United Nations Shadow Reporting
In April, World Without Genocide led a coalition of organizations to submit two shadow reports to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council. The reports document U.S. violations of the human rights to bodily autonomy and to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.
This is a rare moment to elevate local and national struggles onto an unprecedented global stage, amplified by our intentional partnerships at local, state, national, and international levels, so voices that are often ignored can finally be heard.
Human Rights Council
The Human Rights Council is comprised of 47 UN Member States, or countries. Council members are elected by the UN General Assembly.
Universal Periodic Review (UPR)
The UPR is a process where UN Member States, or countries, review each other’s human rights records. Every 4.5 years, each UN member country is reviewed on its human rights policies and practices. The country being reviewed shares updates since its last review and addresses concerns that were raised in previous sessions.
Shadow Reports
Shadow Reports are sent to the Human Rights Council by NGOs or other civil society organizations. The reports allow civil society organizations to introduce critical issues that the country under review may have omitted or presented less than accurately or fully, and give the Council suggestions on how the country can improve human rights for its people.
The US did not attend its scheduled UPR in November 2025. This was the first time in UN history that a Member State has failed to attend its UPR.
The US UPR will now be held in November 2026. Read outcomes of previous UPRs here. https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/upr/us-index
Our 2026 Shadow Reports
The United States Abridges the Human Right to Bodily Autonomy
This shadow report details patterns of discrimination and restrictive laws that limit individuals’ ability to make decisions about their own bodies and explores devastating impacts of federal rollbacks.
Learn more:
- Read the report https://worldwithoutgenocide.org/genocides-and-conflicts/bodily-autonomy/our-shadow-report-to-the-un-human-rights-council
- Read about bodily autonomy https://worldwithoutgenocide.org/genocides-and-conflicts/bodily-autonomy
Coalition members on this report include: Compassion & Choices, Genocide Watch, ImPact Coalition on Strengthening International Judicial Institutions, Gender Justice, and Transparenthood.
The United States Abridges the Human Right to a Clean, Healthy, and Sustainable Environment
This shadow report examines widespread U.S. executive and legislative action prioritizing fossil fuel use over green energy, denying impacts of the climate crisis, and systematically dismantling existing environmental protection regulations to protect the environment.
Learn more:
- Read the report https://worldwithoutgenocide.org/genocides-and-conflicts/climate-crisis-and-ecocide/our-shadow-report-to-the-human-rights-council
- Read about the climate crisis and ecocide https://worldwithoutgenocide.org/genocides-and-conflicts/climate-crisis-and-ecocide
Coalition members on this report include: Community Power, Genocide Watch, ImPact Coalition on Strengthening International Judicial Institutions, and Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy.