Southeast Asia Information Port (www.dnyxxg.com) – The UN Human Rights Council, headquartered in Geneva, adopted a decision on July 7th expressing regret over the United States' refusal to participate in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), and confirming that it will continue to organize a UPR review on the United States.
The Human Rights Council held a review meeting that day, originally scheduled for the fourth round of the UPR on the United States. However, in August of this year, the United States announced its withdrawal from the fourth round of review, becoming the first UN member state to completely refuse to participate in the UPR since its inception in 2008.
Unable to conduct a UPR review on the United States, the review meeting instead adopted a decision on "non-cooperation of reviewed countries with the UPR mechanism," expressing regret over the United States' refusal to participate in the UPR and requesting the President of the Human Rights Council, within its authority, to take all appropriate steps and measures to urge the United States to resume cooperation with the UPR mechanism and to regularly report progress to the Human Rights Council.
The decision confirms that the Human Rights Council will continue to organize a UPR review on the United States, with the review period tentatively postponed to 2026, while not ruling out the possibility of an earlier review.
As a unique procedure of the UN Human Rights Council, the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) aims to periodically review the human rights situation in the UN's 193 member states, serving as an important platform for dialogue and cooperation on human rights issues within the UN framework. Launched in 2008, the first three rounds of review have been completed, with the fourth round scheduled to begin in 2022 and conclude in 2027.
The United States participated in the first three rounds of review in 2010, 2015, and 2020. Its announcement in August of this year that it would not participate in the fourth round has drawn considerable criticism. Some human rights organizations have pointed out that this move by the United States undermines the core principles of "universal participation and equal review" in the UPR, potentially providing other countries with an excuse to follow suit. (End)
