US declines to participate in UN periodic review on its human rights issues

Geneva, Aug 29 (IANS) A UN official confirmed that the United States has informed the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) that it would not participate in the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the country, scheduled to take place on November 6 in Geneva.

OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told Xinhua that the Office is aware of and regrets the US decision to withdraw from an important peer review process of the intergovernmental UN Human Rights Council, in which all UN member states regularly participate.

She noted that the Office will continue to engage with the US government, as well as with civil society, academia, businesses, and other stakeholders, on human rights issues, Xinhua news agency reported.

The UPR is regarded as a key platform within the UN framework for countries to exchange views on human rights issues.

The UPR expects all 193 UN member states to submit reports on their human rights records every 4.5 to 5 years. The reports are reviewed by other member states, which provide non-binding recommendations.

Since the first cycle of the UPR began in 2008, all 193 UN member states have undergone three reviews.

According to an analysis of the council's public records, the US is now on course to be the first country to not deliver a report to the UPR, unless it submits a report within the timeframe of the current review period, which ends in July 2027.

The fourth cycle, which commenced in 2022, is currently underway. The United States previously underwent reviews in 2010, 2015, and 2020.

--IANS

int/rs