A rare public broadside has rocked the United Nations, with France accusing the United States of abandoning its global human rights leadership role. This stinging social media attack on Saturday followed a contentious vote to grant UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk another four-year term, exposing a deep rift between Western allies.
The official French mission to the UN in Geneva posted on X, claiming the US was no longer a “beacon of human rights.” It stated Washington now “stands alongside North Korea, Nicaragua, Mali & Russia, isolated,” adding the pointed hashtag “#AmericaAlone.” France’s vote supported Türk, whose current term ends on October 11.
US Ambassador Mike Waltz fired back, accusing France of deflecting from its own “shameful vote.” He claimed Paris was “coddling some of the worst human rights abusers” by backing Türk. Waltz noted that Türk lectures “free, sovereign democracies like the United States, the UK, and Israel,” while allegedly “cozying up to the world’s worst oppressors.”
US representative for UN management, Ambassador Jeff Bartos, declared the UN human rights system had “been losing credibility for decades.” He asserted Türk had “guided it to its deathbed” and that his reappointment would “kick the bucket.” Bartos accused Türk of disproportionately condemning democracies, singling out Israel more than any other nation.
Bartos also criticised Türk for allegedly remaining silent for 12 days after Iranian government violence against its citizens. In contrast, Türk quickly condemned US military action against Iran, according to Bartos. He further cited Türk’s office calling for Washington to lift Cuba sanctions and enabling the UN’s “anti-Israel machinery.”
France’s UN Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont offered a sharply different view during the General Assembly debate. He said Türk had demonstrated “rigor and impartiality” during his first term. Bonnafont described Türk as a “voice of conscience,” confronting states with reality and their responsibilities amidst growing attacks on multilateral institutions.
American officials, according to an individual familiar with the US position speaking to Fox News Digital, were surprised by France’s “brazen” attack. They rejected the notion that opposing one UN official’s reappointment equated to opposing human rights. Washington had sought a one-week postponement for consultations, but this was rejected.
The General Assembly approved Türk’s reappointment by a vote of 144-10, with 13 abstentions, extending his tenure from October 12, 2026, through October 11, 2030. UN Watch, a Geneva-based watchdog, published an analysis claiming Türk criticised the US more frequently than China, North Korea, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar combined between October 2022 and October 2024. This diplomatic spat signals a deep fracture within the Western alliance, with ongoing questions about the UN’s human rights credibility.
