Published on: 2026-09-06
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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6 September 2026 Human Rights
On Monday, September 7, the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council will open at the Palace of Nations in Geneva. Over five weeks, the Council’s 47 member states will review the human rights situation in countries around the world, hold 37 interactive dialogues with independent experts, and adopt dozens of resolutions.
On the first day of the session, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk will present his updated overview of the situation in the world.
What will be discussed at the autumn session
The focus of the session participants is on a number of crisis situations, including Afghanistan, Syria, Myanmar, and Sudan. In particular, the Council will hear a report from the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan, and the High Commissioner will separately inform delegates about the situation in El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state.
On Friday, September 18, the Human Rights Council will discuss the report of the Group of Independent Experts on the human rights situation in Belarus, as well as the situation in several other countries.
On Monday, September 21, three interactive dialogues will take place: on the reports of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation, the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine.
On September 28, the Human Rights Council will hear a report from the High Commissioner on the implementation of the resolution concerning Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan. On the same day, a general debate will be held on the human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories. Additionally, during the fourth week of the session, participants will discuss the situation in Haiti, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Cambodia, and Yemen.
Unilateral sanctions and elderly rights
Independent experts appointed by the Human Rights Council will raise a wide range of issues: the rights of elderly people, access to safe drinking water and sanitation, modern forms of slavery, hazardous waste, arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances, the rights of peasants and rural residents, the use of mercenaries, and the activities of private military companies.
On Tuesday, September 8, the Council will hold a dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the exercise of human rights – the discussion will focus on how sanctions imposed by individual states outside the UN framework affect people’s lives, their access to food, medicine, and medical assistance.
Three anniversaries and global themes
The Council will mark the 60th anniversary of the International Covenants on Human Rights – the two 1966 treaties that, together with the Universal Declaration, make up the International Bill of Human Rights – as well as the 40th anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development and the 15th anniversary of the UN Declaration on Education and Training in the Field of Human Rights. Each of these dates will be the subject of a high-level discussion.
In addition, the Human Rights Council will hold thematic discussions on how to protect economic, social and cultural rights in the context of growing inequality, on the rights of indigenous peoples, and on the consideration of gender issues in the work of the Council and its mechanisms.
Also during the session, a report by the UN Secretary-General will be presented on how to mobilize sufficient resources to finance measures related to climate change, as well as the annual report on the persecution of people cooperating with the UN.
Decisions and Resolutions
At this session, the Council will approve the outcomes of the periodic review of the human rights situation in 15 countries – Namibia, Niger, Mozambique, Estonia, Paraguay, Belgium, Denmark, Palau, Somalia, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Latvia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, and Nicaragua.
The last three days of the session, from October 5 to 7, will be dedicated to voting on draft resolutions and decisions. The Council will appoint a new Special Rapporteur on the right to safe drinking water and sanitation, as well as a Special Rapporteur on Eritrea – provided that the mandate is renewed. Additionally, five members of various working groups will be appointed and seven members of the Council’s Advisory Committee will be elected.
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