With President Joe Biden in office, many of the Trump administration’s changes are now being reversed, such as the decision to leave the United Nations Human Rights Council. This choice was initially made by then-President Trump in 2018 due to concerns about the council’s members.

The U.N. Human Rights Council currently consists of 47 members, including China, Venezuela and Egypt. According to Nikki Haley, former U.S. ambassador to the U.N., these members are thought to be hypocritical for participating in the U.N. Human Rights Council despite their own violations of human rights. This became the Trump administration’s central point when exiting the council, as they believed that the hypocrisy made a mockery of human rights.

According to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the Biden administration decided to rejoin the U.N. Human Rights Council on the basis that the council is excellent at fighting against injustice and tyranny. The Biden administration also firmly believes that the United States can work extraordinarily well with the nations in the council to provide positive change for the nations that need aid.

“I’m relieved to hear that the United States has moved to rejoin the human rights council,” said Early College student Nathan Jordan.

The decision by the Biden administration has been controversial, as it can be easy to jump to conclusions about how to view the U.N. Human Rights Council. However, the issue is much more complex than some may realize.

“Reversing Trump’s positions is not of the Biden’s administration’s first goals. It’s a new and effective policy,” said Early College student Brock Bland.

Returning to the U.N. Human Rights Council is not necessarily a motion to retaliate against the Trump administration, but the Biden administration views rejoining the council as the best choice for the United States. 

“The purpose of Biden (rejoining the council) is not to break the spirit of the Trump base. It is to continue and lead us beyond mistakes,” said Bland.

If the Biden administration had made this decision solely to offend the Trump administration, it would likely lead to further division in our nation. During times such as these, further stress upon the relationship between Democrats and Republicans could be catastrophic, especially in light of recent events.

“Allies in this matter will without a doubt lead to greater cooperation and more effects when the world earns results,” Bland stated.

It may be worthwhile to rejoin the council despite the hypocrisy of several of its members. By participating in the council, the United States can help regulate the members within the council to yield positive results over time.

The impact of the decision to rejoin the U.N. Human Rights Council will be revealed in the Biden administration’s future years. We will either see a lack of aid towards countries that need it, or we will see support from the United States that will enable countries to enforce adequate human rights.