The U.S. State Department, helmed by Secretary Antony Blinken, announced Tuesday that the Biden administration would invite United Nations officials who investigate racism and human rights issues to visit the United States and tell Americans — and the rest of the world — how racist our country is.
The invitation comes after last month's U.N. report on racism and police brutality that called for global reparations based on several incidents including the death of George Floyd in 2020.
Calling it "leading by example," Secretary of State Blinken said in a statement that the invitation is proof the Biden administration "is deeply dedicated to addressing racial injustice and inequities at home and abroad."
The United States intends to issue a formal, standing invitation to all UN experts who report and advise on thematic human rights issues. As a first step, we have reached out to offer an official visit by the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism and the UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues. I also welcome the UN Human Rights Council's adoption today in Geneva of a resolution to address systemic racism against Africans and people of African descent in the context of law enforcement. I look forward to engaging with the new mechanism to advance racial justice and equity.
Responsible nations must not shrink from scrutiny of their human rights record. Rather, they should be transparent with the intent to grow and do better. That is why I'm announcing a formal invitation for @UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism to visit the U.S.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) July 14, 2021
Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) questioned the Biden administration's priorities as the timing of the invitation to United Nations investigators. "Maybe the President should devote some energy to investigating the origins of #COVID19," he tweeted.
Joe Biden’s priorities: getting the UN to investigate America for racism. Maybe the President should devote some energy to investigating the origins of #COVID19 https://t.co/xzgrQUqxoB
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) July 14, 2021
Others alluded to the U.N.'s soft spot for despotic leaders and opposition to America's allies such as Israel.
U.S. State Department invites “U.N. racism investigators” to visit U.S. The same UN that has an obsession with/targets the only free country in the Middle East https://t.co/QqE9m7dsRd
— Logan Ratick (@Logan_Ratick) July 14, 2021
Let me get this straight, on an island about 90 miles from Florida, a communist government is cracking down on its own citizens for peacefully protesting, but the Biden admin wants the U.N. to investigate the United States? https://t.co/8X8EcG9vwX
— Michele Perez Exner (@michelepexner) July 14, 2021
As Townhall has previously covered, the United Nations and its Human Rights Council has a record of tolerating nations and leaders that deny their citizens' human rights — Venezuela, China, Cuba, and Saudi Arabia have all been legitimized by the U.N. as members of bodies dedicated, supposedly, to human rights.