at comments made by France that compared Washington’s voting on human rights to that of authoritarian states.

The diplomatic row was initially sparked last week, when the US joined North Korea and Russia in voting against extending Volker Turk’s term as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

After the vote on Friday, France’s UN mission criticised the US and compared it to North Korea and Russia. “The US used to be a beacon of human rights. Not anymore,” it posted on X.

In response, US ambassador Mike Waltz accused France of voting for a human rights chief who had been “lecturing” democratic countries while “cozying up to the world’s worst oppressors”, without elaborating on what he meant.

Turk has criticised Russia’s war in Ukraine and Israel’s military conduct in Gaza.

The US team’s walkout came while France’s ambassador Jerome Bonnafont was speaking during an emergency Security Council meeting on Russia’s war in Ukraine.

US ambassador Dan Negrea said the delegation would continue to make similar protests until France “renounces their condescending and disrespectful rhetoric”.

The fight over Turk’s second term, which was passed with 144 states in favour, 10 against and 13 abstentions, reflects tensions between Washington and the United Nations.

The Trump administration has cut funding for UN agencies and withdrawn from dozens of its entities.

On Friday, US ambassador Jeff Bartos criticised Turk’s reappointment and said “there will be consequences” to the assembly which “tolerates procedural overreach, backroom deals, and the misuse of UN posts”.

“The United States will immediately reassess our engagement, participation, and funding,” he said.

However, French ambassador Bonnafont described Turk as “a voice of conscience” who demonstrated “rigor and impartiality” during his first term.

Deputy UN spokesperson Farhan Haq declined to comment on the US walkout, adding the UN expected all member states to respect the decision.