France Apologizes to US Over UN Human Rights Criticism
On Friday, France's permanent mission to the United Nations extended a formal apology following a social media post that questioned the United States' dedication to human rights. This controversy had led to the US delaying the appointment of France's new ambassador to Washington. The mission clarified in an English statement on its website that the issue arose from differing views on a specific UN General Assembly vote, not from a fundamental disagreement regarding human rights principles. It emphasized that such public differences do not hinder the close dialogue between the two nations or undermine their long-standing alliance. A US State Department official acknowledged France's statement on Saturday, expressing eagerness to collaborate on shared values.
Key facts
- France's permanent mission to the UN published an apology on Friday over a social media post criticizing the US
- The post questioned Washington's commitment to human rights
- The dispute concerned differing positions on one vote at the UN General Assembly
- Washington had been holding up the appointment of France's next US ambassador because of the dispute
- A US State Department official said the US noted and appreciated France's statement
- The official spoke on condition of anonymity
- France said the disagreement did not call into question its historical alliance with the US
- France said the two countries can still work together on peace, stability and prosperity, including in multilateral forums
Entities
Institutions
- United Nations
- UN General Assembly
- France's permanent mission to the UN
- US State Department
Locations
- France
- United States
- Washington