7 problems with the State Department "Commission on Unalienable Rights" Report

(1) Criticizing "interest-group capture" of international human rights institutions

This is effectively a broad-stoke criticism of civil society when civic space is under unprecedented assault

(2) Claiming "selective constructive engagement with
international human rights institutions is reasonable"

This essentially codifies the principle that that the U.S., and other nations, should only selectively engage human rights mechanisms when politically convenient.

(3) Claim "China, Cuba, Libya, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela "participate in, and even dominate, the UNRHC"

Russia lost UNHRC election in 2016
China, Cuba and Saudi Arabia not members
Trump Adm praised UNHRC action on Venezuela
UNHRC took action on Libya in 2015

(4) "the U.S. should respect the independence and sovereignty of nation-states to make their own moral and political decisions that affirm universal human rights within ... [the] UDHR"

This language is inescapably vague and will be co-opted by govts to kneecap U.S. efforts

(5) It labels same-sex marriage, abortion, and affirmative action "divisive social and political controversies"

All upheld by Supreme Court

Next paragraph downgrades each, lamenting "the temptation to cloak a contestable political preference in the mantle of human rights"

(6) "The widespread proliferation of non-legal
standards — drawn up by...committees, bodies of
independent experts, NGOs, special rapporteurs,
etc, with scant democratic oversight — gives rise to
serious concerns"

This = Russia & China talking points

U.S. has backed these

(7) "In 2018 after extensive efforts to work from within to reform the UN Human Rights Council the U.S. withdrew from it"

During the reform effort Trump Admin bizarrely blacklisted 12+ prominent human rights NGOs

U.S. reform plan failed to get support even among key allies