© UN Photo/Jean Marc Ferré
At the 60th Human Rights Council session, civil society organisations share reflections on key outcomes and highlight gaps in addressing crucial issues and situations. Full written version below.
On 12 March 2025, Secretary-General António Guterres launched the UN80 Initiative. This comes at a time of unprecedented erosion of international human rights law and institutions, and an unprecedented need for respect for human rights and multilateral cooperation to address increasing and intersecting crises and conflicts, from the climate crisis and the regulation of artificial intelligence to the atrocities in Gaza, Sudan, Afghanistan and Ukraine.
At this critical juncture, UN80 must improve the effectiveness, reach and responsiveness of UN human rights mechanisms.
We call on all Member States to (1) ensure that proposals and decisions for reform are made in meaningful consultation with human rights defenders, victims and survivors and meet their expectations, needs and demands; (2) oppose budget cuts to the UN human rights pillar and ensure it is adequately resourced by paying dues in full and on time to the UN’s regular budget, and increasing unearmarked voluntary contributions; (3) promote and protect the capacity and independence of Treaty Bodies, Special Procedures and the investigative mechanisms established by the Human Rights Council. Any merger or consolidation of mandates must be guided by the views of independent civil society and victims and survivors of violations; and (4) reforms should take a human rights-centered approach and prioritise and mainstream human rights across the whole system. They should promote a consistent, principled and non-selective application of human rights standards and principles to all situations and levy consequences when States don’t cooperate with and attack the system. Civil society organisations have put together a set of principles, criteria and concrete proposals that should guide the reform process.
The decision of Nicaragua to discontinue its cooperation with the UPR and the USA announcement that the USA will not participate in its planned UPR, a crucial process through which States can be held accountable for their human rights records by their peers and by civil society, undermine the Council and should be condemned by the Council.
We condemn the decision of the US government to sanction judges of the ICC, and the Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territory. These sanctions are an attack against accountability mechanisms, violate international human rights law, betray victims of gross human rights abuses, provide impunity to perpetrators, and amount to an unlawful interference in the administration of justice. They also constitute reprisals, and we welcome that the reprisals resolution acknowledged attacks against mandate holders “targeted in connection with the discharge of their functions”.
We welcome the long-overdue establishment of an Independent Investigative Mechanism for Afghanistan, finally responding to the persistent calls of Afghan and international civil society in a manner commensurate with the gravity of the situation. In the absence of any domestic avenue for accountability, this mechanism—mandated “to collect, consolidate, preserve and analyze evidence of international crimes and violations of international law committed in Afghanistan, including against women and girls,” and to identify perpetrators—represents a vital step toward justice. For victims and survivors of the Taliban’s ongoing crimes, including those targeting women and girls, as well as atrocities committed by multiple actors over more than five decades of conflict, the mechanism offers long-awaited hope that justice may one day be achieved. The international community must now ensure the mechanism can fulfill its mandate and confront the entrenched culture of impunity by providing the necessary resources, political support, and operational capacity to carry out its crucial work.
Ten years after the start of the still unresolved 2015 crisis in Burundi, we welcome the Council’s continued scrutiny of Burundi’s rights situation, through the extension of the Special Rapporteur’s mandate. A continued spotlight on the country is needed to prevent Burundi from becoming a forgotten crisis. We urge states to rely on a “risk factor” approach as Burundi has entered a long electoral period that will culminate with the 2027 presidential election.
The mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Cambodia remains an essential lifeline for local civil society and human rights defenders as repression continues to deepen in the country. We therefore welcome its renewal for another two years. However, we regret that the resolution on advisory services and technical assistance for Cambodia once again fails to accurately reflect the situation on the ground, particularly the weaponisation of the judiciary and what the Special Rapporteur has described as the “judicialised lawfare” used to target human rights defenders, including environmental and land rights defenders, political opponents, journalists, independent media, and civil society. This has led to the continued closure of civic and political space. We urge the international community, including the OHCHR, to ensure that its technical assistance and capacity-building support to Cambodia is based on accurate and independent assessments—particularly those of the Special Rapporteur—of the situation on the ground
We note the two resolutions adopted on the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The move to item 4, and the DRC’s request to operationalise the Commission of Inquiry (COI) established during the 7 February 2025 special session, is legitimate. The Office of the High Commissioner should urgently allocate resources and staff to implement what is a Council decision. We regret the termination of the International Team of Experts, under item 10, but welcome continued technical assistance and capacity-building. The DRC deserves the Council’s continued full attention.
We remain very concerned about the sharply deteriorating human rights situation in Georgia, as the government enacts policy and legislation to dismantle independent civil society. While we welcome the new resolution on Georgia under Item 10, brought forward by the State itself, and acknowledge that, crucially, the mandate of the High Commissioner continues to focus on all of Georgian territory, nevertheless we call on all States to remain vigilant to the events in government-controlled territory and to ensure Georgia moves back into compliance with its international obligations.
We welcome the passing of a new resolution on the Russian Federation, even as the human rights situation in the country remains perilous, and in the context of the Russian Federation continuing to commit grave human rights violations outside of its territory, including in Ukraine. It is essential in this context that the Special Rapporteur’s mandate has been renewed, and that the Council continues to hear from Russian civil society even as the state seeks to break this connection with the international community.
We take note of the termination of the mandate of the Independent Expert on Somalia – one of the longest standing special procedures. As the mandate is replaced with technical support and monitoring and reporting by OHCHR, we stress the need for ongoing scrutiny of the country’s human rights situation.
We welcome the renewal of the OHCHR Sri Lanka Accountability Project and the continuation of its monitoring and reporting mandate. In the continued absence of tangible domestic progress toward accountability, these mechanisms remain essential to preserving the hopes of justice for tens of thousands of victims and survivors of grave crimes committed during the internal armed conflict that ended more than 16 years ago. The extension of these mandates by consensus reflects broad political support and recognition of their vital importance in the current context. However, we regret that the resolution on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka fails to adequately reflect long-standing concerns with serious implications for the protection of human rights in the country, while prematurely welcoming supposed domestic reform initiatives and government commitments that have shown no tangible progress.
As war rages across Sudan with no reprieve in sight for civilians, and as concerns are mounting over the siege of El Fasher, we welcome the Council’s decision to extend the mandate of the Fact-Finding Mission (FFM). The adoption of resolution ‘Responding to the human rights and humanitarian crisis caused by the ongoing armed conflict in the Sudan’ sends a clear message to all warring parties that their actions are being documented. The resolution aligns with civil society expectations, expressed in a joint letter signed by over 100 organisations. The Council could have done more, however, to enhance global attention to Sudan and advance accountability – which is central to any long-term solution to Sudan’s conflict. Among other things, it could have extended the FFM’s mandate for two years. We do welcome the reinstatement of interactive dialogues (in an enhanced format) in June sessions.
We welcome the adoption by consensus of the resolution on cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human Rights. We particularly welcome the recognition and inclusion of attacks against mandate holders “targeted in connection with the discharge of their functions” and the increasing trend of transnational repression. We regret, however, that language on follow-up was not considered as unresolved cases remain active cases of reprisals, which should be reported on.
We welcome the adoption by consensus of the resolution from rhetoric to reality: a global call for concrete action against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance which included language recommended by civil society, as well as a timely focus on reparations, in line with several reports published by various UN procedures working on racism towards African and Afrodescendant people, as well as calls for the full implementation of the DDPA.
We welcome the adoption of the resolution on preventable maternal mortality and morbidity and human rights, with a focus on respectful maternal care and midwifery and community models of care. We welcome the strong language on sexual and reproductive health and rights, on the role of health care workers and on the role of inequalities between and within countries, including systemic racism and poverty in the resolution.
