U.S. set to become first nation to skip its U.N. Human Rights Council review

The United States is set on Tuesday to become the first country to fully skip a regular review of its human rights record at the U.N.'s top rights body, the Human Rights Council. The council was created two decades ago ¹².

The Trump administration pulled the U.S. out of the council last year. It accused the body of an anti-U.S. and anti-Israel bias, and alleged that it didn't uphold the values it promotes ¹.

What the review is

The Geneva-based council examines the rights records of all 193 U.N. member states, generally every four to five years. The process is called the universal periodic review ¹.

A national delegation, which can include a dozen officials or more, makes a presentation. It then faces questions and hears recommendations from other countries' envoys. It is meant to work like a mirror held up to governments ¹.

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The council says the process requires the country under review to take part. If no national representatives show up, the review cannot go forward ¹.

The U.S. already skipped its appointment a year ago. The review, first scheduled for November 2025, was pushed back until Tuesday in hopes the U.S. government might change its mind ¹.

What each side says

A State Department spokesperson told The Associated Press (AP) that the department gives the council no credibility. The spokesperson called the council an "irredeemable body" and criticized its "persistent failure to condemn the most egregious human rights violators" ¹².

Supporters of the council back its job of keeping tabs on rights in every U.N. member state, including the U.S. The U.S. has drawn criticism for policies including strong-arm deportations and targeted killings of alleged drug-runners in the Caribbean and Pacific. The administration says those policies are designed to protect U.S. workers and keep the country safe ¹².

The administration is saying to the world, 'we don't care about whether you would review us or not, we're going to continue to violate human rights unabashed.'

Jamil Dakwar directs the human rights program at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). He spoke to reporters in Geneva on Monday as part of a push by some groups to raise awareness of the U.S. rights record ¹.

Eric Tistounet is a visiting professor at the Geneva Graduate Institute and was the council's first secretary. He said the walkout could affect the credibility of the council's review system ¹.

If the predominant global power — which has always claimed to adhere to the human rights norms — doesn't show up and doesn't even justify why, then you are in big trouble

What happens next

Critics warn that the U.S. move could encourage other countries to follow suit. Many of those countries bristle at intense scrutiny from human rights monitors ¹².

Dakwar said the ACLU and its allies have asked the U.N. human rights chief to respond by presenting an update on rights in the United States early next year ¹.

That matters because the review is one of the few places where the U.S. record is questioned in public by other governments. With the U.S. absent, that scrutiny does not happen, and the council says the review cannot go forward ¹.

The Record

1. Nov 9, 2026ACLU's Jamil Dakwar tells reporters in Geneva the council should hold the U.S. accountable ¹.
2. Nov 10, 2026The U.S. is set to skip its rescheduled universal periodic review, a first for any country at the council ¹².

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<h2>U.S. set to become first nation to skip its U.N. Human Rights Council review</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files National Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/u-s-set-to-become-first-nation-to-skip-its-u-n-human-rights-council-review">The GOP Files</a> on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.</em></p> <p>The United States is set on Tuesday to become the first country to fully skip a regular review of its human rights record at the U.N.&#39;s top rights body, the Human Rights Council. The council was created two decades ago .</p> <p>The Trump administration pulled the U.S. out of the council last year. It accused the body of an anti-U.S. and anti-Israel bias, and alleged that it didn&#39;t uphold the values it promotes .</p> <h2>What the review is</h2> <p>The Geneva-based council examines the rights records of all 193 U.N. member states, generally every four to five years. The process is called the universal periodic review .</p> <p>A national delegation, which can include a dozen officials or more, makes a presentation. It then faces questions and hears recommendations from other countries&#39; envoys. It is meant to work like a mirror held up to governments .</p> <p>The council says the process requires the country under review to take part. If no national representatives show up, the review cannot go forward .</p> <p>The U.S. already skipped its appointment a year ago. The review, first scheduled for November 2025, was pushed back until Tuesday in hopes the U.S. government might change its mind .</p> <h2>What each side says</h2> <p>A State Department spokesperson told The Associated Press (AP) that the department gives the council no credibility. The spokesperson called the council an &quot;irredeemable body&quot; and criticized its &quot;persistent failure to condemn the most egregious human rights violators&quot; .</p> <p>Supporters of the council back its job of keeping tabs on rights in every U.N. member state, including the U.S. The U.S. has drawn criticism for policies including strong-arm deportations and targeted killings of alleged drug-runners in the Caribbean and Pacific. The administration says those policies are designed to protect U.S. workers and keep the country safe .</p> <blockquote><p>The administration is saying to the world, &#39;we don&#39;t care about whether you would review us or not, we&#39;re going to continue to violate human rights unabashed.&#39;</p><p>&mdash; Jamil Dakwar, director of the human rights program, American Civil Liberties Union</p></blockquote> <p>Jamil Dakwar directs the human rights program at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). He spoke to reporters in Geneva on Monday as part of a push by some groups to raise awareness of the U.S. rights record .</p> <p>Eric Tistounet is a visiting professor at the Geneva Graduate Institute and was the council&#39;s first secretary. He said the walkout could affect the credibility of the council&#39;s review system .</p> <blockquote><p>If the predominant global power — which has always claimed to adhere to the human rights norms — doesn&#39;t show up and doesn&#39;t even justify why, then you are in big trouble</p><p>&mdash; Eric Tistounet, visiting professor, Geneva Graduate Institute; the council&#39;s first secretary</p></blockquote> <h2>What happens next</h2> <p>Critics warn that the U.S. move could encourage other countries to follow suit. Many of those countries bristle at intense scrutiny from human rights monitors .</p> <p>Dakwar said the ACLU and its allies have asked the U.N. human rights chief to respond by presenting an update on rights in the United States early next year .</p> <p>That matters because the review is one of the few places where the U.S. record is questioned in public by other governments. With the U.S. absent, that scrutiny does not happen, and the council says the review cannot go forward .</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/u-s-set-to-become-first-nation-to-skip-its-u-n-human-rights-council-review">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/u-s-set-to-become-first-nation-to-skip-its-u-n-human-rights-council-review.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. CBS News, “U.S. becoming first nation to refuse U.N. Human Rights Council review” (2026-11-10). cbsnews.com/news/us-first-nation-refuse-un-human-rights-coun
2. ABC News, “The US to become first nation to fully shun a UN Human Rights Council review” (2026-11-10). abcnews.com/US/wireStory/us-become-nation-fully-shun-human-r

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