US Boycotts UN Human Rights Review for Second Year

The United Nations Human Rights Council postponed the review of the Government of the United States human rights record until January 2027 after the Trump administration refused to participate for a second consecutive year. The U.S. is the first member state to fail to appear twice for the Universal Periodic Review, a process obligatory for all 193 UN member states. The U.S. previously withdrew from the council in February 2025.

The U.S. State Department justified the boycott by calling the council an "irredeemable body" that pushes "anti-American rhetoric" and exhibits bias against the U.S. and Israel. Council President Sidharto Reza Suryodipuro confirmed the U.S. delegation was not present in the room during the proceedings in Geneva. The council's 47 member countries adopted the delay without a vote in hopes of persuading Washington to reverse its decision.

Rights organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, criticized the move as an attempt to avoid accountability for policies involving strong-arm deportations, abortion access, the death penalty, and targeted killings in the Pacific and Caribbean. The European Union expressed regret over the lack of engagement, stating that all states must remain subject to international scrutiny to maintain the credibility of global human rights norms.