Blinken: US returning to UN Human Rights Council in January

(Patria) - Promoting respect for human rights is at the center of US foreign policy, the State Department announced on the occasion of the 73rd anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and announced that it will rejoin the United Nations Human Rights Council starting next January.

"As the world faces genocide and other atrocities, systemic racism and inequality, the erosion of freedom of expression, oppression and marginalization based on race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation or identity, and often just for expressing dissent, among many other human rights violations, the UDHR is more important than ever," it was stated in the statement signed by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

"Our goal is to see the Council fulfill its mandate by promoting universal respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all, including by promoting accountability for attempts to deny the human dignity of individuals, including marginalized groups," said Blinken, Beta reported.

He stated that the US will continue to support human rights and dignity around the world.

The US withdrew from the UN Human Rights Council in 2018, with the then US ambassador saying that the body was "hypocritical and useless," which does not stop "showing hostility towards Israel."