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List of ambassadors of the United States to the United Nations Human Rights Council

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Ambassador of the United States to the United Nations Human Rights Council
Seal of the United States Department of State
since February 22, 2022
United States Department of State
NominatorPresident of the United States
Inaugural holderEleanor Roosevelt
as Representative
Formation1947
WebsiteU.S. Delegation - Human Rights Council

The United States ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Council is the diplomatic representative of the United States to the United Nations Human Rights Council. The position is located within the United States Mission to the United Nations and Other International Organizations located at Geneva, Switzerland.[1] A formal title for the position is United States representative to the United Nations Human Rights Council, with rank of Ambassador.[2]

Up until 2006, the position was commonly known as the United States ambassador to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, as it was associated to a predecessor organization, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.[3][4] It was more formally called United States representative to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, and did not at first have ambassadorial rank but subsequently attained it.

History

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The United States Mission to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva

The U.S. delegation to the Human Rights Council is a part of the U.S. Mission Geneva, and other U.S. ambassadors stationed in Geneva are the United States ambassador to United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva (head of the overall mission, and not to be confused with the more well-known United States ambassador to the United Nations stationed in New York), the United States ambassador to the World Trade Organization, and the United States ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament.[5]

The United Nations Commission on Human Rights was formed in April 1946 on a preliminary basis and then in January 1947 on a permanent basis.[6] Former First Lady of the United States Eleanor Roosevelt was chosen as its first chair on both occasions.[6] She played a major role in the formation and 1948 adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.[7] She also served as the U.S. representative to the commission.[8] In 1951 she relinquished the chair but stayed on as the U.S. representative to it.[7]

As with regular ambassadorial posts, nominations are made by the President of the United States and confirmation by the United States Senate is required.[9] Commentary on people holding the post has often been linked with perceptions that the Commission on Human Rights was anti-U.S. and especially anti-Israel.[9] The United States was voted off the commission for a period beginning in 2001.[10] Later, the United States withdrew from the council in 2018,[11] but rejoined it in 2021.[12]

Besides Eleanor Roosevelt, the position has attracted some well-known Americans, including four past members of the United States Congress, one of whom, Geraldine Ferraro, had been her party's nominee for vice president.

Ambassadors

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The following is a chronological list of those who have held the position, under its various names. (It is unclear exactly when ambassadorial rank happened, but scattered references to the representatives as ambassadors can be found throughout the 1970s.[13][14][15][16]) The position has gone vacant at times when the commission was not in session, or when no presidential appointment had been made or confirmed, or when the United States was not a member of the body.

United States representatives to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights
Image Ambassador Start of Term End of Term
Eleanor Roosevelt[6][7] 1947 1953
Mary Lord[17] 1953 1961
Marietta Tree 1961 1964
Morris B. Abram[18] 1965 1968
United States representatives to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, with rank of Ambassador
Image Ambassador Start of Term End of Term
Rita Hauser[19] 1969 1972
Philip E. Hoffman[20] 1972 1975
Allard K. Lowenstein[21] 1977 1977
Edward Mezvinsky[22] 1977 1979
Jerome J. Shestack[23] 1979 1980
Michael Novak[24] 1981 1982
Richard Schifter 1983 1985
E. Robert Wallach 1986 1986
Armando Valladares[25][26] 1988 1990
Geraldine Ferraro[27][28] 1993 1996
Nancy Rubin[29][30][31] 1997 2000
Richard S. Williamson[32] 2004 2005
Rudy Boschwitz[9] 2005 2006
United States representatives to the United Nations Human Rights Council, with rank of Ambassador
Image Ambassador Start of Term End of Term
Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe[33] 2010 2013
Peter F. Mulrean 2013 2014
Keith Harper[34][35] 2014 2017
Michèle Taylor 2022 Present

