Report on the 62nd session of the Human Rights Council

Quick summary 

• The 62nd regular session of the Human Rights Council (HRC62) started on Monday, 15 June and concluded on Tuesday, 7 July 2026. 
• On 15 June, the UN High Commissioner for human rights, Mr. Volker Türk, opened HRC62 by presenting his global update on the state of human rights followed by an interactive dialogue.
• More than 60 reports under the Council’s various agenda items were considered.
• The outcome reports of the UPR Working Group of the following 13 States were adopted: Australia, Austria, Georgia, Lebanon, Mauritania, Micronesia (Federated States of), Nauru, Nepal, Oman, Rwanda Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Sao Tome and Principe.
• Four Special Procedures mandate-holders were appointed to the following mandates: the Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes; the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; and the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.  
• A total of 28 texts (28 resolutions) were considered by the Council during its 62nd session. This reflects a 4% increase compared to one year prior (HRC59), which adopted 26 texts. Of the 28 texts adopted, 25 were adopted by consensus (89%), and 3 were adopted by a recorded vote (11%). 
• 20 written amendments were put forward by States during the consideration of texts: 9 were rejected by vote and 11 were withdrawn by the main sponsor.

 

High Commissioner’s briefing

On 15 June 2026, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr. Volker Türk, addressed the Human Rights Council through his global update on the state of human rights. He spoke of ‘an unprecedented, shameless onslaught against international law’ the world is currently experiencing, but stressed that human rights continue to deliver positive change to people’s lives and urged the Council to remain committed to strengthening and advancing human rights protections globally.    

He began his address by decrying the situation in the Middle East following attacks launched by the United States and Israel against Iran, leading to thousands of civilian casualties and the widespread destruction of infrastructure; Iranian citizens, ‘caught between war and cruel repression,’ are facing dual challenges of external conflict and internal repression at home. He also warned of the severe humanitarian consequences of the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, calling for restraint and for a comprehensive peace agreement.  

Turning to the situation in Gaza, where over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire was announced in October 2025, the High Commissioner denounced the escalating violence committed by Israeli security forces and de facto annexation of the West Bank, as well as the forced displacement of Palestinian, land confiscations, and continued restriction of humanitarian aid. Mr. Turk also expressed alarm at the renewed escalation of hostilities in Lebanon, where Israeli strikes had caused thousands of deaths and injuries, devastated civilian infrastructure, and displaced over a million people across Lebanon. He called for the immediate end to hostilities, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon, and investigations into violations, noting that his Office is deploying its own independent and impartial assessment mission to the country. 

Turning to other conflict contexts, the High Commissioner noted the increasing use of drone warfare and sexual violence in Sudan. He also expressed alarm over the escalation of the war in Ukraine, noting that the number of civilian deaths and injuries during the first half of 2026 was those recorded during the same period in each of the previous three years. Meanwhile, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, overlapping crises of clashes between armed groups and the Ebola crisis have created a highly complex and volatile security situation.  

The High Commissioner warned that warfare is being transformed by the widespread use of drones and lethal autonomous weapons which, he said, ‘cannot become a license for atrocity crimes.’ He highlighted their devastating impact on civilians and critical infrastructure in countries such as Sudan, Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gaza, and Myanmar, stressing that they pose urgent moral and legal challenges and urging States to strengthen international legal frameworks to reflect these realities. 

Mr. Turk warned that the central Sahel is ‘at a dangerous tipping point’, citing escalating violence, attacks by extremist armed groups and security forces, shrinking civic space, and abductions of children, journalists, and political rivals, calling for accountability for abuses committed by state and non-state actors. He also made reference to the armed conflict in Ethiopia, heightened insecurity in Somalia, and gang violence in Haiti, and highlighted serious human rights and humanitarian concerns in Cuba, Peru, Syria, and Yemen.   

