France's mission to the United Nations in Geneva issued a strong criticism of the United States following a vote to reappoint U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk for another four-year term. The official French mission account on X, formerly Twitter, stated, "The US used to be a beacon of human rights. Not anymore. Today, it stands alongside North Korea, Nicaragua, Mali & Russia, isolated. And the world no longer listens to it." The post included the hashtag "#AmericaAlone."
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz responded sharply on X, accusing France of using the attack to divert attention from its vote to support Türk. "It is disappointing — though not surprising — that this is how France deflects on its shameful vote to coddle some of the worst human rights abusers," Waltz wrote. "France voted for someone who has been lecturing free, sovereign democracies like the United States, the UK, and Israel, while cozying up to the world’s worst oppressors."
During the vote, U.S. representative for U.N. management and reform, Ambassador Jeff Bartos, stated that the U.N. human rights system "has been losing credibility for decades" and that Türk had guided it "to its deathbed." Bartos accused Türk of disproportionately condemning democracies while remaining silent on abuses by authoritarian governments, citing criticism directed at the United States, Britain, France, Australia, Italy, and particularly Israel. Bartos also noted Türk’s office had called for lifting sanctions on Cuba, maintained a database targeting American companies, and enabled what he called the U.N.'s "anti-Israel machinery."
France's U.N. Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont presented a different perspective, stating that Türk had shown "rigor and impartiality" during his first term, acting as a "voice of conscience" and confronting states with their responsibilities.
An official familiar with the U.S. position expressed surprise at France's public attack, rejecting the notion that opposing one U.N. official's reappointment equated to opposing human rights. The official also noted that Washington and other delegations were caught off guard by the expedited vote, as Türk's current term was not set to expire until October 11. The United States' request to postpone the consideration for one week was rejected by member states.
The General Assembly ultimately approved Türk's reappointment with a vote of 144-10, with 13 abstentions. His new term will run from October 12, 2026, through October 11, 2030. A Russian proposal to extend Türk’s term only through the end of 2026 was also rejected.
UN Watch, a watchdog organization, published an analysis of Türk's public statements between October 2022 and October 2024, concluding that he criticized the United States more frequently than China, North Korea, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar combined. The organization also stated that Türk initiated no self-criticism regarding abuses by Cuba, North Korea, Algeria, Eritrea, Mauritania, Lebanon, or Qatar during the same period. UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer described the renewal as "rushed and unprecedented."
Supporters of Türk argue that his willingness to criticize powerful democracies is part of his universal application of human rights standards. France and the European Union maintained that he performed his duties objectively. Volker Türk is poised to become the first U.N. human rights chief to serve two complete four-year terms since the position was established in 1993.