U.S. Withdrawal from U.N. Human Rights Review Raises Alarm

The United States will not participate in the United Nations’ Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process and will miss its November reporting deadline, officials have confirmed.

Rights advocates have criticised the move, calling it a worrying retreat from Washington’s engagement on global human rights and justice issues.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson said participation in UPR implies endorsement of the Human Rights Council’s mandate, noting the Council has consistently failed to condemn the worst human rights violators.

Experts warn the decision could give other countries, such as Iran, Russia and Sudan, an excuse to follow suit. Michael Posner, director of the Centre for Business and Human Rights at NYU Stern, said the withdrawal undermines international human rights efforts. Phil Lynch of the Geneva-based NGO International Service for Human Rights described the U.S. as “rapidly becoming a human rights pariah state.”

The State Department emphasised that the U.S. remains proud of its human rights record and global leadership in advancing rights.

Under the UPR system, countries submit a national report alongside information from U.N. human rights reports and NGOs. The U.S. will be the first country to skip a review unless it submits a report before the current cycle ends in July 2027.

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