France’s permanent mission to the United Nations in Geneva expressed “regret” on Friday, September 11, over a message posted on X on July 25 that had sparked a diplomatic rift with the United States, according to a statement released by the mission.
The controversial tweet, which garnered 2.9 million views, had questioned America’s commitment to human rights after the US voted against renewing for four years the mandate of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, who has been notably critical of ICE practices.
Diplomatic Fallout
The reaction was swift. The United States walked out of a UN Security Council meeting on July 27 to denounce France’s “hypocritical” comments, timed precisely as French Ambassador to the UN Jérôme Bonnafont was taking the floor.
Subsequently, the US State Department blocked the accreditation process for Aurélien Lechevallier, currently chief of staff to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, to serve as ambassador to Washington.
France’s Conciliatory Statement
“France and the United States recently adopted divergent positions during a vote at the UN General Assembly. This divergence concerned a single vote and did not relate to the defense of human rights,” the French mission was compelled to write on its website Friday, in an effort to end the dispute.
According to Le Monde, the statement was indeed drafted to secure the lifting of the American blockade.
“Public differences of opinion on a vote do not hinder close dialogue with the United States and do not call into question our historic alliance, nor our ability to work together to promote peace, stability and prosperity, including within multilateral bodies,” the text added.
Washington Welcomes the Gesture
The statement was welcomed in Washington. “We take note of France’s declaration and appreciate it; we look forward to working with them to promote our shared values and interests,” a State Department official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
In France, the president is responsible for appointing ambassadors to foreign countries. However, to assume their duties, ambassadors must also receive accreditation from the host country, which involves a highly formal ceremony.
For a French ambassador to the United States, accreditation is typically a formality.
