U.S. Withdraws from U.N. Human Rights Review: A Global Implication

The United States will not engage in the United Nations' Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of its human rights record, a decision sparking criticism from advocates who view it as a step back from global rights commitments.

The UPR, mandatory for all 193 U.N. member states, requires countries to submit reports on their human rights conditions every few years. However, the U.S. will skip its scheduled review and report submission, citing an executive order by President Donald Trump to retract from U.N. Human Rights Council activities.

Analysts now recognize the U.S. as the first country potentially to forego a UPR report. Human rights leaders stress that U.S. disengagement may encourage other nations with questionable records to do the same, thereby weakening international human rights mechanisms.