United States Ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Council


The United States Ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Council is the diplomatic representative of the United States to the United Nations Human Rights Council. The position is located within the United States Mission to the United Nations and Other International Organizations located at Geneva, Switzerland. A formal title for the position is United States Representative to the United Nations Human Rights Council, with rank of Ambassador.
Up until 2006, the position was commonly known as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, as it was associated to a predecessor organization, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. It was more formally called United States Representative to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, and did not at first have ambassadorial rank but subsequently attained it.

History

The U.S. Delegation to the Human Rights Council is a part of the U.S. Mission Geneva, and other U.S. ambassadors stationed in Geneva are the United States Ambassador to United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, the United States Ambassador to the World Trade Organization, and the United States Ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament.
The United Nations Commission on Human Rights was formed in April 1946 on a preliminary basis and then in January 1947 on a permanent basis. Former First Lady of the United States Eleanor Roosevelt was chosen as its first chair on both occasions. She played a major role in the formation and 1948 adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She also served as the U.S. representative to the commission. In 1951 she relinquished the chair but stayed on as the U.S. representative to it.
As with regular ambassadorial posts, nominations are made by the President of the United States and confirmation by the United States Senate is required. Commentary on people holding the post has often been linked with perceptions that the Commission on Human Rights was anti-U.S. and especially anti-Israel. The United States was voted off the commission for a period beginning in 2001. Later, the United States withdrew from the council in 2018.
Besides Eleanor Roosevelt, the position has attracted some well-known Americans, including four past members of the United States Congress, one of whom, Geraldine Ferraro, had been her party's nominee for vice president. The most recent person holding the position was Keith Harper, from June 2014 to January 2017.

Ambassadors

The following is a chronological list of those who have held the position, under its various names.
The position has gone vacant at times when the Commission was not in session, or when no presidential appointment had been made or confirmed, or when the United States was not a member of the body.
;United States Representative to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights
AmbassadorStart of TermEnd of Term
Eleanor Roosevelt19471953
Mary Lord19531961
Marietta Tree19611964
Morris B. Abram19651968

;United States Representative to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, with rank of Ambassador
AmbassadorStart of TermEnd of Term
Rita Hauser19691972
Philip E. Hoffman19721975
Allard K. Lowenstein19771977
Edward Mezvinsky19771979
Jerome J. Shestack19791980
Michael Novak19811982
Richard Schifter19831985
E. Robert Wallach19861986
Armando Valladares19881990
Geraldine Ferraro19931996
Nancy Rubin19972000
Richard S. Williamson20042005
Rudy Boschwitz20052006

; United States Representative to the United Nations Human Rights Council, with rank of Ambassador
AmbassadorStart of TermEnd of Term
Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe20102013
Peter F. Mulrean20132014
Keith Harper20142017