Human Rights Council

Francesca Albanese, the UN Human Rights Council's Special Rapporteur on the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, has given an interview with Declassified UK's Mark Kennard discussing the situation in the Palestinian territories. The conversation touches on alleged war crimes and has drawn attention amid ongoing debate over her UN mandate and her statements on Israel and Palestine.

Azerbaijani activist and journalist Mehman Huseynov delivered a speech at the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Huseynov, known for documenting police abuse in Azerbaijan and winner of the 2017 Index on Censorship freedom of expression award, used the UN platform to highlight human rights concerns in his home country. His address is drawing significant attention among Azerbaijani-speaking audiences, with strong engagement across social channels.

Diplomats are gathering in Geneva as the UN Human Rights Council reviews international refugee law and asylum protections, with attention on how its alerts could affect US third-country migration agreements. Commenters are debating whether UN findings will push Washington to change deals that send asylum seekers to other countries.

A Council of Europe delegation is visiting Warsaw for talks with Polish authorities on the execution of European Court of Human Rights judgments, focusing on the rule of law and on abortion. The discussions concern how Poland implements court rulings, including the near-total abortion ban and judgments related to judicial independence. The visit highlights continued international pressure on Poland to comply with Strasbourg's decisions.

At the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council, under Agenda Item 4 on human rights situations requiring attention, advocates argued that accountability in Sudan must extend beyond combatants to the supply networks arming both sides of the war. The appeal, made by CAP Freedom of Conscience, calls for scrutiny of those financing and equipping the warring parties as civilian suffering continues.

An international NGOs conference organised under the Council of Europe framework has opened with a wide-ranging agenda covering climate risks, violence against women and social rights. Delegates are expected to debate how civil society can respond to environmental threats, protect women from gender-based violence and defend social protections, making the gathering a key forum for human rights advocacy in Europe.

A side event titled 'Human Rights at the Centre of Humanitarian Renewal' is being held during the 2026 session of the UN Human Rights Council. The event focuses on placing human rights principles at the core of ongoing efforts to reform and renew the international humanitarian system, bringing together policymakers and rights advocates.

An Indian diplomat delivering a sharp reply to Pakistan at the UN Human Rights Council has drawn wide attention, telling Islamabad to 'vacate the part of Kashmir you hold'. The pointed exchange, captured on video, has circulated widely and been picked up by Indian outlets, reigniting debate over the two countries' long-running dispute over the region.

The International Federation for Human Rights delivered an oral statement at the United Nations during the adoption of the Universal Periodic Review of Singapore, the process in which member states assess each other's human rights records. The statement forms part of the outcome session concluding Singapore's latest review cycle. It follows recommendations made by other states on Singapore's rights situation.

Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, delivered a message to a UN Human Rights Conference held in Geneva. In it she addressed the human rights situation in Iran, calling for accountability over abuses and repression by the Iranian authorities. The remarks are being circulated among opposition and human rights circles, drawing attention to ongoing debate over Iran's record at the United Nations.

A Geneva-based commentary argues that the UN Human Rights Council cannot meaningfully address anti-gay laws around the world without also condemning their colonial origins. Many statutes criminalising same-sex relations were introduced under European colonial rule and remain on the books after independence. The piece calls on the council to acknowledge this history when tackling LGBT rights.

A joint stakeholder report on human rights in the digital context in Uganda has been submitted for the country's Universal Periodic Review at the 54th session of the UN Human Rights Council process. The report, compiled by civil society groups led by the Association for Progressive Communications, assesses Uganda's record on internet freedom, digital expression and online rights ahead of the review.

Civil society organisations, led by the International Drug Policy Consortium, are calling on states to confront systemic racism in drug control during a dialogue with the UN Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development (EMLER) at the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council. Advocates argue drug policies disproportionately harm racialised and marginalised communities and are pressing governments to reform enforcement and adopt rights-based approaches.