Does Joe Biden Really Want To Reform the U.N. Human Rights Council?

"The Biden administration entered office with an impassioned promise of commitment to the primacy of democracy, alliances, and human rights... In line with that commitment, President Joe Biden directed his State Department to reengage, fund, and seek a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council, which Trump had abandoned when his reform efforts were rebuffed.

Incredibly, however, to rejoin the Council, Team Biden bullied an ally from standing for the spot Washington hopes to secure and embraced the very anti-democratic processes that repressive regimes have used to undermine the HRC. Worse, after boasting about its commitment to freedom and human rights—including a commitment to HRC reform—the administration has yet to announce its agenda or engage other governments on a plan to do so...

To guarantee election to the Council, the U.S. pressured Italy to withdraw, making itself one of three countries running for three seats. While virtually guaranteeing a win in the upcoming election, the U.S. copied the 'clean slate' playbook used by human rights violators. Having the same number of candidates stand for election as there are open seats makes it easier for repressive states to win seats on the Council, because there is no competition...

Between its electoral machinations and its failure to detail an agenda for reform—inexcusable considering that the General Assembly has mandated that the HRC undergo a review between 2021 and 2026—the Biden administration is all but guaranteeing that the world’s nominal premier human-rights body remains an embarrassment, a betrayal of the very principles it is intended to uphold."