US walks out of UN Security Council session during France remarks
Why it matters: The clash deepens a rift after Washington opposed extending Volker Turk's term as UN human rights chief.
The United States delegation left a UN Security Council meeting on Sunday as France’s ambassador spoke, escalating a public dispute over human rights and the UN. The walkout came during an emergency session on Russia’s war in Ukraine after France criticized Washington for joining North Korea, Russia and others in voting against a new term for UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk. Senior US official Dan Negrea called France’s comments “disingenuous grandstanding,” while US Ambassador Mike Waltz accused Paris of backing a rights chief who targets democratic countries. French Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont answered that France was working to protect the UN’s independence and its role on human rights and peace.