A Privilege, Not A Right: U.S. Reengagement with the UN Human Rights Council

How do international institutions and fora help defend human rights? This episode discusses the human rights-related outcomes of the G7 Summit in Schloss Elmau, the first arrest warrants to come out of the ICC’s investigation into Russia’s 2008 invasion of Georgia, and the U.S. role in the recently concluded session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC). Joining us to talk about the Biden Administration’s goals for the HRC is Allison Lombardo, Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Organization Affairs at the State Department. 

Additional Resources: 

• Backgrounder on the G7: https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/where-g7-headed  
• G7 Leaders’ Joint Communique: https://pm.gc.ca/en/news/statements/2022/06/28/g7-leaders-communique  
• G7 Leaders’ Statement on Democratic Resilience: https://www.g7germany.de/resource/blob/974430/2057608/61edf594f5ca30fb7b2ae4b79d16f1e6/2022-06-27-g7-resilient-democracies-statement-data.pdf?download=1  
• On Prosecuting War Crimes in Ukraine: https://www.csis.org/analysis/justice-ukraine-may-be-slow-must-be-steady 
• U.S.’s return to the Human Rights Council after its withdrawal under President Trump: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/14/us-wins-seat-on-un-human-rights-council.html  
• China’s role on the Human Rights Council: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2021/02/25/un-human-rights-council-as-the-us-returns-it-will-have-to-deal-with-china-and-its-friends/