US walks out of UN Security Council meeting during France's remarks - BBC

What the report says

BBC News reported that the United States delegation left a UN Security Council session on Monday while France’s ambassador, Jerome Bonnafont, was speaking during an emergency meeting on Russia’s war in Ukraine. The walkout followed a dispute over French criticism of Washington’s vote against renewing Volker Turk as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

According to the BBC, the disagreement began after the US voted alongside North Korea and Russia against extending Turk’s term. France’s UN mission then criticized the vote on X, saying the US no longer acted as a human rights “beacon.” US ambassador Mike Waltz responded by accusing France of backing a rights chief who, in his view, had criticized democracies while being too close to oppressive governments; the BBC noted he did not give details.

US ambassador Dan Negrea said the delegation would keep staging similar protests unless France withdrew what he called condescending and disrespectful language. The BBC reported that Turk’s second term was approved by a large majority, with 144 countries supporting it, 10 opposed and 13 abstaining. Turk has previously criticized Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s military conduct in Gaza.

The episode highlights broader friction between Washington and the UN under the Trump administration, which the BBC said has reduced funding to UN agencies and pulled back from several UN bodies. A deputy UN spokesperson declined to comment on the walkout but said member states were expected to respect the decision on Turk’s term.