
Egypt: Reform unjust vice laws, guarantee open civic space
During Egypt's UPR adoption at HRC59, Nora Noralla delivered a joint statement on behalf of ISHR, Cairo 52 and Middle East Democracy Center. Watch and read the full statement below.
Photo: ISHR
ISHR has released a new report presenting key tactics relating to the ongoing process of UN treaty body strengthening. Drawing lessons from previous processes and identifying some of the key challenges and opportunities currently facing the expert bodies, the report proposes seven building blocks to strengthen the core international human rights bodies effectively.
The new report reflects the findings of a consultation organised by ISHR in May 2017, which focused on the political strategy of treaty body strengthening. The event gathered over 60 high level experts from governments, treaty bodies, civil society, National Human Rights Institutions, OHCHR and academics.
‘The meeting was a great opportunity to exchange ideas, establish new contacts, clarify misunderstandings, strenghthen collaboration,’ said expert member of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) Patricia Schulz.
‘I must congratulate you and your colleagues for what I believe is a very solid report that will be of great use for the preparations to the review of UNGA Resolution 68/268 in 2020. The report covers all key issues,’ added Paulo David from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Drawing on the substance of the expert meeting, the report identifies seven building blocks for a successful treaty body strengthening process:
‘Treaty body strengthening processes have often been fragmented, as different actors such as governments and civil society get very few opportunities to reflect together and elaborate joint strategies on such critical human rights reforms,’ said ISHR Director of treaty body advocacy Vincent Ploton. ‘We were delighted to be able to bring together such a diversity of experts to the event, and identify key strategies to improve the work of treaty bodies,’ he concluded.
Access the report here.
During Egypt's UPR adoption at HRC59, Nora Noralla delivered a joint statement on behalf of ISHR, Cairo 52 and Middle East Democracy Center. Watch and read the full statement below.
At the Human Rights Council, Belgium delivered a statement on behalf of over 60 States that 'pays tribute to the numerous achievements and meaningful progress made by women and girls human rights defenders, and emphasises the continued need for their voices to be heard and supported'.
The 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council (16 June to 9 July 2025) will consider issues including civil society space, climate change, sexual orientation and gender identity, violence and discrimination against women and girls, poverty, peaceful assembly and association, and freedom of expression, among others. It will also present an opportunity to address grave human rights situations including in Afghanistan, Belarus, China, Eritrea, Israel and oPt, Sudan, Syria and Venezuela, among many others. Here’s an overview of some of the key issues on the agenda.