Segueing from conflict situations to the ‘catastrophic’ impacts of cuts to aid on human rights, Mr. Turk emphasised that declining humanitarian funding was placing millions of people at greater risk of hunger, poverty, displacement and instability, despite global military spending far exceeding the amount needed to finance humanitarian aid. Insecurity, inequality, and weak governance are creating conditions for extremism, conflict, and transnational crime to flourish in the Americas, the Sahel, Afghanistan and Guinea-Bissau, he added, including through the expansion of drug trafficking networks. He criticised militarised approaches to counter-narcotics and called on States to address the factors creating conditions for such situations to develop by strengthening institutions, combating corruption, and investing in harm reduction, healthcare, education, and employment. 

Recalling his previous Global Update in which he spoke about the ‘authoritarian playbook,’ the High Commissioner warned it is expanding, highlighting increasing criminalisation, censorship, restrictions on civil society, and Internet shutdowns in countries such as Uganda, Belarus, Iran, Russia, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo, while growing numbers of government critics and human rights defenders become targets of transnational repression. The concentration of political, economic, and technological power, he added, is fuelling the spread of misinformation and eroding public trust. He also spoke about the organised backlash against gender equality, which he referred to as ‘one of the thickest chapters of the authoritarian playbook;’ misogynistic rhetoric, online hate speech, violence against women, and discriminatory laws and policies targeting women and the LGBTQ+ community, prevalent in countries like Afghanistan, Russia, Ghana, and Niger, is increasingly normalised and ‘treated as a sad but acceptable fact,’ he lamented. 

Speaking about systemic human rights issues, the High Commissioner decried the dehumanisation and ill-treatment of asylum-seekers and refugees across regions, pointing to the role of racism and discrimination in driving these abuses. Legal discrimination and attacks against Indigenous, ethnic and religious minorities, and Afro-descendant communities are similarly on the rise, in countries such as China and Nicaragua.     

On a more optimistic note, Mr. Turk shared examples of recent legal and policy developments that have advanced human rights protections for communities around the world, including by engaging with the Human Rights Council mechanisms, and underscored the important role of his Office in delivering accountability for human rights violations. ‘Human rights are the glue that binds us all. When we join forces to strengthen those bonds, we build a better world for all,’ he concluded.   

Panel discussions

A total of four panel discussions were held during the 62nd session. The panels focused on the following topics: 

1. Annual panel discussion on the adverse impacts of climate change on human rights (19 June)

The panel was opened by H.E. Ms. Patricia Hermanns, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas to the United Nations in Geneva. The Ambassador highlighted the disproportionate climate burdens borne by SIDS, including The Bahamas, despite contributing very little to the climate crisis. She reminded the Council of States’ binding legal duties under international law to prevent dangerous climate change and to protect the human rights threatened by its impacts, stressing the importance of international cooperation and adequate financing to this end. In 2024 alone, debt burdens imposed on climate-vulnerable nations exceeded all climate finance pledges combined, while pledges to the Loss and Damage Fund currently cover less than one per cent of the amount necessary to provide relief. Ambassador Hermanns called for a reformed approach to climate finance by allocating funds according to vulnerability rather than on the basis of income, arguing that existing metrics mask the realities faced by SIDS; innovative financing mechanisms, such as The Bahamas’ blue-carbon credits initiative, can further support resilience and sustainable development if accompanied by strong safeguards.     

Next, Mr. Mohammad Hafijul Islam Khan, Executive Director of the Centre for Climate Justice – Bangladesh, stressed that developed countries’ commitments to deliver financial resources to climate-vulnerable States are as much legal obligations as they are political, essential to protecting fundamental human rights to life, food, water, health, housing, and dignity. He listed several points of criticism of the international climate finance architecture, noting that funding pledges have not been fully met; finance is often delivered in the form of loans rather than grants, thereby placing unjust debt burdens on States least responsible for climate change; and climate adaptation and loss and damage are critically underfunded. Mr. Khan also pointed out the absence of a common definition of climate finance, obscuring the true scale of climate finance commitments and undermining transparency and accountability.         