References

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  1. ^ "U.S. Delegation to the HRC". United States Mission to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva. Retrieved October 30, 2010.
  2. ^ "Nominations for U.S. Ambassador to the Human Rights Council and Conference on Disarmament" (Press release). The White House. November 9, 2009.
  3. ^ "About Us". International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists. Retrieved November 20, 2010.
  4. ^ Hannay, David (December 2005). "Recommendations of the Secretary-General's High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change: A Member's Perspective". Journal of International Human Rights.
  5. ^ "United States Mission Geneva". United States Mission to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva. Retrieved November 20, 2010.
  6. ^ a b c "Eleanor Roosevelt", Current Biography Yearbook 1949. Published 1950.
  7. ^ a b c "Human Rights Commission". Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site. 2003. Retrieved November 17, 2010.
  8. ^ "Mrs. Roosevelt Sees U.S. Uncertain on U.N." (PDF). The New York Times. February 18, 1947.
  9. ^ a b c Johnson, Scott W. (April 25, 2005). "The Ambassador Nobody Knows". The Weekly Standard. Archived from the original on September 18, 2012.
  10. ^ "US Loses UN Human Rights Seat". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Agence France Press. May 5, 2001. p. A9.
  11. ^ Koran, Laura (June 20, 2018). "US leaving UN Human Rights Council – 'a cesspool of political bias'". CNN.
  12. ^ Roth, Richard; Vazquez, Maegan (October 14, 2021). "US officially rejoins controversial UN Human Rights Council". CNN.
  13. ^ "Powered by Google Docs". Retrieved 2010-11-20.
  14. ^ [ Displaying Abstract ] (October 9, 1977). "Marriage Announcement 1 - No Title - Marriage Announcement - NYTimes.com" (PDF). New York Times. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
  15. ^ The Ukrainian quarterly - Google Books. 2007-08-09. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
  16. ^ "U.S. Hits Soviets on Human Rights". The Gazette. Montreal. United Press International. November 25, 1980. p. 36.
  17. ^ Goodman, George (July 23, 1978). "Mary Lord, 73, Dies; Held Post at U.N." (PDF). The New York Times. p. 36.
  18. ^ "Oral Histories – Morris Abram". Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum. October 1, 2008.
  19. ^ Gursky, Ruth. "Rita Eleanor Hauser". Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved November 17, 2010.
  20. ^ York, New (1993-06-08). "Philip Hoffman, Envoy To Un Rights Agency - Chicago Tribune". Articles.chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
  21. ^ "Lowenstein, Allard Kenneth - Biographical Information". Bioguide.congress.gov. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
  22. ^ "Mezvinsky, Edward Maurice - Biographical Information". Bioguide.congress.gov. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
  23. ^ "Jerome Shestack Is Featured UI Human Rights Speaker Sept. 24 - University News Service - The University of Iowa". News-releases.uiowa.edu. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
  24. ^ "Michael Novak, theologian who made a spiritual case for capitalism, dies at 83". Washington Post. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  25. ^ "U.S. Tones Down Strategy to Fight Cuba on Human Rights". Miami Herald. February 28, 1988. p. 1A.
  26. ^ "Sims Flap Shows Miami at Divisive Worst". Miami Herald. January 8, 1991. p. 1B.
  27. ^ Brozan, Nadine (October 23, 1993). "Chronicle". The New York Times.
  28. ^ "Ferraro, Geraldine Anne, (1935 - )". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
  29. ^ "U.N. Blast Indonesia, Iraq, Cuba on Abuses". Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel. April 17, 1997. p. 17A.
  30. ^ "U.S. Will Press for Human Rights Abroad, Envoy Says". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Reuters. April 25, 1998. p. 25.
  31. ^ "U.N. Blasts Israel". Philadelphia Daily News. October 20, 2000. p. 40.
  32. ^ Worden, Minky (April 27, 2004). "Sudan's Silent Scream". The New York Sun.
  33. ^ "Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe Confirmed as US Representative to the Human Rights Council". United States Mission to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva. March 4, 2010.
  34. ^ McCabe, David (June 4, 2014). "Senate Confirms First Native American Ambassador". Huffington Post.
  35. ^ "Archives: Ambassador Keith Harper, U.S. Permanent Representative to the UN Human Rights Council (June 2014 – January 2017)". United States Mission to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
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