NGOs to Nikki Haley: It's not our fault that the United States has left the United States Human Rights Council

Nearly 20 human rights groups defended the UN Human Rights Council and challenged US Nikki Haley's claim that US-based United was withdrawing from the body because non-governmental organizations were countering US reform efforts.

"The decision to resign from the Council was that of the US Administration alone," reads the letter signed by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and 15 other organizations and sent to Haley on Friday. "We had legitimate concerns that the US proposal to reopen the Council's institutional framework in the General Assembly would do more harm than good."

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Haley, in an earlier letter obtained by POLITICO, said the NGO's decision not to support the US proposals was a "contributing factor" in the Trump administration's decision to withdraw from the council. The administration had criticized the council as anti-Israeli and said it covered some governments with abusive behavior.

The agency was established 12 years ago to replace the United States Human Rights Commission and its 47-member board has the ability to establish investigative groups. on allegations of human rights violations. The Bush administration refused to join the board, but the Obama administration chose to participate.

In the response to Haley, the organizations argued that, despite some shortcomings, the board addresses a range of concerns around the world, including non-discrimination; freedom of expression; and the rights of women, LGBTI people and people with disabilities. The NGOs stated that since they are not part of the federal government, it was not their responsibility to support the US proposals on which they had concerns.

"We focus on supporting policies that we believe improve the lives of the people most affected by abuse – which means that we sometimes oppose the proposals put forward by some governments or the means proposed to pursue them. could be more harmful than not, "said the letter.

Nahal Toosi contributed to this report.