Mr. Stanley Kimaren Riamit, Executive Director of Indigenous Livelihood Enhancement Partners, highlighted the disproportionate impact of climate change on Indigenous communities, disrupting their traditional livelihoods, food systems, and cultural traditions while simultaneously exacerbating pre-existing vulnerabilities linked to poverty and historic marginalisation. Despite being significantly under-resourced, receiving less than 1 per cent of all international climate funding, Indigenous-led projects have been proven to deliver strong and measurable ecological and social outcomes, even outperforming externally-designed interventions; Mr. Kimaren also highlighted the important contributions of women and youth, who are regularly overlooked by climate funding mechanisms. He urged reform of international climate finance structures, including by increasing funding for Indigenous-governed mechanisms, ensuring the participation of Indigenous Peoples in decision-making spaces, and ensuring that the Loss and Damage fund directly supports Indigenous organisations.                    

In her intervention, Ms. María Ron Balsera, Executive Director of the Center for Economic and Social Rights, spoke about the major shortcomings of the climate finance system and the injustices they create, stressing the disproportionate impact of the climate crisis on vulnerable populations. Firstly, she stated that climate finance is a legal obligation, yet current funding levels remain well below the needs of developing countries; furthermore, debt burdens, inequitably distributed resources, tax abuses, and fossil fuel subsidies have limited developing countries’ ability to respond to climate impacts and excluded affected communities from decision-making spaces. She called for a more reparative approach to climate finance, including by investing in adaptation loss and damage, reforming multilateral development banks, and increasing public climate finance through progressive taxation. Finally, she urged the Council to recognise the delivery of climate finance as a human rights obligation and to promote a human rights-based approach with accountability, inclusion, and the redistribution of resources and power at its core.     

 

2. Panel discussion on the intensification of efforts to empower women and girls in and through sport (23 June)

The panel was opened by Ms. Awa Dabo, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, who began by reflecting on the intersection of sports and key human rights values such as equality, inclusion, and cooperation. However, she noted that women and girls continue to face barriers to accessing and participating in sports, highlighting inequalities in access to coaching, facilities, leadership positions, and sponsorship and economic opportunities. Linked with this, she also pointed to the multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination faced by women and girls with disabilities, those from ethnic or religious minority backgrounds, and transgender and intersex athletes. Ms. Dabo expressed concern over the reintroduction of mandatory genetic testing in some sports and the prevalence of violence, including sexual violence, harassment, and exploitation, in sporting environments. Recalling resolution 59/17, the Deputy High Commissioner urged States and sporting bodies to strengthen safeguarding and anti-discrimination protections for female athletes, with effective protection, reporting, and investigation mechanisms. Additionally, she stressed the need to work with athletes to develop education campaigns challenging gender stereotypes and racism. 

Next, Ms. Celine Till, Paralympian and world champion in para-cycling, spoke about her experiences overcoming gender discrimination and acquiring a disability following a serious accident, describing the barriers she faced both as a woman and an athlete with disabilities. She recalled unequal treatment in elite sport, including low (or lack of) remuneration, gender pay disparities among coaches, and a culture prioritising performance over athlete well-being. She detailed additional challenges she encountered in para-sport including prejudice, bullying, and the need for athletes with disabilities to prove themselves in order to receive equal treatment, and emphasised the need to provide women and girls with platforms and visibility to share their experiences.

H.E. Ms. Maryam bint Abdullah Al-Attiyah, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Committee of the State of Qatar, reaffirmed the importance of resolution 59/17, but noted that women and girls continue face challenges preventing their full and equal participation in sports, despite their demonstrated ability to excel in the field. She stressed the need for more inclusive sporting environments and equal access to sports for women facing challenges such as disability, living in poverty or conflict-affected settings, and cultural or religious discrimination. The Chairperson called for stronger protection, accountability, and support mechanisms to this end, highlighting the important role National Human Rights Institutions can play to enact policy and legislative change promoting equality and empowering women in and through sport.She went on to highlight Qatar’s efforts to promote women’s participation in sports, including through the establishment of a Women’s Sport Committee, the National Human Rights Committee’s work advancing equality and accessibility, and the legacy of hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup in promoting inclusion and equal opportunities. 

The final panellist, Ms. Vera Lucia Isaac Paquete-Perdigao, Director of the Labour Governance and Sectoral Policies Department at the International Labour Organization, spoke about the empowering role of sport for women and girls, yet noted that that many face discrimination, violence, and violations of their labour rights. She introduced the Guidelines for the promotion of fundamental principles and rights at work and the prevention and elimination of violence and harassment for professional athletes, adopted in March 2026, describing them as a significant step towards integrating international labour standards into the world of sport. The adoption of these Guidelines are particularly relevant to the empowerment of women and girls in and through sport, as they recognise principles such as the right to collective bargaining, equal remuneration, and maternity protection as central to athletes’ labour rights and adequate working conditions. Ms. Paquete-Perdigao added that the Guidelines also contain provisions on the protection of children, gender-appropriate healthcare and mental health support services, and trauma-informed safeguarding mechanisms to prevent and address violence and harassment.           

 

3-4. Annual full-day discussion on the human rights of women (24 June)

Panel 1: Domestic violence against women and girls 

The panel was opened by Ms. Awa Dabo, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, who emphasised the pervasiveness and lack of progress made in countering domestic violence against women and girls, noting that nearly one third of women globally have experienced intimate partner or sexual violence, especially those from vulnerable or marginalised backgrounds, or those facing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination. What is more, data collection and legal protections for victims of domestic violence remain limited in most countries, with such crimes regularly going unpunished and discouraging victims from reporting abuse by fear of stigma or retaliation. The Deputy High Commissioner also spoke about the digital oppression of women and the misuse of technology, including artificial intelligence, which she warned is fuelling renewed backlash against gender equality. Ms. Dabo called for governments to adopt stronger legal protections against domestic violence, and for the adequate resourcing of mechanisms and services supporting and protecting victims of abuse. Referring to the Gisele Pelicot and Jeffrey Epstein cases, she stressed the need for impunity for perpetrators and those enabling abuse, including technology companies. Ensuring women’s economic empowerment and developing education and advocacy campaigns targeting both men and women, she added, are ‘tried-and-tested tools’ preventing violence. 

In her intervention, Ms. Hyshyama Hamin, Campaign Manager for the Global Campaign for Equality in Family Law, highlighted the links between discriminatory family laws and domestic violence. Inadequate, discriminatory, and in some cases, a lack of legislation governing child marriage, marital property and inheritance rights, and rape or sexual assault entrenches gender inequality and traps women in abusive relationships; other stressors such as climate change, conflict, and humanitarian emergencies further exacerbate their vulnerability. ‘Where the law subordinates women within the family, violence often follows,’ she said, arguing that dismantling the power structures enabling this imbalance is the most effective way of contouring domestic violence. Ms. Hamin called on States to reform discriminatory family laws, develop comprehensive domestic violence legislation, and recognise that egalitarian family laws must be a key pillar of the global gender equality agenda.       

Next, Ms. Ivana Krstić, Vice-Chair of the Working Group on Discrimination against Women and Girls, argued that violence is rooted in unequal power relations and harmful gender stereotypes that undermine the autonomy, dignity and equal rights of women and girls. She noted that discrimination often begins within the family and emphasised that women and girls facing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination encounter heightened risks of violence and greater barriers to protection and justice. Ms. Krstić also highlighted the growing trend of digital abuse, including online harassment, surveillance, image-based abuse, and other forms of technology-facilitated violence, stressing that responses to domestic violence must reflect the realities of these evolving threats. While underscoring the importance of comprehensive legislation, she argued that laws alone are insufficient without effective implementation, adequately resourced institutions, survivor-centred services and coordinated responses across the justice, health and social sectors. She called on States to adopt a due diligence approach encompassing prevention, protection, accountability and reparations, conlcuding that eliminating domestic violence requires moving beyond formal legal equality towards substantive equality.     

