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.
Saudi Arabia’s air defences have intercepted and destroyed a hostile drone over the Riyadh region, according to the Saudi-led coalition fight...
Police were deployed across Paris on Saturday, as a curfew was set to take effect in the Republique and Chât...
A drone strike hit a power station in northern Sudan early Sunday (1 November), sparking a fire and triggering loud explosions, witnesses said....
The U.S. has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine in a deal worth an estimated $2.1 billion, but Kyiv could face years of delays before receiving the weapons it urgently needs to defend against intensifying Russian attacks.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered Iran's armed forces to respond to any threat immediately and without geographical limits in statements posted to social media platforms on Saturday (31 October).
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in London.
A Chinese-made AI chip has matched Nvidia’s H200 in tests conducted by its developer, marking a potential breakthrough in China’s efforts to reduce its dependence on foreign technology.
A hacking group linked to North Korea is widely believed to be behind the theft of $6.3 billion from cryptocurrency giant Binance, a cyberattack that experts describe as the largest cryptocurrency heist on record.
Police were deployed across Paris on Saturday, as a curfew was set to take effect in the Republique and Châtelet-Les Halles areas from 11pm Saturday until 6am Sunday (1 November).
A drone strike hit a power station in northern Sudan early Sunday (1 November), sparking a fire and triggering loud explosions, witnesses said.
Gen Z protests swept 34 German cities on Saturday (31 October) over education and living costs. Violence erupted in Frankfurt, where shops were looted and police reported Molotov cocktail attacks.
Iran designated Britain's Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as terrorist organisations on Sunday, (1 November), and classified the country's foreign intelligence agency, MI6, as a hostile group, according to a statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
Thousands protested in Albania's capital, Tirana, on Saturday (31 October), demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation over perceived corruption allegations and dissatisfaction with the government over a lack of jobs and poor education standards.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment