Key issues on the agenda of the General Assembly’s 80th session’s Third Committee

The Third Committee is a key moment in the year for UN Member States to take action in support of the respect of human rights globally, through the negotiation and adoption of resolutions focused on thematic or country concerns. The Third Committee also brings together a wide array of UN experts to report and advise on pressing human rights concerns.  

This year’s Third Committee is expected to consider approximately 53 resolutions on a range of topics. ISHR will be closely monitoring the work of the Third Committee as well as relevant developments in the plenary of the General Assembly and will report on key developments relevant to human rights defenders and civil society. 

Formal meetings of the Third Committee can be watched live on the UN Web TV. Follow @ISHRglobal using #UNGA80 for the latest updates.

Save the date: ISHR events

• Side event on the ‘Situation of human rights in Nicaragua’ with the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua (GHREN), the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), and Nicaraguan civil society, followed by a reception, 30 October @ 6:15-7:30pm, Church Center, 2nd floor
• Launch of ‘Budget Battles at the UN: How States try to Defund Human Rights’, a major ISHR report on State efforts to block funding of the UN Human Rights Pillar, 21 October @ 1:15-2:30pm, Church Center, 2nd floor

Resolutions 

Through its resolutions, the Third Committee considers specific thematic issues and country-specific situations. Resolutions on issues not previously addressed can also be presented.  

Thematic

• The safety of journalists and the issue of impunity (Lead Sponsors: Greece, Argentina, Austria, Costa Rica, France, Tunisia): This resolution highlights States’ obligations to implement practices that prevent and protect against attacks on the media and journalists, to hold violators accountable, and to create a safe and enabling environment for journalists and media workers. This year, the focus is expected to be on journalists working in the climate and environmental space. 
• Terrorism and human rights (Lead Sponsors: Mexico, Egypt): This resolution addresses States’ human rights obligations in the context of counterterrorism. 
• Human rights in the context of digital technologies (Lead Sponsors: Mexico, Czech Republic, Maldives, The Netherlands, South Africa): This resolution, which first came up at the Third Committee in 2023, will address the importance of promoting and protecting human rights in an increasingly digital world. It is expected that the text of the resolution will address the application of rights online and offline, disinformation and informational integrity, and the protection of children and vulnerable groups. Civil society hopes to see language emphasising the significance of digital public infrastructure and highlighting the risks around targeted surveillance, commercial spyware and biometric technologies. It also urges Member States to emphasise the importance and expertise of OHCHR in safeguarding rights.
• Human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation (Lead Sponsors: Spain, Germany): Civil society hopes that language on gender equality, the specific situation of women and girls, sexual and reproductive health and menstrual health will be retained. The resolution is also expected to contain language on human rights defenders, which States are urged to support. 
• Disabilities (Lead Sponsors: Mexico, New Zealand): This year, the resolution is expected to address amplified barriers for persons with disabilities in diverse contexts.  
• National human rights institutions (Lead Sponsor: Germany): The focus of this resolution is expected to be on persons with disabilities. 
• Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (Lead Sponsor: Denmark): This year, new language is expected in this resolution around sexual violence in the context of conflicts and peaceful protests. 

Member States are strongly urged to maintain established human rights focused language and introduce further strong language where possible. Several resolutions are expected to become battlegrounds regarding references to gender and sexual and reproductive health and rights, as has been the case in previous sessions of the Third Committee. This includes resolutions on the Rights of the child; Violence against women migrant workers; the Girl child; and Policy and programmes involving youth. It is important for States to preserve existing language that recognises the unique experience of women, girls, and gender-diverse people and incorporate relevant language where not already included. 

Some resolutions will not be run this session:

• The resolution on human rights defenders last presented by Norway in 2023 and usually raised on a biennial basis has been triennialised. It is now expected to come up before the Third Committee in its 2026 session.  
• The United States is not expected to present their usual biennial resolution on strengthening the role of the United Nations in the promotion of democratisation and enhancing periodic and genuine elections.

