The United States announced it was withdrawing from the United Nations Human Rights Council on Tuesday, dismissing it as a "cesspool of political bias" for its anti-Israel stance.

It marks the latest rejection of multilateral engagement by the Trump administration - following its exit from the Paris climate accords and the Iran nuclear deal - and comes a day after the UN's most senior human rights official condemned the US for separating children from parents at the border with Mexico.

Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state, and Nikki Haley, US ambassador to the UN, issued the announcement, with Mrs Haley saying the Geneva-based organisation was "not worthy of its name".

Mrs Haley described the council as a "protector of human rights abusers" and accused the body of "politicising and scapegoating countries with positive human rights records".

She said the decision had not been taken lightly, and added: “We take this step because our commitment does not allow us to remain a part of a hypocritical and self-serving organisation that makes a mockery of human rights.”