United States diminishes the scope of human rights report; moderates criticism towards certain ally nations of Trump's administration
The 2024 US State Department Human Rights Report, released under the Trump administration, has stirred controversy due to its softened criticism towards key allies such as El Salvador and Israel.
The report, which traditionally provides a comprehensive and unvarnished assessment of human rights issues worldwide, has been revised to prioritise a political narrative more favourable to allied or strategically important governments. This shift has resulted in the omission or severe trimming of key categories of rights violations, including abuses against LGBTQI persons, women, persons with disabilities, government corruption, and restrictions on peaceful assembly[1][2].
The removal of entire sections detailing abuses and violations faced by LGBTQI people around the world has been condemned by Human Rights Watch as deliberate political spin and whitewashing. By erasing these categories, the administration has downgraded the visibility of significant human rights violations and minimised abuses by countries with which the US seeks friendly relations, including El Salvador and Israel[2]. This approach undermines the report’s credibility and weakens US leadership and influence in promoting global human rights, particularly for vulnerable groups such as LGBTQI individuals[2][3].
The report also appears to have largely omitted any criticism of governments over their treatment of LGBTQI rights, a feature present in the Biden administration editions. Rights groups claim that El Salvador and Israel have extensive records of human rights abuses[4].
In addition, the section on Israel in the 2024 Human Rights Report is shorter than last year’s edition and does not mention the severe humanitarian crisis or death toll in Gaza. The Gaza health ministry reports that more than 61,000 people have been killed in Gaza as a result of Israel's military assault after an attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas in October 2023[5].
On the other hand, the report ramped up criticism of Brazil and South Africa on various issues. The report also sounded an alarm on the erosion of freedom of speech in Europe[6].
The US government, under President Donald Trump's administration, has scaled back the 2024 Human Rights Report. The 2024 Human Rights Report refers to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine as the "Russia-Ukraine war"[7].
This shift in the Human Rights Report's approach has sparked debate and concern among human rights groups and observers, who argue that the report should remain a reliable and unbiased source of information on global human rights issues.
References: 1. The New York Times 2. Human Rights Watch 3. The Washington Post 4. Amnesty International 5. Al Jazeera 6. BBC News 7. CNN
- The revision of the 2024 US State Department Human Rights Report, prioritizing a political narrative, has raised concerns about the report's unbiasedness and its ability to effectively highlight human rights abuses, particularly towards vulnerable groups like LGBTQI individuals.
- The omission of critical sections regarding human rights abuses against LGBTQI people and the lack of attention towards the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as reported by the Gaza health ministry, has led to accusations of whitewashing and downplaying of significant issues, thereby undermining the report's credibility and the US's leadership in promoting global human rights.