Country situations

• Canada will once again present a resolution on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran that highlights the worsening human rights environment in the country. The resolution is expected to focus on developments over the last 12 months, including in the areas of the death penalty, the situation of women and girls, the situation of ethnic minorities, threats to freedom of speech and assembly and shrinking civil space. Civil society hopes to see references to weaponization of the death penalty to stifle human rights defenders and the increased use of national security laws to persecute religious minorities, along with language around transnational repression. Given the risk of normalisation of the deplorable human rights situation (including a record high number of executions in 2025) in Iran, civil society encourages States to support this resolution.  
• The United States is expected to present a resolution on the Syrian Arab Republic. This would be the first Third Committee resolution since the fall of the Assad regime. Civil society hopes to see language in the resolution around missing persons and protection of minorities. 
• The European Union will again present its annual resolution on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which is expected to be similar to previous resolutions given the lack of improvement. 
• The European Union, along with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), will again present a resolution on the situation of human rights of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar. This resolution is also expected to be similar to previous resolutions.

Other key issues and actions

Joint Statement on intimidation and reprisals 

For the seventh year in a row, a joint statement on intimidation and reprisals will be delivered, led by Ireland and Uruguay. The statement calls on all States and the UN to prevent, respond to, and ensure accountability for cases of intimidation and reprisals against those who engage or seek to engage with the UN. This year’s statement notes in particular the increase in the scale and sophistication of transnational targeted repression, attempts to intimidate independent mandate holders and international organisations, and targeting of LGBTIQ+ persons. Eighty States joined last year and it is hoped that an even greater number of States will sign on this year.

Human Rights Council elections

On 14 October, the General Assembly will elect 14 new countries to the Human Rights Council for the period 2026-2028. ISHR is disappointed that all regions have presented closed slates this year, and the process is therefore not competitive. Furthermore, 4 out of 14 States running for election to the Council are cited by the Secretary-General in his latest report on reprisals and intimidation. Candidate States must secure a majority of all voting States to obtain a seat at the Human Rights Council. We call on all UN Member States to only vote for candidates that uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights and fully cooperate with the Council and other UN human rights mechanisms. Access here ISHR’s ‘scorecards’ for each candidate providing a quick ‘at-a-glance’ objective comparison of the candidates.

Overview of reports by and dialogues with UN experts

Eighty-two experts (three more than 2024)–Special Rapporteurs, Independent Experts, and Working Groups—as well as the President of the Human Rights Council, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and several heads of UN Agencies will hold interactive dialogues with Member States. The Fact Finding Mission on Iran, the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua and the Fact Finding Mission on Sudan are new additions this year. Some experts, including almost all treaty body chairs, are expected to participate remotely. The High Commissioner for Human Rights will engage remotely with the Third Committee on 15 October. The President of the Human Rights Council is expected to engage with the General Assembly plenary and the Third Committee on 31 October. He is also expected to meet with civil society around this time. 

Several of this year’s reports reflect concerns about increased attacks on human rights defenders and emphasise the critical importance of creating and maintaining space for civil society. Click here for a list and schedule of dialogues and here for the list of reports. 

