The United Nations Human Rights Council has agreed to postpone a review of the U.S. human rights record until January, after the Trump administration refused to participate. This decision, made by consensus without a vote, allows the council more time to attempt to engage the U.S. government.
The United States was set to become the first UN member country to fully reject such a review. The Trump administration previously withdrew the U.S. from the Human Rights Council last year, citing alleged anti-U.S. and anti-Israel bias and a failure by the council to uphold its own values. Critics argued that the council exhibited consistent failures in condemning egregious human rights violators.
The council conducts a universal periodic review of all 193 UN member states approximately every four to five years. During these reviews, national delegations present their records, answer questions, and receive recommendations from other member states. The process is intended to serve as a transparent mechanism for governments to improve their human rights policies.
The U.S. had already skipped its scheduled review appointment a year prior, and a subsequent review planned for November 2025 was delayed until Tuesday in hopes of a change in U.S. participation. However, a State Department spokesperson reiterated the administration's stance, stating, "we give no credibility to the agency." The spokesperson further alleged the council "makes a mockery of human rights through consistent failures to uphold its own 'values' as it pushes anti-American rhetoric."
The council requires the participation of the country in question for a review to proceed. In the absence of national representatives, the review cannot move forward. Civil society groups, such as the American Civil Liberties Union, have criticized the U.S. decision, with the ACLU's human rights program director stating that the administration is signaling it "don't care about whether you would review us or not, we're going to continue to violate human rights unabashed."
Experts have warned that the U.S. withdrawal could undermine the credibility of the council's review system and potentially encourage other nations to similarly refuse scrutiny. The ACLU and its allies have called for the UN human rights chief to present an update on human rights in the United States early next year.