The Aporia
The Aporia
Rowe, R. (2026, November 10). US becomes first country to skip UN human rights review. Washington Examiner. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/world/4798380/us-first-country-skip-un-human-rights-review/
Rowe, Rena. “US becomes first country to skip UN human rights review.” Washington Examiner, 10 Nov. 2026, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/world/4798380/us-first-country-skip-un-human-rights-review/.
Rowe, Rena. “US becomes first country to skip UN human rights review.” Washington Examiner, November 10, 2026. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/world/4798380/us-first-country-skip-un-human-rights-review/.
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As of November 10, 2026, the United States became the first country to fully shun a regular review of its human rights record at the U.N.’s Human Rights Council since it was established two decades ago. The Trump administration pulled the US out of the council in 2025, accusing it of anti-U.S. and anti-Israel bias. This marks the second consecutive year that the U.S. has skipped its review appointment. Supporters of the council argue it is essential to monitor human rights globally, including in the U.S., which has faced criticism for policies like strong-arm deportations and targeted killings. The U.N. had postponed the scheduled November 2025 review until November 10, 2026, hoping the U.S. might reconsider, but it did not. A State Department spokesperson dismissed the council as a "mockery of human rights," citing its failure to condemn serious violations.
The United States became the first country to skip a review of its human rights record before the United Nations Human Rights Council on Tuesday, declining to participate in a process that has been in place for nearly two decades.
The Trump administration’s absence marked the first time a country has refused to participate in an entire cycle of the council’s Universal Periodic Review, a process in which all 193 U.N. member states are scrutinized for their human rights records.
