The United States will not participate in a scheduled United Nations review of its human rights record, the State Department confirmed, saying that engagement would amount to endorsing the UN Human Rights Council (HRC). President Donald Trump formally withdrew the U.S. from the council in February.
A State Department official argued the HRC has “persistently failed to condemn the most egregious human rights violators” and that the U.S. would not be “lectured” by members such as Venezuela, China, or Sudan.
The review, known as the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), requires all UN members to submit a report every 4½ years on their human rights record. The U.S. was expected to participate this November. Pascal Sim, a spokesperson for the HRC, confirmed the U.S. mission in Geneva had notified the council of its withdrawal.
Human rights advocates sharply criticized the move. Uzra Zeya, president of Human Rights First, called the decision “another damaging setback to American credibility,” adding that every member state undergoes the review and that the U.S. is now the only country not to submit a report. Phil Lynch of Human Rights First accused Trump of turning the U.S. into “a human rights pariah state.”
Michael Posner of NYU’s Center for Business and Human Rights said skipping the review undermines global accountability efforts, warning that it could embolden governments like Iran, Russia, and Sudan to follow suit.
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