The Buzz | China, Iran join queue to scrutinize US at UN rights body

The United States faced its first review in five years at the U.N.’s main human rights body yesterday, with the detentions of migrant children and the killings of unarmed Black people during the Trump administration’s tenure among issues high on minds.
Regular U.S. critics like Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Russia and China questioned and scrutinized the United States’ record on rights as the Human Rights Council gave the U.S. its turn for a regular examination of every U.N. member state’s record on human rights known as the Universal Periodic Review. Allies, too, offered criticism and pointers — if more diplomatically.
Nearly 120 countries lined up for slots to raise questions in the 3 1/2-hour session that follows up on an August report about the U.S. rights record over the past several years — and what steps U.S. authorities are taking to improve it.
U.S. Ambassador Andrew Bremberg said the strength of the U.S. democratic system is that “it allows for continued scrutiny, advocacy and debate, which fuels progress and reform,” and said “we are willing to openly acknowledge our shortcomings.”