World · North America · 57 mins ago
US set to skip UN review of its human rights record
The Trump administration is set to skip a UN review of US human rights in Geneva on Tuesday.
The review is part of a process in which the UN Human Rights Council examines the records of all 193 member states, usually every four to five years.
The United States already missed its scheduled review last year, and the session was postponed in hopes it would change course.
The administration says it gives the council no credibility, accusing it of anti-US bias and failing to condemn serious rights violations.
Critics say the absence could weaken a system that scrutinises every UN member state and encourage other governments to refuse reviews.
The council says the review cannot proceed without representatives from the country being examined.
The ACLU and its allies have asked the UN human rights chief to present an update on rights in the United States early next year.
The United States is set to skip a review of its human rights record by the U.N. Human Rights Council, the first country to fully shun the process since the council was created two decades ago.
The council’s universal periodic review examines the records of all 193 U.N. member states, generally every four to five years.
The Trump administration withdrew the United States from the council last year, citing what it called anti-U.S. and anti-Israel bias.
The U.S. review, originally scheduled for November 2025, was postponed until Tuesday in hopes the government would change its mind.
Critics warn that the U.S. absence could weaken the review system and encourage other countries to avoid scrutiny.
- Who
- The United States, under the Trump administration.
- What
- It is set to skip its review of its human rights record by the U.N. Human Rights Council.
- When
- Tuesday, after a review scheduled for November 2025 was postponed.
- Where
- At the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva.
- Why
- The administration says it gives no credibility to the council, which it accuses of anti-U.S. bias and failing to uphold its values.
U.S. administration
Supporters of the council’s review process
Reason for the U.S. decision
U.S. administration
The administration says the council is biased against the United States and Israel and fails to uphold its values.
Supporters of the council’s review process
Supporters say the council should examine the rights records of all U.N. member states, including the United States.
Effect of the absence
U.S. administration
The administration says it gives no credibility to the council.
Supporters of the council’s review process
Critics warn the snub could damage the review system’s credibility and encourage other countries to avoid scrutiny.
The Trump administration pulled the United States out of the Human Rights Council.
The U.S. review was scheduled but then postponed in hopes the government would change its mind.
The United States was set to skip the review.
- U.N. member states
- 193
- Review cycle
- Generally every four to five years
- Original review date
- November 2025
- Review location
- Geneva
- First full snub
- First country to fully shun the review since the council was created two decades ago
What people are saying
(W)e give no credibility to the agency
This irredeemable body makes a mockery of human rights through consistent failures to uphold its own ‘values’ as it pushes anti-American rhetoric
The administration is saying to the world, ‘we don’t care about whether you would review us or not, we’re going to continue to violate human rights unabashed’
If the predominant global power — which has always claimed to adhere to the human rights norms — doesn’t show up and doesn’t even justify why, then you are in big trouble