Ms. Patsilí Toledo Vásquez, member of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, began by reminding the Council that gender-based violence against women constitutes a form of discrimination against women under the Convention. Referring to the Convention’s General Recommendation No. 35, she also emphasised the importance of taking a cross-sectoral approach to tackling domestic violence, involving justice, health, housing, education, and social services, alongside greater engagement with men and boys to challenge the proliferation of harmful stereotypes. While legislation is key to reducing rates of intimate partner violence, Ms. Toledo Vásquez added that institutional reform, stronger inter-agency coordination, and survivor-centred justice systems are equally essential to ensuring trauma-informed, intersectional, and effective responses to domestic violence. Child protection and family law also form an important part of this framework. Ms. Toledo Vásquez concluded by stressing the importance of long-term support for survivors and their families, and of conducting reviews of femicides and domestic violence deaths in order to improve prevention efforts and institutional learning.   

Ms. Zulfiya Baisakova, Chair of the Board of the Union of Crisis Centres, Kazakhstan, shared some insights from her experiences working with women and children who have suffered from domestic violence. She stated that Kazakhstan has adopted increasingly progressive legislation combating domestic violence and strengthening protections for women and children, while simultaneously investing in services and support systems providing victims with legal, psychological, and social assistance. Ms. Baisakova also emphasised the importance of inter-agency cooperation and the need to address and change the behaviour of perpetrators of domestic violence, citing Kazakhstan’s introduction of a risk assessment tool used to gauge the likelihood of repeated assault and intimate partner violence.     

 

Panel 2: Commemoration of the International Day of Women in Diplomacy focusing on women’s right to work and representation in decision-making      

Ms. Peggy Hicks, Director of the Thematic and Special Procedures Division at the OHCHR, opened the panel by sharing statistics reflecting the extent of women’s underrepresentation in political leadership, diplomatic and decision-making positions, which she argued undermines the effectiveness and legitimacy of global governance. She positioned these disparities within the context of broader gendered inequalities related to labour market participation, pay gaps, workplace discrimination, and violence and harassment. Advancing women’s participation in diplomacy, she stated, would require an overhaul of the entire pathway to leadership – not only with regards to the recruitment, support, and justice systems, but also significant culture and attitudinal shifts by dismantling discriminatory stereotypes and unconscious biases.     

The second panellist, Ms. Sofia Calltorp, Director of UN Women Geneva and Chief of Humanitarian Action, similarly emphasised the need for institutional transformation and mindset shifts to provide women with opportunities to enter, advance, and thrive in diplomatic careers. Citing a recent UN Women policy paper on women in the diplomatic corps, Ms. Calltorp highlighted that diplomacy continues to be shaped by by patriarchal norms, with women remaining underrepresented in senior leadership. She encouraged States to identify where women are excluded from diplomatic career pathways, advance gender parity as a prerequisite for effective and legitimate global governance, and protect civic space to enable women’s rights organisations to participate in multilateral diplomacy.    

H.E. Ms. Caroline Ziadeh, Permanent Representative of Lebanon to UNOG and gender focal point, reflected on her thirty year-long career in diplomacy, including as one of the first women to hold senior diplomatic positions in Lebanon. She recalled having to continually overcome gender stereotypes and prove her competence – experiences which she stressed were shared by women diplomats across regions, despite their proven and important contributions to strengthening institutions and building sustainable peace. While welcoming the progress made in increasing female representation in leadership positions, she noted that many women in the field continue to face barriers to career advancement, and called for more inclusive workplaces, mentorship networks, and policies enabling women to progress on equal terms.    

Next, Ms. Chidi King, Chief of the Gender, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Branch of the International Labour Organization, celebrated women’s contributions to diplomacy and pointed to evidence that their participation leads to more inclusive and sustainable policymaking. However, she also spoke about their continued underrepresentation in senior positions, alongside other systemic inequalities in the world of work including unequal pay and limited access to leadership opportunities. Ms. King argued that addressing these inequalities will be essential to achieving gender parity in decision-making, emphasising that ‘women are not passive actors but active agents in shaping their own stories.’ Referring to a case from Bolivia and the adoption of ILO Convention No. 190 on violence and harassment in the world of work, she spoke about women’s ability to advance labour rights and gender equality through collective action; she also mentioned the International Labour Conference’s recent resolution on the ILO’s agenda for gender equality. In conclusion, she stressed that advancing gender equality and increasing women’s leadership in diplomacy are mutually reinforcing objectives, crucial for building more inclusive and effective institutions.     

Finally, Ms. Wafa Asri, Secretary-General at the Ministry of Employment of Morocco, shared examples of recently implemented legal, institutional, and policy reforms advancing women’s rights and gender equality, including in the workplace. Morocco has, inter alia, enshrined gender equality in its Constitution, strengthened the legislative framework on sex-based discrimination, and developed public policies removing barriers to women’s participation in the workforce. While acknowledging progress in women’s representation in politics, diplomacy, the judiciary, and business, Ms. Asri noted that gender parity in leadership positions has not been achieved, and women remain professionally constrained by gender stereotypes and discriminatory norms. She called for the stronger implementation of existing laws, greater support for women’s leadership through mentorship, and enhanced international cooperation to share good practices and accelerate progress towards substantive gender equality.    

 

Commissions of Inquiry, Fact-Finding Missions and Independent investigations

Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan

On 15 June, Mr. Mohamed Chande Othman, Chairperson for the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan, presented an oral update to the Council about the current situation in Sudan regarding the use of arbitrary detention, torture, and enforced disappearances of civilians by warring forces, followed by an enhanced interactive dialogue. 

On behalf of the Mission, Mr. Othman expressed alarm about the severe and widespread human rights abuses and international crimes perpetrated by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), including the unlawful detention and ill-treatment of civilians, the coercion and extortion of their families, and the arrests and disappearances of humanitarian workers. The Mission also related reports of inhuman conditions in detention facilities under both parties, citing severe overcrowding, inadequate access to food, water, sanitation, and medical care, the prohibition of family or lawyers’ visits, with detainees subjected to torture and sexual violence.    

The Mission called on all parties to end arbitrary arrests and detention, ensure due process and humane treatment for detainees, and grant humanitarian actors access to places of detention, urging stronger international action to ensure accountability for international crimes and to prevent further atrocities. 

The Chair of the National Commission to Investigate Crimes and Violations of National Law and International Humanitarian Law of Sudan intervened on behalf of the country concerned, sharing the Commission’s findings. He described the extent of the violations committed against civilians in Kordofan and Darfur, noting that the Commission has investigated nearly 150,000 criminal cases. He reaffirmed Sudan’s commitment to accountability and non-impunity, and argued that ending external support to the militias will be key to ending the conflict and human rights violations.

 

Independent Commission of Inquiry on the situation of human rights in North Kivu and South Kivu Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

On 29 June, the Independent Commission of Inquiry on the situation of human rights in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo delivered an oral update to the Council, followed by an enhanced interactive dialogue with States and NGOs.

His Excellency Mr. Samuel Mbemba Kabuya, Minister for Human Rights of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, opened the interactive dialogue by outlining measures taken by the government to strengthen human rights across the country despite the ongoing conflict. These included reinforcing provincial human rights institutions, advancing transitional justice and efforts to provide reparations to victims, expanding access to education, and improving  public health through partnership with the World Health Organization to implement universal health coverage.    

Turning to the situation in the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu, Mr. Kabuya thanked members of the COI for their recent visit to Kinshasa, but highlighted the urgent need for additional financial resources in order for the Commission to fulfil its mandate, and urged States and NGOs to support the Commission through voluntary contributions. 

Speaking on behalf of the Commission of Inquiry on North Kivu and South Kivu Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Chair Mr. Arnauld Akodjenou presented the COI’s findings of its mission to the country earlier in June, which he stated ‘confirmed the exceptional gravity of the situation’ in eastern DRC.

Based on consultations with various stakeholders in Kinshasa, the Commission highlighted reports and allegations of widespread atrocities suffered by civilians, including children, further compounded by the obstruction of humanitarian access, intimidation of media personnel and human rights defenders, and the threat of the Ebola epidemic. The Chair emphasised the obligations of all parties involved to facilitate safe, rapid and unhindered humanitarian access, and to protect all humanitarian workers and actors aiding victims and communities. 

