U.S. Delegation Walks Out of UN Meeting Over France Criticism

During a United Nations Security Council meeting, the United States delegation, led by Senior U.S. diplomat Dan Negrea, walked out in protest after France's representative criticized America's human rights record. Negrea accused France of "disingenuous grandstanding" and asserted that the U.S. would no longer accept disrespectful rhetoric from one of its closest allies.

This incident occurred amid a session focused on the war in Ukraine and followed France's criticism after the U.N. General Assembly voted to grant Volker Türk a second term as U.N.

High Commissioner for Human Rights, a decision the U.S. opposed. U.S.

Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz argued that France was supporting a UN human rights chief who unfairly criticized democratic nations while failing to hold authoritarian regimes accountable. Following the walkout, Negrea stated that U.S. diplomats would continue to leave meetings whenever France addressed the Council unless it changed its language.

France's ambassador, Jérôme Bonnafont, reaffirmed France's commitment to UN principles without directly responding to the U.S. protest.