<p class="bodytext">The United States said on Monday it would "re-engage" with the UN Human Rights Council, nearly three years after former president Donald Trump's administration withdrew.</p>.<p class="bodytext">President Joe Biden "has instructed the Department of State to re-engage immediately and robustly with the UN Human Rights Council", US top diplomat Anthony Blinken said in a statement issued as the council held an organisational meeting in Geneva.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Trump's administration yanked the country out of the 47-member council in June 2018, complaining about its "unrelenting bias" against Israel and "hypocrisy" of allowing rights-abusing nations a seat at the table.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The country cannot automatically regain membership, instead needing to wait for elections towards the end of the year.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The US departure left a void that China and others have been eager to fill at the council, created in 2006.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Blinken said the US would initially be an observer at the council and stressed his country still regarded it as a "flawed body, in need of reform to its agenda, membership, and focus, including its disproportionate focus on Israel".</p>.<p class="bodytext">But he said the US withdrawal had done nothing to foster change, instead it had "created a vacuum of US leadership, which countries with authoritarian agendas have used to their advantage".</p>.<p class="bodytext">"To address the council's deficiencies and ensure it lives up to its mandate, the United States must be at the table using the full weight of our diplomatic leadership," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It is our view that the best way to improve the council is to engage with it and its members in a principled fashion."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Diplomats welcomed the announcement, with British ambassador to the UN in Geneva Julian Braithwaite saying the UN as a whole would be much stronger with full engagement.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Before the council's meeting, US diplomat Mark Cassayre highlighted the rights-focused moves taken by Biden since he came to office on January 20 on racism, immigration, climate change, gender equality and gay rights.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Prior to its withdrawal, the US was seen as a champion within the council for battling a range of rights abuses around the world, and Cassayre hinted the country would return to this role.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He said the US would commit to the "urgent" work of strengthening the council and defending human rights around the globe.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"In the past few months alone, we have seen several emerging human rights challenges that deserve our immediate attention," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The rights council's next session will kick off on February 22 and last through March 23. Due to the pandemic, most participation will be virtual.</p>
<p class="bodytext">The United States said on Monday it would "re-engage" with the UN Human Rights Council, nearly three years after former president Donald Trump's administration withdrew.</p>.<p class="bodytext">President Joe Biden "has instructed the Department of State to re-engage immediately and robustly with the UN Human Rights Council", US top diplomat Anthony Blinken said in a statement issued as the council held an organisational meeting in Geneva.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Trump's administration yanked the country out of the 47-member council in June 2018, complaining about its "unrelenting bias" against Israel and "hypocrisy" of allowing rights-abusing nations a seat at the table.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The country cannot automatically regain membership, instead needing to wait for elections towards the end of the year.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The US departure left a void that China and others have been eager to fill at the council, created in 2006.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Blinken said the US would initially be an observer at the council and stressed his country still regarded it as a "flawed body, in need of reform to its agenda, membership, and focus, including its disproportionate focus on Israel".</p>.<p class="bodytext">But he said the US withdrawal had done nothing to foster change, instead it had "created a vacuum of US leadership, which countries with authoritarian agendas have used to their advantage".</p>.<p class="bodytext">"To address the council's deficiencies and ensure it lives up to its mandate, the United States must be at the table using the full weight of our diplomatic leadership," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It is our view that the best way to improve the council is to engage with it and its members in a principled fashion."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Diplomats welcomed the announcement, with British ambassador to the UN in Geneva Julian Braithwaite saying the UN as a whole would be much stronger with full engagement.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Before the council's meeting, US diplomat Mark Cassayre highlighted the rights-focused moves taken by Biden since he came to office on January 20 on racism, immigration, climate change, gender equality and gay rights.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Prior to its withdrawal, the US was seen as a champion within the council for battling a range of rights abuses around the world, and Cassayre hinted the country would return to this role.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He said the US would commit to the "urgent" work of strengthening the council and defending human rights around the globe.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"In the past few months alone, we have seen several emerging human rights challenges that deserve our immediate attention," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The rights council's next session will kick off on February 22 and last through March 23. Due to the pandemic, most participation will be virtual.</p>