USA announce that it will not participate in the United Nations’ Universal Periodic Review (UPR) scheduled for November 7
| This week, Laurel Sprague, Research Director and Blachford/Cooper Distinguished Scholar at the Williams Institute, was one of six U.S. participants in the pre-sessions for the United Nations’ Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the United States. The UPR requires UN member states to report approximately every four and a half years on their human rights progress and receive recommendations from other states for continued improvement. In her testimony, Laurel addressed the U.S. government’s failures to meet its human rights obligations toward LGBTQ people since the last review in 2020 and offered recommendations for the reviewing states. On Wednesday, the U.S. announced that it would not participate in the UPR scheduled for November 7. “The State Department’s decision not to participate in this review marks a reversal of U.S. leadership on LGBTQ rights and sets a dangerous precedent,” Laurel said from Geneva. “This decision tells governments that they can disregard human rights recommendations, which threatens to further undermine human rights globally. It puts minority groups—including sexual and gender minorities—at greater risk and removes a key accountability process for anyone needing to defend themselves against government overreach.” |
International and Comparative SOGIESC Law - Professor Andreas R Ziegler 