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Donald Trump has pulled America out of the United Nations Human Rights Council, it has been confirmed.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley announced the move this evening, claiming the convention is "not worthy of its name".

Haley claimed no other countries "had the courage to join our fight" to reform the "hypocritical and self-serving" body.

"In doing so, I want to make it crystal clear that this step is not a retreat from our human rights commitments."

She slammed the 'like-minded countries were unwilling to seriously challenge the status quo' or take a stand unless it was behind closed doors.

The US also accused the body of a "chronic bias against Israel," a move that activists warned would make advancing human rights globally even more difficult.

Standing with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Haley attacked Russia, China, Cuba and Egypt for thwarting U.S. efforts to reform the council.

(Image: AFP) (Image: AFP) (Image: REUTERS)

In a tweet moments afterwards, Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Trump, Pompeo and Hailey for "their decision against the hypocrisy and lies of the UN Human Rights Council, and for years the Council has proved itself to be a biased, hostile and anti-Israeli body that is betraying its mission to protect human rights."

But the top United Nations human rights official voiced dismay at the decision, saying that Washington should step up its engagement given the number of violations worldwide.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein said the move was "disappointing, if not really surprising news".

In a tweet, he added: "Given the state of #human rights in today's world, the U.S. should be stepping up, not stepping back".

The United States is half-way through a three-year term on the main U.N. rights body and had long threatened to quit if it was not reformed, accusing the 47-member Geneva-based body of being anti-Israel.

Reuters reported last week that activists and diplomats said talks with the United States on reforms had failed to meet Washington's demands, suggesting that the Trump administration would quit.

Washington's withdrawal would be the latest U.S. rejection of multilateral engagement after it pulled out of the Paris climate agreement and the Iran nuclear deal.

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(Image: REUTERS)

The United States is facing intense criticism for detaining children separated from their immigrant parents at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Zeid, in his final address to the 47-member forum on Monday, called on the Trump administration to end its "unconscionable" policy of separating children from undocumented migrant parents entering the United States at the border with Mexico.

The United States boycotted the Human Rights Council for three years under President George W. Bush before rejoining under Barack Obama in 2009.

Haley said a year ago that Washington was reviewing its membership of the Human Rights Council, and called for reform and elimination of a "chronic anti-Israel bias." The body, set up in 2006, has a permanent standing agenda item on suspected violations committed by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories that Washington wants removed.

The council last month voted to probe killings in Gaza and accused Israel of excessive use of force. The United States and Australia cast the only "no" votes. Israel's ambassador in Geneva castigated the council for "spreading lies against Israel."