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The 52nd session of the UN Human Rights Council, from 27 February – 4 April 2023, will consider issues including the protection of human rights defenders, freedom of religion or belief, protection and promotion of human rights while countering terrorism, the right to food and adequate housing, among others. It will also present an opportunity to address grave human rights situations in States including Nicaragua, Venezuela, China, Syria, South Sudan, Iran, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Myanmar, Eritrea, among many others. Here’s an overview of some of the key issues on the agenda.

As protests continue across Peru and at least 50 lie dead, States have called on Peru to stop the use of excessive force to quell unrest and to respect the rights of those exercising fundamental freedoms.

During Guatemala’s fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) this week, States repeatedly called on Guatemala to take steps to deal with three ongoing crises: attacks against human rights defenders, endemic corruption and a lack of judicial independence.

As 2023 kicks off, the Geneva Advocacy team at Human Rights Watch shares reflections on the work of the Human Rights Council (HRC) over the past year. Despite alleged ‘polarisation’ and ‘inefficiency’, the HRC is an important space for human rights dialogue and protection and a multi-lateral body that can effectively respond to human rights crises across the world, even when the perpetrators are powerful States, writes Lucy McKernan, Deputy Director of Geneva Advocacy with Human Rights Watch.

ISHR joins organisations and individuals in calling on Egypt to immediately release Ahmed Douma and all those arbitrarily detained in Egypt.

On Wednesday 7 December, ECOSOC Member States will be asked to vote on the accreditation of 9 NGOs that have been arbitrarily blocked from UN participation, including one that has been blocked for 15 years - the longest in the history of the institution.

ISHR joins dozens of organisations calling on Egypt to immediately release HRDs Alaa Abdel-Fattah, Mohamed el-Baqer and Mohamed “Oxygen” Ibrahim Radwan and all those arrested and detained solely for exercising their rights

13 organisations share reflections on the key outcomes of the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council, as well as the missed opportunities to address key issues and situations.

States at the UN Human Rights Council have voted to establish a dedicated Special Rapporteur to monitor the dire and deteriorating human rights situation in Russia and report on violations committed against civil society.

The Third Committee, the UN General Assembly’s principal human rights committee, has just kicked off its deliberations. This year's session will run for eight weeks, from 29 September to 18 November 2022, and it will be chaired by Ambassador José Alfonso Blanco Conde of the Dominican Republic. Below is ISHR's outline of expected reports, resolutions and events relating to human rights defenders and strengthening of the UN human rights system.