US to skip UN Human Rights Council review, first nation to do so

CBS News reported that the United States is set to become the first country to completely shun the regular review of its human rights record at the United Nations Human Rights Council since the body's creation two decades ago.

The Trump administration withdrew the US from the council last year, citing an anti-US and anti-Israel bias and accusing the council of failing to uphold the values it promotes. Supporters of the council emphasize its role in monitoring human rights across all 193 UN member states, including the US, which has faced criticism for policies such as strong-arm deportations and targeted killings of alleged drug-runners in the Caribbean and Pacific.

The council conducts a universal periodic review approximately every four to five years. The US missed its scheduled review last year, and the November 2025 review was postponed to November 2026 in hopes the US might participate. However, a State Department spokesperson told the Associated Press that the US gives no credibility to the council, calling it an 'irredeemable body' that makes a mockery of human rights and pushes anti-American rhetoric.

The council requires participation from the country under review for the process to proceed. Without national representatives, the review cannot move forward. Typically, national delegations present, answer questions, and receive recommendations, aiming to improve human rights practices through a constructive process.