France apologises for UN diplomatic spat with Washington

• France apologised for a public post criticising the US vote against extending the UN human rights chief's term, clarifying it was about one vote, not human rights commitment.
• The apology helped ease tensions and was appreciated by the US, which had delayed approval of France's new ambassador to Washington due to the dispute.
• The dispute arose after the US joined nine other countries in voting against Volker Turk's extension, prompting a strong reaction from France and a US protest at the UN Security Council.

WASHINGTON – The French UN mission said it regretted an online post criticising how the United States voted during a UN General Assembly meeting, with US officials telling AFP on Sept 12 that Washington appreciated the statement.

France’s permanent mission to the UN published the apology on Sept 11, saying it regretted a post on X criticising the United States’ commitment to human rights.

“France and the United States recently took different positions on a vote at the United Nations General Assembly. This difference concerned one vote, and not the defence of human rights,” the mission said in an English statement on its website.

“Public differences of opinion on one vote do not stand in the way of close dialogue with the United States, and do not call into question our historical alliance, nor our ability to work together to advance peace, stability and prosperity, including within multilateral forums,” the statement continued.

The mea culpa was well-received by Washington, which has been holding up the appointment of France’s next US ambassador as a result of the dispute.

“We note and appreciate France’s statement and look forward to working together to further shared values and interests,” a US State Department official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The US State Department has held up the approval of Aurelien Lechevallier, French President Emmanuel Macron’s choice as France’s next envoy to Washington, replacing Laurent Bili.

Lechevallier is currently French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot’s chief of staff.

US approval of a choice of French envoy is usually a formality but has remained in limbo since the dispute.

On July 24, the United States was one of 10 countries to vote in the UN General Assembly against extending Volker Turk’s term as UN human rights chief, joining the ranks of North Korea, Russia and Nicaragua, among others.

“The US used to be a beacon of human rights. Not anymore,” the French mission wrote in a post on X after the United States strongly opposed another term by Turk, who has repeatedly questioned US policies under President Donald Trump.

The criticism was met with immediate backlash from Washington, with the US representative walking out of a UN Security Council meeting days later when France’s ambassador took the floor, in protest of the comments. AFP