The report quoting OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said the Office “regrets” Washington’s decision to step back from the peer-review process of the UN Human Rights Council, in which all member states are expected to participate.
She added that the Office would continue engaging with the US government, civil society, academia, businesses, and other stakeholders on human rights concerns.
The UPR is considered a central mechanism for states to review each other’s human rights records. Since its launch in 2008, all 193 UN member states have undergone three rounds of review. The fourth cycle, which began in 2022, is ongoing. The US previously participated in reviews in 2010, 2015, and 2020.
Israel has killed nearly 63,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