The Commission stated it would conduct an independent and impartial investigation into the ‘extremely serious’ information it has received while ensuring the protection of  victims, witnesses, and other stakeholders cooperating with the COI. The Chair highlighted the impacts of the current financial crisis on the Commission’s operations, noting its significantly reduced investigative capacity, field presence, and mission funding, but reaffirmed its commitment to fulfilling its mandate and achieving justice for victims of the crisis.      

Next, Ms. Sandrine Lusamba, National Coordinator of Female Solidarity for Integrated Peace and Development, spoke about on-the-ground developments since the adoption of resolution 60/22 on the human rights situation in eastern DRC. She welcomed ongoing regional peace processes but stressed that civilian populations continue to suffer severe human rights violations as insecurity, displacement, and violence persist – challenges further exacerbated by the spread of Ebola and restricted deployment of medical teams and supplies due to security concerns. Women and children, especially girls, are disproportionately impacted by the conflict, facing threats of sexual violence, forced recruitment, and disruptions to education. Ms. Lusamba warned of increasingly restricted civic space in conflict-affected areas, citing threats, intimidation, and arbitrary arrests of human rights defenders, journalists, humanitarian actors, and civil society.  

Ms. Lusamba concluded by calling for an effective, lasting, and verifiable ceasefire, and urged peace process facilitators to integrate access for independent human rights observers and monitoring mechanisms into negotiations. She underscored the urgent need for safe, rapid, and unimpeded humanitarian access to all civilian populations, and called for increased international support for local Congolese civil society organisations, particularly women-led groups, which continue to play a vital role in documenting violations and protecting communities despite the challenging context and limited resources.   

 

Universal Periodic Review 

The Council adopted the UPR outcome reports of Australia, Austria, Georgia, Lebanon, Mauritania, Micronesia (Federated States of), Nauru, Nepal, Oman, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Sao Tome and Principe. A total of 3,160 recommendations were made to these 13 States, of which 2,249 were supported, 891 were noted, and 20 were partially supported/noted. 

Special Procedures

Appointment of new mandate-holders 

On the final day of the session, the following four Special Procedures mandate-holders were appointed to fill positions on existing mandates: 

1. Ms. Bethanie CARNEY ALMROTH (Sweden) was appointed the Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes.
2. Mr. Leopoldo MALDONADO GUTIERREZ (Mexico) was appointed the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression.
3. Ms. Mariangela SIMAO (Brazil) was appointed the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.
4. Mr. Pau PEREZ SALES (Spain) was appointed the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Trust Fund for SIDS/LDCs

The Trust Fund to support the participation of LDCs and SIDS in the work of the Council, set up in 2012, funded the participation of 8 government officials from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Guinea, Guyana, Micronesia, Rwanda, Samoa, and Senegal. A small proportion of delegates (25%) come from States that are currently members of the Council. 

Analysis 

The 62nd session marked the twentieth birthday of the Human Rights Council, which held its first session in June 2006. The anniversary was marked by the adoption of a resolution led by Mexico, Cabo Verde, Estonia, Morocco, Slovenia, Spain, and Thailand, a high-level discussion, and side-events (including one on the contribution of Small Island Developing States over the past two decades), reflecting on the Council’s milestones and achievements.

 Notwithstanding these celebrations, States and OHCHR largely missed the opportunity presented by HRC20 and by the 2021-2026 review of the Council’s status to undertake a detailed stocktaking of the Council’s performance in realising the mandate presented to it by the General Assembly 20 years ago with resolution 60/251. Such a self-reflection exercise would have been useful in of itself – allowing the Council to build on its successes, and make small changes to overcome challenges and enhance its efficiency and effectiveness in the future; but would also have represented an important contribution to the Secretary-General’s UN80 vision – so vital to the future of multilateralism.

One important development during HRC62, but which took place in New York rather than Geneva, was the decision of the General Assembly’s Fifth Committee to scrap the rule requiring the UN to return unspent cash to member States. This followed a civil society campaign led by ISHR. Yet, linked with the points above, the Council also failed to capitalise on the opportunities presented by 2026 to have a meaningful discussion about exactly what moneys are being received by the UN’s human rights pillar, how that money is being spent and on what, and whether those investment choices are consistent with UN80’s call to focus efforts on securing real-world implementation and impact (spoiler: presently, they’re not).

