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As part of its 60th session, the United Nations Human Rights Council conducted the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the Republic of Guinea on 25 September 2025, marking an important opportunity to strengthen the protection of human rights defenders in the country.
The 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council will consider issues including acts of intimidation and reprisals for cooperation with the UN, systemic racism, environment and climate justice, and the rights of Indigenous Peoples and people of African descent. It will also present an opportunity to address grave human rights situations in States including Afghanistan, Burundi, China, Israel/oPt, Nicaragua, Russia, Sudan and Venezuela, and many others. Here's an overview of some of the key issues on the agenda.
On 2 July 2025, the Human Rights Council (HRC) adopted Madagascar’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Report, as part of its 59th session.
Due Process Law Foundation and ISHR urge El Salvador to establish an expert commission to review mass detentions under the state of emergency, warning of continued rights violations and shrinking civic space under new repressive laws.
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.
In a report launched today, ISHR examines China’s efforts to restrict access for independent civil society actors and human rights defenders to UN human rights bodies. The report provides an analysis of China’s membership of the UN Committee on NGOs, the growing presence of Chinese Government-Organised NGOs (GONGOs), and patterns of intimidation and reprisals by the Chinese government.
In a new report, ISHR analyses China’s tactics to restrict access for independent civil society actors in UN human rights bodies. The report provides an analysis of China’s membership of the UN Committee on NGOs, the growing presence of Chinese Government-Organised NGOs (GONGOs), and patterns of intimidation and reprisals by the Chinese government.
The UN Human Rights Council has extended the mandate of the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua for two years, doing so with a larger majority compared to the body’s 2023 renewal, and including a reporting mechanism to the UN General Assembly in New York.
Members of the Colectivo 46/2 coalition expressed concerns on the non-adoption of the final report of Nicaragua's Universal Periodic Review.
