Key facts
- US diplomats walked out of a UN Security Council meeting on Monday.
- The walkout occurred after France criticized the US human rights record under Donald Trump.
- France's UN mission stated the US is no longer a beacon of human rights.
- The US had previously opposed the reappointment of UN human rights chief Volker Türk.
- The incident followed the US imposition of tariffs citing forced labor allegations.
US diplomats staged a walkout during a United Nations Security Council meeting on Monday, protesting France's criticism of the United States' human rights record under Donald Trump. The walkout occurred during discussions on the Ukraine-Russia war and followed days after the Trump administration imposed sweeping tariffs on dozens of countries, citing "forced labor" allegations.
France's UN mission in Geneva had previously stated, "The US used to be a beacon of human rights. Not anymore." The mission added that the US now stands "alongside North Korea, Nicaragua, Mali & Russia, isolated." This statement came after the US criticized the credibility of the UN human rights system and opposed the reappointment of UN human rights chief Volker Türk. Türk had previously expressed concern over the US's "fundamental shift in direction" and called for investigations into deaths in US government immigration custody.
US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz responded to France's criticism on X, calling it a deflection from France's "shameful vote to coddle some of the worst human rights abusers." He stated France voted for someone "lecturing, free, sovereign democracies" while "cozying up to the world's worst oppressors."
During Monday's meeting, US deputy ambassador Dan Negrea asserted that the US "remains the beacon of liberty for the world" and that US diplomats would not listen to France's "politicized drivel" until they renounced their "condescending and disrespectful rhetoric."
France's UN ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont, while not mentioning the walkout, emphasized the UN's founding goals of peace, security, human rights, and development, stating France works within the UN to preserve its independence and ability to act in service of these principles.
The US tariffs, ranging from 10% to 12.5%, were imposed on imports from over 80 countries, including allies like the UK, Canada, Australia, and EU nations, as well as Mexico, India, and China. Critics, including Representative Richard Neal, argued that "forced labor" should not be used as a pretext for tariff policy based on "dubious legal theories and personal grievances."