GENEVA: The UN’s top human rights body on Tuesday postponed a regular review of the US human rights record until January in hopes of persuading the Trump administration to reverse its decision to become the first government to snub the process.
The move by the Human Rights Council buys it more time to try to coax Washington to take part in the review. The council’s 47 member countries adopted without a vote the decision to delay the US review — amid “continued non-cooperation” with its process.
The Geneva-based council regularly examines the rights records of all 193 UN member states — generally about every four to five years — as part of a process known as the universal periodic review.
The administration of US President Donald Trump last year pulled the US out of the council, accusing it of an anti-US and anti-Israel bias, and alleging that it didn’t uphold the very values it promotes.
The US government has drawn criticism for its policies including strong-arm deportations and targeted killings of alleged drug-runners in the Caribbean and Pacific — which the administration has said are designed to protect US workers and help keep the country safe.
The European Union, a key US ally, and other supporters of the review process say it’s needed to keep tabs on human rights in…
