Context:
Recently, the United States President signed an executive order reaffirming the country’s withdrawal from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and maintaining the suspension of funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
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The United States will not participate in the UNHRC and will not seek election to that body.
The Secretary shall terminate the office of United States Representative to the UNHRC and any positions primarily dedicated to supporting the United States Representative to the UNHRC
The USA will not resume funding for UNRWA, the agency that provides services to Palestinians across the Middle East.
The USA would continue to keep a halt on funding for the UN Palestinian relief agency UNRWA.
- The U.S. was UNRWA’s biggest donor – providing $300 million-$400 million a year.
- But the former President Biden paused funding in January 2024 until at least March 2025, as Israel accused about a dozen UNRWA staff of taking part in the attack by Palestinian militants Hamas that triggered the war in Gaza in 2023.
UNESCO will also undergo a review under an expedited timeline due to its history of anti-Israel bias.
- The USA previously withdrew from UNESCO in 2017 as it saw as the organization’s anti-Israel bias, but rejoined in 2023 under Biden.
The US previously withdrew from UNHRC under the Trump administration in 2018 and then rejoined it under former President Joe Biden in 2021.
Israel joins the United States and will not participate in the UNHRC.
- Israel previously withdrew from the UNHRC in 2012 and returned in 2015.
Neither the US nor Israel are currently members of the UNHRC but like all United Nations member states, they have informal observer status and a seat in the council meeting chamber.
United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC)
- It is an intergovernmental body established in 2006 by the United Nations General Assembly within the United Nations system for the promotion and protection of all human rights around the globe.
- The UNHRC consists of 47 Member States elected directly and individually by a majority of the 193 states of the UN General Assembly. Elections take place every year.
- India had previously been elected to the Human Rights Council for the 2011-2014, 2014-2017, 2019-2021 and 2022-2024 terms.
- UNHRC replaced the former United Nations Commission on Human Rights.
- The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) serves as the Secretariat of the Human Rights Council.
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA)
UNRWA is a subsidiary agency founded in 1949 and became operational on 1 May 1950.
- It was created as a temporary agency until a just and durable solution for Palestine refugees was achieved, the UNRWA mandate was set to expire in one year.
- Seventy years later, the Agency continues to provide essential services
It is mandated by the UN General Assembly to serve ‘Palestine refugees.’
Palestine refugees: Any person whose “normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948 and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the Arab-Israeli conflict in 1948.