Responding to President Donald Trump’s remarks at the United Nations General Assembly, Margaret Huang, Executive Director of Amnesty International USA, stated:
“President Trump continues to attack human rights not only within his own country, but also within the UN system built specifically to protect and promote human rights.
“The US should be building up, not tearing down, international mechanisms that hold governments accountable for their abuses. Though he mentioned transgressions by Iran, his actions chip away at institutions designed to guard against the most egregious human rights violations no matter what nation commits them.
“This Administration continues to reject international standards, attesting to its exceptionalism as it cruelly turns its back on refugees and threatens to cut aid for all but those who pass some arbitrary litmus test of respect for his leadership, instead of whether they demonstrate a grave need for humanitarian assistance.”
“The scale and gravity of human rights concerns around the world must be addressed, that is why the multilateral institutions, like the ICC and the Human Rights Council are more important now than ever before.”
To set up interviews, please contact: Lucy Scholey, Amnesty International Canada (English): +1 613-744-7667 ext. 236; lscholey@amnesty.ca
For more information:
Amnesty International USA Calls on the US to Support ICC Victims of Most Serious Crimes (News, September 10, 2018)
Amnesty International USA Calls New Refugee Cap Abandonment of Refugees, Calling on Congress to Oppose (News, September 17, 2018)
USA Leaves the UN Human Rights Council (News, June 19, 2018)
This statement is available at: https://www.amnestyusa.org/press-releases/trump-continues-to-sideline-human-rights-in-remarks-to-un/
