Flags of member nations fly outside the United Nations headquarters in New York. AP
Flags of member nations fly outside the United Nations headquarters in New York. AP
Flags of member nations fly outside the United Nations headquarters in New York. AP
Flags of member nations fly outside the United Nations headquarters in New York. AP

US to rejoin UN Human Rights Council in reversal of Trump policy


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US President Joe Biden's administration will re-engage the UN Human Rights Council.

The move comes three years after former president Donald Trump withdrew over what his administration called bias against Israel and a lack of reform.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken was expected to announce on Monday that the US will return to the Geneva-based council as an observer, a senior State Department official said on Sunday.

"We intend to do so knowing that the most effective way to reform and improve the Council is to engage with it in a principled fashion," the official said.

"We know that the Council has the potential to be an important forum for those fighting tyranny and injustice around the world. By being present at the table, we seek to reform it and ensure it can live up to that potential," the official said.

Mr Trump, a Republican whose "America First" agenda contributed to his decisions to withdraw from a number of international organisations and agreements, pulled the US out of the Human Rights Council in 2018, halfway through its three-year term, over what he called chronic bias against Israel and a lack of reform.

The 193-member UN General Assembly is due to elect new members to the council later this year.

Members are elected for three years and cannot serve more than two consecutive terms.

Candidates are elected by secret ballot in geographical groups to ensure even representation.

The next session of the 47-member Geneva-based council is due to start later this month.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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EA Sports FC 25
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What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

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The story in numbers

18

This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens

450,000

More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps

1.5 million

There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m

73

The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association

18,000

The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme

77,400

The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study

4,926

This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee

Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015

- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France