• Report of the Secretary-General on reprisals and intimidation related to UN engagement: An advance edited version of the report is available here: A/HRC/60/62. The report, which was discussed by the Human Rights Council in September, will be introduced at the Third Committee by the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights on 16 October. ISHR urges States to draw attention to the report in their statements during the interactive dialogue, and in particular to raise specific cases of victims of reprisals in their statements. 
• Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders (A/80/114): In this report, Special Rapporteur Mary Lawlor has focused on the role of human rights defenders in facilitating a ‘just transition’ and tackling climate change. It sets out positive practices of States and other actors to support climate human rights defenders and also examines the threats faced by them (including specifically by women and indigenous defenders and journalists). The report will be presented to the Third Committee and an interactive dialogue will be held on 16 October.
• Report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association (A/80/219): Special Rapporteur Gina Romero calls attention to the existential and structural threats presented to the rights to freedom of assembly and association due to withdrawal of funding and increased securitization. She provides recommendations to protect civic space based on the creation of a viable aid mechanism. The report will be presented to the Third Committee and an interactive dialogue will be held on 16 October.  
• Report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and the protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression (A/80/341): Special Rapporteur Irene Khan analyses threats to the right to expression in the online sphere and makes recommendations to stakeholders (including to civil society) to safeguard this right. It identifies human rights defenders, journalists and other communities as being particularly at risk of, among other things, disinformation and harassment online and notes blocking of applications used by defenders and journalists in several countries. The report will be presented to the Third Committee and an interactive dialogue will be held on 16 October. 
• Report of the Special Rapporteur on the human right to a healthy environment (A/80/187): In this report, Astrid Puentes Riaño examines the weaknesses in the processes of environmental impact assessment and makes recommendations for their strengthening. In urging States to implement their obligation to facilitate public participation in this process, the report specifically calls for the protection of environmental human rights defenders. The report will be presented to the Third Committee and an interactive dialogue will be held on 17 October. 
• Report of the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua (A/80/145, A/HRC/58/26): The HRC, in its resolution 58/18 dated 3 April 2025, requested that the latest report of the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua be presented at the 80th and 81st sessions of the General Assembly. It will therefore be introduced to the Third Committee and an interactive dialogue will be conducted on it on 17 October. The report contains the findings of the group of experts regarding actors involved with perpetrating human rights violations in Nicaragua since April 2018. It also touches on the ongoing targeting and intimidation of human rights defenders.
• Report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism (A/80/284): Special Rapporteur Ben Saul makes suggestions for preserving human rights while seeking to combat terrorism through administrative means. The report narrows in on “listing of terrorist individuals and organizations”, “restrictive orders”, “administrative security detention” and “compulsory preventive interventions”. The report states that actors defending human rights or advocating peacefully must not be listed as terrorists, noting concerns that such designations are often deployed to stifle human rights. The report will be presented to the Third Committee and an interactive dialogue will be held on 22 October. 
• Report of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief (A/80/205): In this report, Special Rapporteur Nazila Ghanea urges States to ensure that people “on the move” (refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced persons, migrant workers etc.) have their freedom of religion or belief protected equally. It also highlights the contribution of and challenges faced by faith-based organisations and civil society in this regard. The report will be presented to the Third Committee and an interactive dialogue will be held on 24 October.  
• Report of the Human Rights Council [(A/80/-): yet to be issued]: The Third Committee will also consider the Human Rights Council Report which compiles resolutions and decisions taken by the Council throughout the year, including those being negotiated at the current 60th session of the Council. The report will be presented to the Third Committee and an interactive dialogue will be held on 31 October.

Civil society access and participation 

We welcome the continuation of a briefing and exchange with civil society convened by the Chair of the Third Committee at the beginning of the session, taking place for the sixth time. We urge the UN to organise these meetings in a hybrid format to benefit from the perspectives of civil society beyond those present in New York. We also encourage all penholders of resolutions to invite NGOs to participate in informal negotiations on resolutions as observers.

Impacts of the ongoing liquidity crisis  

Due to the liquidity crisis, and pursuant to the proposal submitted by the Bureau, on an exceptional basis, the general discussion of each agenda item or cluster of agenda items will be replaced by a single general debate to be held prior to the start of the interactive dialogues. This is the same arrangement adopted during the 75th session at the height of the COVID 19 pandemic. Statements made during the general debate under any or all agenda items will be limited to 10 minutes for individual delegations and to 12 minutes for statements made on behalf of a group of delegations. The Bureau has also reportedly proposed that there be general discussions at the conclusion of the interactive dialogues, if time permits. The liquidity crisis has also impacted travel of some experts, such as the Chairs of the Treaty Bodies, who will brief the Third Committee remotely as a result.

Human rights in the Fifth Committee

On 16 September 2025, the UN Secretary-General published his report revising his earlier proposal for the UN’s 2026 budget (known as ‘Revised estimates’ report). This revised budget reflects the Secretary-General’s objectives to achieve efficiencies under his ongoing UN80 Initiative reform process, launched in March 2025 to make the UN more ‘effective, cost-efficient and responsive’ in a context of financial crisis. ISHR’s analysis of the revised estimates points to disproportionate cuts to chronically-underfunded human rights pillar. Governments from all regions should reverse cuts and ensure the UN human rights system—crucial to international peace, security and development—is adequately funded.