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The United States made history by refusing to participate in the scheduled Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of its human rights record on Friday, becoming only the second nation—after Israel in 2013—ever to boycott the mandatory United Nations (UN) process.
The UPR requires all 193 UN member states to undergo a review every four to five years.
Although the US had announced its intention to boycott the session in August, its failure to appear still drew swift condemnation.
Jurg Lauber, president of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), formally noted the US delegation’s absence.
The move angered many domestic US officials and rights organisations that had travelled to Geneva to present growing concerns over the US rights record since the start of the current administration.
Internationally, nations including China and Cuba spoke up, with the latter accusing Washington of being “afraid of the result” and seeking to undermine the UN Human Rights Council system.
In response, the UNHRC adopted a decision citing the US’s “non-cooperation.”
The Council formally called on the US to resume participation and rescheduled the review for late 2026, while maintaining the option to hold it sooner.
