United States quits UN Human Rights Council as ambassador Nikki Haley says organisation is 'not worthy of its name'

The US has pulled out of the United Nations Human Rights Council, with ambassador Nikki Haley branding the organisation “bias” and “not worthy of its name”.

Ms Haley said she had travelled to the council’s headquarters in Switzerland a year ago to call for reforms and gave it “opportunity after opportunity” to make changes.

Speaking to reporters at the state department on Tuesday, the US ambassador to the UN added that “it is now clear that our call for reform was not heeded”.

She had previously accused the Geneva-based council, formed in 2006, of "chronic anti-Israel bias" and said the US was reviewing its membership.

Responding to today’s decision, the UN human rights commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein called the US withdrawal "disappointing, if not really surprising, news".

Explaining the move, Ms Haley said: "We take this step because our commitment does not allow us to remain a part of a hypocritical and self-serving organisation that makes a mockery of human rights.”

Appearing alongside her at the state department, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said there was no doubt that the council once had a "noble vision."

“But today we need to be honest," Mr Pompeo said. "The Human Rights Council is a poor defender of human rights."

The announcement came just a day after Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein denounced the Trump administration for separating migrant children from their parents.

Ms Haley did however suggest the decision need not be permanent, adding that if the council did adopt reforms, "we would be happy to rejoin it."

She said the withdrawal notwithstanding, the US would continue to defend human rights at the United Nations.

The move extends a broader Trump administration pattern of stepping back from international agreements and forums under the president's "America First" policy.

Although numerous officials have said repeatedly that "America First does not mean America Alone," the administration has retreated from multiple multilateral accords and consensuses since it took office.

Since January 2017, it has announced its withdrawal from the Paris climate accord, left the UN educational and cultural organisation and pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal.

Other contentious moves have included slapping tariffs on steel and aluminium against key trading partners, recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital and moving the US Embassy there from Tel Aviv.

Opposition to the decision from human rights advocates was swift.

A group of 12 organisations including Save the Children, Freedom House and the United Nations Association - USA said there were "legitimate concerns" about the council's shortcomings but that none of them warranted a US exit.

"This decision is counterproductive to American national security and foreign policy interests and will make it more difficult to advance human rights priorities and aid victims of abuse around the world," the organisations said in a joint statement.