A/HRC/37/L.18, 46, 47, 48, 49
Explanation of Vote by the United States of America
as delivered by Jason Mack
Human Rights Council, 37th Session
Geneva, March 23, 2018
Mr. President:
The United States strongly and unequivocally opposes the existence of the Human Rights Council’s biased Agenda Item Seven. The continued existence of this agenda item calls into question the credibility of this body. We are very disappointed that all resolutions regarding Israel have been tabled, yet again, for action at the Council under Item 7, rather than moving these resolutions to a general agenda item, such as Item 4, to ensure that Israel is treated like every other UN member state at the Council.
We are dismayed by the many repetitive and one -sided resolutions that run year after year. None of the world’s worst human rights violators, some of whom are the subject of resolutions at this session, have their own stand-alone agenda item at this Council. Only Israel receives such treatment. All parties to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have direct responsibilities for ending it, and we are disappointed that this Council continually singles out Israel for criticism without fully acknowledging the violent attacks directed against its people, nor the obligations and difficult steps required of both sides.
An example of this Council’s complacency is the repeated introduction of a resolution focusing on the Golan Heights. To consider such a resolution aimed at Israel while the Syrian regime continues to slaughter its own citizens by the tens of thousands exemplifies the absurdity of this agenda item.
For these reasons, we call for a vote on each of the resolutions under agenda Item 7, and we strongly urge our fellow Members to join us in voting “NO” on each of them.