On November 7, the United States failed to participate in its UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR), a process where the human rights record of every member state is reviewed by other states. No UN member state has failed to be reviewed since its creation in 2006.
The US decision to disengage from this vital process is particularly concerning given the deteriorating human rights situation in the country. Since the beginning of its term, the Trump administration has implemented policies that pose significant risks to the human rights of people in the US and around the world.
Recent unlawful attacks on vessels the administration claims are trafficking drugs, the violent campaign of raids and detentions conducted by Immigration and Customs and Enforcement (ICE) officials, and the use of excessive force during demonstrations are just some examples of the Trump administration’s blatant violations of international human rights law.
The UN Human Rights Council reacted to the US disengagement by postponing the review until November 2026 and saying it will consider any appropriate action if the US continues to not cooperate.
The UPR was created with the clear purpose of ensuring that every UN member state, regardless of its power and size, undergoes a peer review of its human rights record. It is also a key opportunity for civil society groups to voice their concerns on the international stage, especially where repressive governments undermine freedom of expression and independent monitoring of human rights at the national level.
To support the US peer review, hundreds of US and international civil society organisations, including Human RightsWatch, submitted reports on a wide range of human rights violations, such as: arbitrary detention, abusive treatment of immigrants, regression in sexual and reproductive rights and LGBT rights, systemic racial discrimination, and attacks on fundamental rights and the rule of law. Civil society groups and US local and regional government officials organized several events at the UN to discuss the country’s human rights situation.
The US government seems to think it is an exception and that the universal review process should not apply to it. But if it considers itself a rights-respecting government, international scrutiny aimed at improving the national human rights situation should be considered vital. The Trump administration may avoid this formal scrutiny process for a time, but doing so will only generate international criticism and further erode its place on the world stage.
