UN postpones US human rights review until January after Washington stays away again

The United Nations Human Rights Council postponed its periodic review of the United States until January 2027 after Donald Trump’s administration decided for a second time not to participate in the Geneva process. The review was initially scheduled for November 2025 and had been moved to November 10, 2026.

The November 10 decision gives Washington more time to change its position. The council expressed regret over the lack of cooperation and asked the United States to resume participation in the mechanism, which allows UN countries to examine one another’s human rights policies.

The State Department maintains that participating would lend legitimacy to a body it accuses of bias against the United States and Israel. Human rights organizations responded that the absence prevents the US situation from receiving the same scrutiny intended for other UN member countries.

A review postponed again

The Universal Periodic Review is a process in which states present information about their human rights situation and receive questions and recommendations from other governments. It applies to all 193 UN member states; its recommendations are not judgments and do not automatically become judicial obligations.

The council agreed without a vote to reschedule the US review for the working group session from January 18 to 29, 2027, the Associated Press reported. The decision does not itself mean Washington will send a delegation.

The body also asked its president to continue efforts to secure US cooperation and report on progress. According to Anadolu, members reserved the possibility of considering other measures before the January session ends, taking into account the timetable for the current review cycle.

The first missed date was November 7, 2025. By postponing the review until 2026, countries sought to give the US administration more time to reconsider. The renewed absence raises questions about maintaining a process designed to be universal when the country under review does not participate.

Washington’s position

The Trump administration disengaged from the Human Rights Council in 2025 and has alleged bias against Israel and the United States. A State Department spokesperson told Reuters that taking part in the review would endorse the work of an institution Washington considers discredited.

The United States also says the council does not adequately condemn some governments responsible for the gravest violations. Criticism of the body’s membership and decisions has a longer history in US foreign policy and predates this week’s absence.

The periodic review, however, is not limited to countries holding a seat on the council. It is designed to cover all UN members, whether or not they belong to the human rights body. During Trump’s first term, the United States submitted a report for the process, Reuters noted.

Topics scheduled for discussion

Documents prepared for the session included questions about abortion and the death penalty, according to Reuters. US and international organizations submitted nearly 200 contributions to the UN on issues ranging from immigration to racial discrimination.

The mechanism draws on information from several sources. In addition to the national report submitted by the state under review, UN materials and civil society contributions are considered. Other governments can make recommendations, which the country under review answers through the established process.

UN-appointed experts have expressed concern about migrant deportations. The US government says the deportations comply with its immigration law, Reuters reported. With no session involving a Washington delegation, the planned exchange on those and other questions did not take place.

How to proceed

Human Rights Watch criticized the United States for missing the review and urged the council to establish consequences for continued noncooperation. It warned that allowing absences without a response could encourage other governments to treat participation as optional.

The group proposed that the UN high commissioner for human rights brief the council on the US situation at a future session, with civil society organizations and affected people taking part. It is a proposal by the organization, not a measure already adopted by the council.

The postponement leaves open the possibility that the United States will return to the process, but also leaves unresolved what to do if its refusal continues. Council members must consider the next steps before that session ends, as the current review cycle approaches its 2027 conclusion.