Nikki Haley: Human rights violations triggered Syrian conflict

US Ambassador Nikki Haley said on Tuesday that human rights violations have triggered conflict in Syria, stifled dissent in Burundi and led to repression in Myanmar, and the next international crisis could come from North Korea, Iran or Cuba where human rights are widely disregarded.

But Russia and China disputed her contention that human rights violations are a main driver of conflicts.

And Human Rights Watch questioned the Trump administration's decision to focus on human rights at the UN Security Council in light of its own actions. The United States holds the UN Security Council presidency this month and Haley was determined to hold a meeting to focus on the importance of human rights to international peace and security.

It took place Tuesday after the US addressed a key objection from Russia, China and other council members, and was the first meeting solely on human rights. The United States initially wanted the debate under a new agenda item for the council entitled "Human Rights and International Peace and Security", which would mean that item could be raised again and again in the council.

But many council members didn't want the UN's most powerful body, which is charged with ensuring international peace and security, to also focus on human rights. Russia's deputy UN Ambassador Evgeny Zagaynov said the Security Council has no mandate to consider human rights which are discussed elsewhere at the UN. He objected to the US contention that rights violations are "a main precondition for armed conflict" and to its assertion that protecting human rights is "a key instrument" to

prevent conflict.