Trump administration again boycotts UN human rights review

The United States ⁠⁠has again boycotted a United Nations examination of its human rights record, drawing criticism from rights groups who say violations under President Donald Trump are surging to levels not seen in decades. US representatives on Tuesday failed to show up at the UN in Geneva for the review, which all 193 UN member states undergo every four to five years. “The delegation of the United States is not present in the room,” UN Human Rights Council President Sidharto Reza Suryodipuro, of Indonesia, announced as the session was set to begin.

The US refusal to participate prompted the UN body to delay examining the US human rights record until January. This is the second year in a row that Washington has skipped its own review. The US withdrew from the council in February 2025 shortly after Trump began his second presidential term, claiming it was biased against Israel.

The Trump administration has been a fierce critic of the UN, withdrawing Washington from key agencies, slashing its funding and bypassing the body in launching the war on Iran.