The resolution on promotion and protection of the human rights of women and children in conflict and post-conflict situations: ensuring justice, remedies and reparation for victims has taken important steps into strengthening HRC standards on accountability, remedies and reparation for women and children in conflict situations. We regret however that the resolution has not fully addressed the different legal frameworks of women and children human rights, and fell short in fully addressing the specific forms of violence women face in conflict situations, such as reproductive violence, and to fully address women and girls’ agency.
We welcome the strong resolution on the question of the death penalty that maintained and strengthened previous language. While the resolution went to a vote, it passed with 31 in favour, seven against and eight abstentions representing stronger support than previous resolutions in 2021 and 2023.
We welcome the resolution on sea-level rise and its effects on the full and effective enjoyment of human rights. It importantly builds on the recent advisory opinion on climate change by the International Court of Justice, including on the question of statehood, but we regret that, once again, no mention to fossil fuels was made.
We welcome the adoption of the resolution on the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery and trafficking in persons. We welcome its encouragement for the new merged mandate holder to continue to engage with civil society, amongst other stakeholders, and its request to the High Commissioner for Human Rights to ensure that the Special Rapporteur receives the resources necessary to discharge the mandate fully. Given the breadth of the newly merged mandate and the significant increase in existing and evolving forms of contemporary forms of slavery and trafficking in persons globally, adequate resourcing will be essential.
The UN Guidance Note on Protection and Promotion of Civic Space, published in September 2020, reaffirms civic space as a threshold issue for successful implementation of all three pillars of the UN and commits all UN entities to supporting more systematic participation of civil society in UN bodies and agencies. However, five years after the adoption of this landmark document, reporting on the Guidance Note has not been undertaken yet. The Office of the High Commissioner should be mandated to ensure compliance of the UN Guidance Note by all UN agencies and offices, including instituting an action taken or status on implementation report providing information on extent of implementation and barriers to full implementation of the Note.
We regret that the Council failed to adequately respond to the grave human rights situations unfolding in Yemen, Libya, and across the MENA region.
In Yemen, despite repeated calls from civil society, the situation continues to deteriorate, with civilians, journalists, and human rights defenders facing escalating repression, arbitrary arrests, and intimidation by all parties, including the Houthis. The Council’s inaction has also coincided with intensified hostilities, including Israeli strikes in Sana’a that targeted residential areas and security buildings, killing civilians and heightening fears for those held in detention.
Similarly, in Libya, two years of technical assistance under resolution 56/16 have yielded no tangible progress in ending gross human rights violations or ensuring accountability. Arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and repression of civil society persist unabated, while authorities in both eastern and western Libya continue to obstruct cooperation with the International Criminal Court and protect perpetrators from justice. These developments underscore that technical assistance alone cannot address entrenched impunity. The Council must adopt a more robust approach to ensure effective follow-up and accountability.
Recent Israeli strikes in Qatar, Yemen, and Syria further demonstrate the urgent need for principled, consistent action. Israel’s repeated attacks on civilian areas and neighboring States are clear violations of international law, yet the international community’s silence only perpetuates impunity and undermines the credibility of this Council.
We welcome the report of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), including East Jerusalem, and Israel which found that Israel is responsible for the commission of genocide in Gaza. We also welcome the Update of the UN Database on Businesses Facilitating Settlement Activities in the OPT. As the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the OPT demonstrated in her HRC59 report “from economy of occupation to economy of genocide” report, there is a prima facie responsibility on every State and corporate entity to completely abstain from or end their relationships with this economy of occupation. We echo the Commission’s calls urging Israel and all States to fulfil their legal obligations under international law to end the genocide and punish those responsible for it. We reiterate our calls to States to heed to recommendations of experts, UN agencies, OHCHR, and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), by taking long overdue political and economic measures, including sanctions against Israel, and imposing a two-way arms embargo. We stand in solidarity with Palestinian organisations and human rights defenders worldwide working to uphold international law in the face of Israel’s genocide and colonial apartheid against the Palestinian people. Israel’s blocking of the Global Sumud Flotilla constitutes a grave violation of international law and humanitarian principles. We join Palestinian organisations’ condemnation of Israel’s attack on the flotilla, threats and imprisonment of human rights defenders, as an entrenchment of genocidal acts. We call on Third States to urgently ensure the safety and protection of the Flotilla and its crew. Organisations from around the world also condemned US and UK sanctions targeting human rights organisations and stand in solidarity with human rights defenders working to uphold international law in the face of Israel’s genocide and colonial apartheid against the Palestinian people.
