Israel Withdraws from UN Human Rights Council

On 6th February 2025, Israel announced its withdrawal from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), citing institutional bias against Israel.

Israel accused the UNHRC of persistent bias since its inception in 2006, following repeated allegations of human rights violations in Gaza.

Aspect	Details
Withdrawal Date	Israel announced its withdrawal from the UNHRC on 6th February 2025.
Reason Cited	Israel cited institutional bias against Israel as the reason for withdrawal.
Allegation Against UNHRC	Israel accused the council of persistent bias since its establishment in 2006, especially amid repeated Gaza-related allegations.
Link with US Withdrawal	The decision followed the United States’ withdrawal from the council, though Israeli officials stated that the move was not coordinated with Washington.
Israel’s Council Status	Israel was not a voting member of the 47-nation council, but had occasionally participated in its discussions.

UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL (UNHRC)

Established	2006, replacing the UN Commission on Human Rights.
Headquarters	Geneva, Switzerland.
Membership	47 member states, elected by the UN General Assembly for three-year terms.

PT Facts

UNHRC: A subsidiary body of the UN General Assembly.
Mandate: Promotes and protects human rights worldwide.
UNHRC vs OHCHR: UNHRC should not be confused with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Geneva: A major hub of international organisations.

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