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US to Rejoin UN Human Rights Council

VOA News

   Secretary of State AntonyBlinkenis expected to announce Monday the
   United States will return to the U.N. Human Rights Council as an
   observer.

   The United States left the council in 2018, with the Trump
   administration saying the council was biased against Israel, neededa
   number ofreforms, and had among its members countries that have been
   accused of human rights abuses such as China, Cuba and Venezuela.

   A senior U.S. official told reporters Sunday that the Biden
   administration believes the council is still in need of reforms, but
   that the best way to push for improvements is to be present and "engage
   with it in a principled fashion."

   Officials also said the United States would later seek to upgrade from
   nonvoting observer status to holding a member seat. The next elections
   for member seats take place later this year.

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