Threats to Refugee and Human Rights Treaties and the Rules-Based Order
With the high-level UN General Assembly meeting this week, the pending Trump administration “review” of U.S. membership in international organizations and treaties, and reports of a Trump administration attempt to enlist UN Member States in undoing refugee treaties, the risks to the multi-lateral rules-based order are escalating. UN Member States, the UN itself, civil society around the world and in the United States, and U.S. leaders who understand the essential role of human rights and the rule of law have a critical role to play in standing up for multilateral human rights, humanitarian, and refugee treaties that protect the human rights of people everywhere.
In the wake of an executive order issued in February, the Trump administration has conducted a “review” to determine “which organizations, conventions, and treaties are contrary to the interests of the United States and whether such organizations, conventions, or treaties can be reformed.” That order also stated that the U.S. would not participate in the UN Human Rights Council, would not fund UNRWA, and would review membership in UNESCO, from which it subsequently withdrew. Among the many treaties that the U.S. has ratified or signed are core multilateral human rights, humanitarian, and refugee treaties. While the order called for review within 180 days, the results of the review—if indeed it is finalized—have not been publicly reported.
In August 2025, the United States decided to refuse to participate in its own Universal Periodic Review (UPR) before the UN Human Rights Council, an unprecedented and damaging step to human rights accountability. On September 12, 2025, Reuters reported that the Trump administration is trying to enlist UN Member states in an effort to undo legal norms and agreements that protect refugees from persecution, and plans an event during the UN General Assembly to advance its efforts. The report also indicated that there had been no signs of broad support for the plan. Trump administration nominee for Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration testified on September 11 that he would seek to work with other countries to build support for “reform” of international agreements and norms on migration.
True reform does not tear down multilateral international treaties and endanger human lives. Indeed, the Trump administration’s plan for refugees fleeing persecution appears designed to abandon refugees to persecution. Whatever label is slapped on the initiative, the reality is that the Trump administration approach is to cut aid and resettlement that helps other countries host refugees, block people seeking refuge from U.S. asylum, end temporary protections despite ongoing dangers, and subject people seeking U.S. asylum to enforced disappearances, refoulement to torture and persecution, family separations, due process denials, and arbitrary detention in horrible conditions. While banning refugees from resettlement, the administration is ramping up efforts to resettle white Afrikaners. This right-violating approach should not be exported to other countries.
Policies and systems can be strengthened through genuine reforms that adhere to the law and protect lives. By contrast, steps towards undermining or withdrawing from refugee, human rights, and/or humanitarian treaties would threaten the human rights and safety of people around the world and undermine international law, stability, peace, and prosperity.
Non-governmental and civil society groups from both the United States and nations around the world have called on UN Member States to uphold, preserve, strengthen, and celebrate international refugee, human rights, and humanitarian treaties and reject efforts to undo or undermine legal norms. Their recommendations to States are outlined in that open letter.
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