US boycotts yet another assessment before the UN Human Rights Council

The United States boycotted the UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) for the second consecutive year, marking a historic absence. The U.S. delegation did not attend the session in Geneva, leading to the council's president closing the meeting shortly after it began. This absence follows the Trump administration's decision to cease cooperation with the council, which the current administration continues to view as ineffective. The UPR process, mandatory for all UN member states every four to five years, has seen only Israel previously boycott it. The council criticized the U.S. for its lack of cooperation and postponed the review until January 2027. Other nations, including the Netherlands, Cuba, and Spain, emphasized the importance of participation in the UPR as a vital mechanism for assessing human rights.