During a side event this session, Sahrawi human rights defenders addressed the attacks faced by defenders advocating for the right to self-determination. Across the occupied territory of Western Sahara, Sahrawi human rights defenders continue to face systematic reprisals for their peaceful activism and engagement with international mechanisms. We urge the Council to press Morocco to end reprisals against Sahrawi defenders, ensure access to international human rights monitoring in Western Sahara, and implement the recommendations of UN Special Procedures and treaty bodies without delay.
This Council’s continued silence on the human rights crisis in Egypt remains of major concern. The human rights situation in Egypt is worse than at any point in its modern history and continues to deteriorate. As Egypt makes a bid for election to the United Nations Human Rights Council, compelling evidence has emerged that implicates the Egyptian government and its military in the commission of war crimes and potential crimes against humanity. In a letter sent to UN member states and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on 22 September, Egyptian civil society organisations have called for the immediate establishment of a UN investigation into serious human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings in Sinai, and for States to oppose Egypt’s Council candidacy. This Council should heed those calls.
After the Council discontinued its investigating mechanism on Ethiopia, ICHREE, in 2023, Ethiopia’s human rights situation has deteriorated continuously. Considering ongoing violations across the country, violence in several regions, the crackdown on civic space, and a flawed transitional justice process that is failing victims and survivors, the Council should revisit its engagement. We welcome the joint statement endorsed by 42 States at this session, but stress that this can only be a first step towards more robust action, in the form of a resolution. At this critical time, OHCHR should release a long-overdue public report on the country.
We continue to deplore this Council’s exceptionalism towards serious human rights violations in China committed by the government, three years after the release of the OHCHR’s Xinjiang report finding the possible commission of crimes against humanity by the Chinese government. It is imperative that the Human Rights Council take action commensurate with the gravity of UN findings, such as by establishing a monitoring and reporting mechanism on China as repeatedly urged by over 40 UN experts since 2020. We urge China to genuinely engage with the UN human rights system to enact meaningful reform, and ensure all individuals and peoples enjoy their human rights, on the basis of recommendations from the OHCHR Xinjiang report, UN Treaty Bodies, and UN Special Procedures.
We remain concerned about the deteriorating situation for human rights and the rule of law in the United States of America (USA). The Trump Administration’s announcement that the USA will not participate in its planned UPR, a crucial process through which States can be held accountable for their human rights records by their peers and by civil society, should be condemned by the Human Rights Council. Both in response to the USA situation, and in order to avoid a domino effect, it is important that other human rights bodies – including Special Procedures and the High Commissioner – increase monitoring, reporting on and scrutiny of the USA.
Signatories:
At a panel on the protection framework for human rights defenders, prominent figures from Senegalese civil society and Rémy Ngoy Lumbu of the, Chair of the African Commission for Human and Peoples’ Rights, discussed best practices, challenges and the need to strengthen safeguards for defenders.
Concerned about the increasing numbers of unresolved cases, the NGO Forum held ahead of the 85th session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights looked at ways to address impunity for human rights violations in Africa.
Earlier this month, Belgium, on behalf of the the BENELUX States, raised a number of cases of reprisals during an interactive dialogue at the Third Committee before the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights and head of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ilze Brands Kehris.
