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GENEVA: The UN\u2019s top human rights body on Tuesday postponed a regular review of the US human rights record until January in hopes of persuading the Trump administration to reverse its decision to become the first government to snub the process.<\/p>\n
The move by the Human Rights Council buys it more time to try to coax Washington to take part in the review. The council\u2019s 47 member countries adopted without a vote the decision to delay the US review \u2014 amid \u201ccontinued non-cooperation\u201d with its process.<\/p>\n
The Geneva-based council regularly examines the rights records of all 193 UN member states \u2014 generally about every four to five years \u2014 as part of a process known as the universal periodic review.<\/p>\n
The administration of US President Donald Trump last year pulled the US out of the council, accusing it of an anti-US and anti-Israel bias, and alleging that it didn\u2019t uphold the very values it promotes.<\/p>\n
The US government has drawn criticism for its policies including strong-arm deportations and targeted killings of alleged drug-runners in the Caribbean and Pacific \u2014 which the administration has said are designed to protect US workers and help keep the country safe.<\/p>\n
The European Union, a key US ally, and other supporters of the review process say it\u2019s needed to keep tabs on human rights in all UN member states.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe EU regrets any situation in which full engagement with the mechanism does not occur, including the decision by the United States again not to participate in their review today,\u201d Simone van der Post, a Dutch envoy speaking on behalf of EU council members, said after Tuesday\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll states are subject to the scrutiny of their human rights situation by the international community,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
The United States, under Trump, already skipped its appointment for its review a year ago. The scheduled November 2025 review was pushed back until Tuesday in hopes that the US government might change its mind. It did not.<\/p>\n
\u201c(W)e give no credibility to the agency,\u201d the State Department said in a statement both before and after Tuesday\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis irredeemable body makes a mockery of human rights through consistent failures to uphold its own \u2018values\u2019 as it pushes anti-American rhetoric,\u201d the statement said, alleging the council\u2019s \u201cpersistent failure to condemn the most egregious human rights violators.\u201d<\/p>\n
The council requires participation of the country in question for any national review to take place.<\/p>\n
As part of such reviews, national delegations \u2014 which at times can include a dozen officials or more \u2014 make a presentation, face questions and hear recommendations from other national envoys. It\u2019s supposed to be a sweeping and constructive process, akin to holding up a mirror to governments to improve their human rights policies.<\/p>\n
Rights advocates say US deserves scrutiny, like every other country<\/strong><\/p>\n Critics of the US snub warn that the walkout could encourage other countries \u2014 many of which bristle about intense scrutiny from human rights monitors \u2014 to follow suit.<\/p>\n Phil Lynch, executive director of advocacy group International Service for Human Rights, said the US deserves scrutiny for its recent record on \u201cmigration, LGBT rights, racial discrimination and civic freedoms, like the right to protest,\u201d as well as wars in the Middle East and \u201cextrajudicial executions\u201d in the Pacific and Caribbean.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat has Washington got to hide?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Jamil Dakwar, director of the American Civil Liberties Union\u2019s human rights program, said: \u201cThe administration is saying to the world, \u2018we don\u2019t care about whether you would review us or not, we\u2019re going to continue to violate human rights unabashed\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n He said the ACLU and allies have called on the UN human rights chief to respond by presenting an update on rights in the United States early next year.<\/p>\n Eric Tistounet, a visiting professor at the Geneva Graduate Institute who was the council\u2019s first secretary, said the US walkout could affect the credibility of the council\u2019s review system.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the predominant global power \u2014 which has always claimed to adhere to the human rights norms \u2014 doesn\u2019t show up and doesn\u2019t even justify why, then you are in big trouble,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n