US withdraws from key UN human rights report, draws criticism from rights advocates

Source: Reuters

August 28, 2025 11:06 AM EDT Updated 5 hours ago


LONDON/GENEVA Aug 28 (Reuters) - The United States will not participate in a U.N. review of its human rights record, officials said, a move that rights advocates called a worrying retreat from Washington's global engagement on rights and justice issues. The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) expects all 193 U.N. member states to submit reports on their human rights records every 4.5 to 5 years. The reports are reviewed by other member states, which provide non-binding recommendations.

A U.S. State Department official told Reuters the U.S. will not participate in the UPR mechanism or submit its report in November, when it and 13 other countries are due to be reviewed.

This followed an executive order by President Donald Trump on 4 February to disengage from the U.N. Human Rights Council, the official said. "Engagement in UPRs implies endorsement of the (Human Rights) Council's mandate and activities and ignores its persistent failure to condemn the most egregious human rights violators," the official said.

Spokespeople for the intergovernmental U.N. Human Rights Council and U.N. human rights office said the U.S. Mission in Geneva had notified them of the decision.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/us-withdraws-key-un-human-rights-report-draws-criticism-rights-advocates-2025-08-28/