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The United Nations

Minneapolis, MN -- The Advocates for Human Rights is outraged that the U.S. appears to be neglecting its obligation to participate in the Universal Periodic Review—the first country in the UPR’s nearly 20-year history to do so. The U.S. was due to submit its report on August 4, 2025, but the date passed with no U.S. announcement of its report or information indicating the U.S. planned to engage with this crucial human rights process. “We urge the United States to immediately publish its report, commit to attending the UPR review in November 2025, and reinforce its commitment to universal human rights standards,” said Jennifer Prestholdt, Interim Co-Executive Director at The Advocates for Human Rights.

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is the UN’s public review of the human rights record of each and every UN Member State. The ultimate goal of the UPR is the improvement of human rights worldwide. The UPR is designed to prompt, support, and expand the promotion and protection of human rights on the ground. It also provides an opportunity to share best practices in the field of human rights among States and other stakeholders. Reviews take place through an interactive discussion between the State under review and all other UN Member States, any of which can pose questions, make comments and/or make recommendations to the State under review.

The reviews are based on a national report from the State under review, information from UN human rights experts and entities, and reports by other stakeholders including civil society. The Advocates for Human Rights submitted five stakeholder reports for the 2025 UPR of the U.SR of the U.S.

Since the first periodic review in 2008, all 193 UN Member States have been reviewed three times. Now in the fourth cycle, the UPR continues to maintain a record of 100% participation of States under review. No country has ever refused to participate in the UPR.

Yet, on August 5, 2025, after the deadline to submit its national UPR report passed, the U.S. provided no update indicating whether it would participate and did not release a report. While we await the UN publication of all such reports for this cycle, U.S. officials’ silence about their report is a worrying indication. Indeed, the Department of State held a press conference on August 5, in which it did not mention the UPR or provide any update on engaging with international institutions like the United Nations under the President’s Executive Orders. The U.S. participated in all the previous UPR cycles, both submitting reports and commenting on other countries’ reviews – including during the first Trump Administration. The current administration has remained silent in all 26 UPRs since January 21, 2025. “U.S. silence on its own reporting obligation, and overall lack of engagement with the international human rights system, raises doubts about whether and how the U.S. will participate in the UPR process,” said Prestholdt.

If the U.S. does not report, it opens the door for other countries to stop participating in the UPR mechanism. Despite being an initial leader in human rights and promoter of human rights worldwide, actions like this mean the US will lose its standing in the international community, with other UN Member States less likely to listen to recommendations made by the U.S. in the future. This is also a missed opportunity because the UPR is a platform for the U.S. to highlight our positive achievements in human rights that other countries can learn from.

Although it has never happened before, the UN is empowered to go forward with the UPR in absentia. By not participating, the U.S. is not avoiding oversight, but it is forfeiting the ability to present its own record on human rights.

“The Advocates urges the U.S. to recommit to human rights and to engagement with the international community. We urge it to submit a national report and provide early assurances of its participation in the November review. The Advocates reminds the government that the U.S. has long-established obligations to uphold human rights that will not vanish even in the absence of a UPR. The Advocates and other human rights activists will continue to hold the U.S. accountable. Ensuring human rights for all requires nothing less,” concluded Prestholdt.