The Latest: UN human rights chief disappointed US is leaving

The Latest on the U.S. withdrawal from the United Nations’ main human rights body (all times EDT):

5:55 p.m.

The president of the U.N. Human Rights Council is acknowledging the “prerogative” of the United States to leave the 47-member body, while the U.N. human rights chief called it “disappointing, if not really surprising,” that the U.S. was pulling out.

Vojislav Suc of Slovenia, who holds the council annually rotating presidency, defended the council on Tuesday after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley announced the United States is quitting the Geneva body.

The council opened its second of three annual sessions on Monday.

On Twitter, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein — the U.N. human rights chief — said it was “Disappointing, if not really surprising, news. Given the state of #HumanRights in today’s world, the US should be stepping up, not stepping back.”

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5:11 p.m.

Ambassador Nikki Haley says the United States is withdrawing from the U.N. Human Rights Council, calling it “an organization that is not worthy of its name.”

Haley is President Donald Trump’s envoy to the United Nations. She says a year ago she made clear the U.S. would stay in the council only if “essential reforms were achieved.” She says it’s clear those calls for change were not heeded.

Haley is decrying the membership of countries like China, Cuba and Venezuela that are themselves accused of rights violations. She says the council also has a “chronic bias against Israel.”

But Haley says that if the council does reform, the United States “would be happy to rejoin.”

Haley is announcing the withdrawal at the State Department alongside Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

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1:35 p.m.

The Trump administration is set to announce Tuesday its departure from the United Nations’ main human rights body in its latest withdrawal from an international institution.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley will deliver the verdict on the U.N. Human Rights Council in a joint appearance at the State Department, according to four officials familiar with the matter.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly preview the decision, the specifics of which are to be laid out by Haley.

Haley threatened the pull-out last year, citing longstanding U.S. complaints that the 47-member council is biased against Israel.

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Associated Press