US withdrawal has handed Beijing a velvet veto

This winter, while the U.S. was absent, China prevented the Uyghur Human Rights Project from being accredited at the United Nations. At the same session, a Chinese organization with ties to civil-military fusion slipped in.

As in past years, China kept out a number of renowned human rights, development, and professional organizations including the Center for Victims of Torture, the Uyghur Human Rights Project, the National Association of Women Judges, and the bipartisan Tom Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice. In addition, at least eight previously rejected Chinese NGOs gained status, according to the UN’s summary of the January-February 2026 session — including Jingshi International Consulting Services (Hainan) and the Shaanxi Women’s Sports Association.

These organizations’ own websites show connections to the Chinese Communist Party and civil-military fusion — not surprising in a country where civil society is so tightly controlled.

The U.N. Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations is a subsidiary body of the U.N. Economic and Social Council that determines which non-governmental organizations can attend, speak, observe, and participate at U.N. meetings. Once accredited, organizations can submit official statements for the permanent record and organize side-events to influence U.N. delegations.

Access to the U.N. is one of the central ways the global body lifts up local civil society voices and promotes democracy and transparency in an institution constructed of and for governments. Getting accredited can take years; the committee meets biannually to review applications. U.S. organizations from across the political spectrum are already approved, including C-Fam, the Salvation Army, the Knights of Columbus, and Amnesty International.

Made up of 19 elected countries serving four-year terms, the committee is a battleground between those who respect individual rights and civil society and those that do not. With Cameroon, Cuba, China, Eritrea, Nicaragua, and Zimbabwe, it’s a who’s who of human rights abusers. But the U.S. has been a member almost constantly since 1946 and historically fought back alongside other democracies such as Costa Rica, Chile, and the United Kingdom.

Across administrations, U.S. officials vetted non-government organizations’ applications to assess whether they were truly independent or had government ties inimical to democratic norms. For American organizations, the U.S. would advocate for their U.N. access to promote democratic values on the global stage — even when a particular administration didn’t agree with a given organization’s policy preferences. In 2024, U.S. representatives stated: “We will continue to support the accreditation of non-governmental organizations, including those with whom we disagree.” This was the same year accredited organizations like the ACLU sued the administration over immigrants’ rights. Successive administrations pursued this open approach because they didn’t want to give China, Russia, or Cuba any excuse to block human rights groups they disliked.

When rights-abusers clogged the committee with bureaucratic delay, the U.S. would bring votes to the full Economic and Social Council and lobby to overcome them. In 2023, the U.S. successfully used this approach to ensure that the religious freedom-focused Christian Solidarity International got accredited.

Government-organized non-profits also pose real risks. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists documented how such puppet organizations drown out authentic voices at the UN. The head of one China-funded organization with consultative status was convicted of bribery in schemes linked to his U.N. access, damaging faith in the entire process.

This time, however, the U.S. was fully absent. The starkly illustrates how Beijing takes advantage.

In October, U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz spoke about the calculation of whether to “stay engaged and block and tackle and lead in line with our values… or do we decide that it’s just not worth the time, energy, treasure, and effort, and step back?” He made a strong case for staying involved with standard-setting bodies.

But by painting all Economic and Social Council and human rights bodies with a broad brush, the Trump administration weakened U.S. influence and strengthened Beijing’s voice. The State Department offices that once handled this work have been closed, and New York’s team restricted from participating.

Measuring the impact of U.S. withdrawal from U.N. organizations is rarely simple — multilateral work is slow, its consequences buried in procedural minutiae. But the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations offers a rare, concrete exception: a clear before-and-after where American absence directly handed Beijing a tool to reshape who gets a voice at the U.N.

With the Economic and Social Council set to elect the next slate of NGO Committee members in April, the clock is running. The administration should ensure the State Department and New York team have the expertise and freedom to engage — and only then seek re-election. If the U.S. abandons this committee altogether, the damage will compound quietly for years, in exactly the kind of slow, invisible way that makes it easy to ignore until it’s too late.

Allison Lombardo is former deputy assistant secretary of State for International Organization Affairs and a senior associate (non-resident) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

More Opinions - International News

Senate GOP says Trump signals shift to backing DHS compromise with Democrats

US issues ‘worldwide caution’ alert to travelers

GOP cracks in Senate begin to show in DHS shutdown fight

Van Hollen: Trump is ‘lying’ about talks with Iranians

Republicans optimistic on path to end DHS shutdown

Democrats release details behind spending on Noem’s $220M ad campaign

USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier leaves Middle East amid Iran fight

Homan: ICE officers will not assist with airport security scanning amid TSA ...

Pentagon closes office space for journalists after judge’s ruling on building ...

Iran war takes mounting toll on America’s military

Kentucky’s Andy Beshear takes aim at Vance as new rivalry intensifies

Key things to watch for in Florida special election on Trump’s turf 

Bannon says ICE at airports ‘test run’ for 2026 elections

Homan expects ICE protests at airports, sees DHS shutdown ending soon

Pentagon Press Association calls for immediate restoration of ...

Democrats’ quest for relatable white dudes finds new candidates

A permanent daylight saving time loophole? Georgia bill may have found one

JFK suspends wait time reporting amid DHS shutdown

The Hill Podcasts – Morning Report

© The Hill