The National Lawyers Guild International Committee, together with the International Association of Democratic Lawyers, supported Taxpayers Against Genocide in filing a shadow report to the Universal Periodic Review of the United States by the United Nations Human Rights Council, which will take place in November 2025.

Taxpayers Against Genocide is a national grassroots movement fighting for Palestinian liberation and an end to the use of our federal tax dollars for genocide.

TAG is working for the world we know is possible—one where workers and families are safe to flourish on a healthy planet free from occupation, extraction, oppression, apartheid and exploitation; where leaders are responsible to the people they serve and not to corporations or the rich and powerful.

NLG lawyers and legal workers supported TAG in filing the April 7 shadow report to the UPR, which focuses on the responsibility of US officials for the ongoing Israeli genocide in occupied Palestine, particularly in the Gaza Strip, including ongoing US responsibility for funding, arming and directing the genocidal assault, which has already taken well over 51,000 Palestinian lives and displaced 2 million people in Gaza over the past 19 months.

The shadow report was also endorsed by CODEPINK, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom – U.S. Section, Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace, and Roots Action.

Margaret DeMatteo and Huwaida Arraf participated in the Law and Disorder podcast to discuss the report and the work of TAG. Download or listen to the episode at the link.

The UPR is a unique process through which the human rights record of a country is reviewed by other United Nations member States. Countries are reviewed every 4-5 years. The member States then make recommendations to the country under review, which the country should in theory accept and implement.

TAG’s next step — also supported by the NLG International Committee — is filing a complaint with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) against the US government for its direct participation in genocide. The complaint will be filed on May 14, accompanied by a press conference, rally and march outside the IACHR office in Washington, D.C. (Wednesday, May 14, 11 am, 1889 F Street NW, Washington, DC)

Download the PDF of the shadow report