The U.S. will not join a U.N. review of its human rights record, saying participation would legitimize the Human Rights Council, which President Trump withdrew from in February.
A State Department official cited the HRC’s “failure to condemn the worst violators” and rejected being “lectured” by members like Venezuela, China, and Sudan. The U.N. claims that the review aims to promote accountability and self-examination.
The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) requires member states to report every 4½ years on human rights progress and receive recommendations. The U.S. was due to submit its report in November, but its refusal drew criticism, with Human Rights First calling it “another damaging setback to American credibility on human rights.” Human Rights First also noted that the U.S. is now the only country, besides Israel, to have skipped a UPR report since the process began in 2006. However, Israel returned to participating in 2013, 2018, and 2023.
“Showing up and explaining your own record on human rights is the bare minimum for any government that purports to exercise international leadership and uphold democratic norms,” said Uzra Zeya, president and CEO of Human Rights First and former under secretary of state for civilian security, democracy, and human rights in the Biden administration. “The United States isn’t being singled out — every UN member state takes its turn having its human rights record assessed. Running away from that scrutiny doesn’t just show weakness and a lack of confidence, it will give rights-abusing governments cover to do the same themselves.”
Phil Lynch, executive director of Human Rights First’s international service, accused Trump of making the U.S. “a human rights pariah state.”
“To avoid a domino effect, it is important that a government’s refusal to participate in the UPR does not mean they escape scrutiny. Instead it should mean that other human rights experts and bodies intensify their focus and reporting on that State,” Lynch posted on X.
Michael Posner, director of the Center for Business and Human Rights at NYU Stern School of Business, also claimed: “By withdrawing from the UPR, the U.S. gives gross human rights abusers like Iran, Russia and Sudan an excuse to follow suit.”
