The United States did not attend a scheduled United Nations review of its human-rights record in Geneva on Tuesday, after Washington said participation would amount to endorsing a council process it rejects.
The fourth-cycle Universal Periodic Review of the United States had been listed for 10 November 2026. The session had already been postponed from 7 November 2025, according to the UN human-rights office.
Washington rejects the process
A US State Department spokesperson told Reuters that taking part would imply endorsement of the UN Human Rights Council’s work. The spokesperson accused the council of anti-American bias and of failing to uphold its own values.
The Universal Periodic Review is designed to examine the human-rights record of every UN member state, normally once every four-and-a-half years. Other governments can raise concerns and make recommendations during the process.
Washington disengaged from the Geneva-based council in 2025. Rights groups criticised the latest absence, but their assessments remain advocacy positions rather than findings of the review itself.
Review expected to be postponed again
Reuters reported, citing diplomats and a draft UN document, that the session was likely to be postponed until January. The UN had not published a completed US review outcome at the time this report was prepared.
The missed session does not itself determine whether any allegation about the United States is true. It means the scheduled peer-review process did not proceed as planned.
Sources
UN Web TV listing for the United States review, 10 November 2026
