The US has pulled out of the United Nations Human Rights Council, calling it a "cesspool of political bias".
Nikki Haley, the US envoy to the UN, said it was a "hypocritical" body that "makes a mockery of human rights"
Formed in 2006, the Geneva-based council has faced criticism in the past for allowing member countries with questionable human rights records.
But activists said the US move could hurt efforts to monitor and address human rights abuses around the world.
Announcing the decision to quit the council, Ms Haley described the council as a "hypocritical and self-serving organisation" that displayed "unending hostility towards Israel".
She was speaking alongside US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who denounced the council as "a protector of human rights abusers".
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres responded to the US decision to quit the council by saying he would have "much preferred" the US to remain a member.
Mr Hussein called the US withdrawal "disappointing, if not really surprising, news". Israel, meanwhile, praised the decision.
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"Disappointing, if not really surprising, news. Given the state of #HumanRights in today's world, the US should be stepping up, not stepping back" -- UN Human Rights Chief #Zeid following USA decision to withdraw from U.N. Human Rights Council.#StandUp4HumanRights
— UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) June 19, 2018
The decision to leave the body follows years of US criticism.
The country initially refused to join the council in 2006, arguing that, like the old commission, the UNHRC had admitted nations with questionable human rights records.
It only joined in 2009 under President Barack Obama, and won re-election to the council in 2012.
But human rights groups voiced fresh complaints about the body in 2013, after China, Russia, Saudia Arabia, Algeria and Vietnam were elected members.
This followed Israel's unprecedented boycott of one of the Human Rights council's reviews, alleging unfair criticism from the body.