Women’s rights and gender equality 

As with each June session, there was a particular focus at HRC62 on gender equality, and women’s and girls’ rights.

This included resolutions on discrimination against women and girls in care and support systems, child, early and forced marriage, and the enjoyment of women’s and girls’ human rights in humanitarian situations (the first text to explicitly recognise reproductive violence, and its potential to amount to genocidal acts); as well as a new resolution on technical assistance and capacity-building for empowering women’s access to education, work in technology, and cybersecurity. 

In addition, the main sponsors of other resolutions not explicitly focused on issues of gender equality, such as the resolution on freedom of expression, nevertheless decided to arrow in on this angle. For example, this session’s text on free speech recognises the barriers faced by women and girls in exercising this right to freedom of expression. Specifically it draws attention to and calls for action on technology-facilitated GBV, digital inequalities, and women’s and girls’ safe participation online.

As noted in URG’s ‘HRC in 2025’ report, this proliferation of initiatives on women’s rights (notwithstanding the importance of the issue) is a microcosm of a bigger problem at the Council: the ever-expanding circle of normative discussions and debates. This includes ever-more new initiatives (in addition to the new resolution on empowering women’s access to education, work in technology, and cybersecurity, HRC62 also saw the negotiation of a new text on the human rights implications of obstruction and denial of humanitarian access and threats to the safety of humanitarian personnel in armed conflict), as well as the increasing subdivision of existing initiatives into ever more sub-issues, and sub-sub-issues. 

The latter point raises another concern: it seems increasingly clear that State and civil society organisations, in many if not most cases, do not have a strategy to leverage the Council’s normative work to actually bring improvements to the on-the-ground enjoyment of human rights. Rather, main sponsors appear to be searching for ever more ‘angles’ from which to approach given human rights concerns, and then seem more focused on pressing their case for ‘strong language’ in those resolutions than they are in contributing to change on-the-ground. This explains the ever-increasing number of initiatives, and the increasing length and normative complexity of texts.

This same trend – the need to continuously debate human rights norms, and constantly elaborate and clarify those norms, instead of focusing attention and resources on the domestic implementation of norms that have already been set (as obligations and commitments) – i.e., ‘turning universal norms into local reality’ – can also be seen in recent decisions of States, pressed by civil society, to begin intergovernmental negotiations (and expend considerable resources) on a range of new human rights instruments. Arguments can perhaps be made for some of these, yet others (e.g., the new Optional Protocol on the Convention of the Rights of the Child) are unnecessary (even UNICEF and many CRC committee members oppose it) and – more importantly – divert considerable financial and human resources from where it should be focused: realising at national level the rights and standards already agreed at international level.

A final challenge presented by these ever-increasing and ever-widening normative debates, as well as a growing attachment to pressing for ‘strong language’ over dialogue, empathy, and finding common ground, is that States often fail to reach agreement on draft resolutions by the time of tabling. This helps explain why, for example, both the resolution on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and girls in care and support systems, and the resolution on child, early, and forced marriage, were the subject of numerous ‘hostile’ amendments (six in the case of the former, seven in the case of the latter – though all were ultimately either withdrawn or rejected by the Council).  

 None of the foregoing is compatible with the vision of the UN system presented in the Secretary-General’s UN80 reform proposals. 

States should instead take their lead from the impressive recent work of UN agencies and programmes (e.g., UN Women, UNFPA) on supporting and measuring the implementation and impact of UN human rights obligations and commitments at national and local levels. One example of this, presented at HRC62, is the latest Glion Human Rights Dialogue report (Glion XII) on the implementation of women’s rights recommendations (extended by the UPR, Treaty Bodies, and Special Procedures), presented by UN Women at a side event, co-organised with China, Morocco, Spain, UAE, and URG.  

Country-specific initiatives

On 3 July, an Urgent Debate was convened following a request submitted by UK, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Norway on the situation in El Obeid, Sudan.

The resulting resolution was adopted by consensus. With it, the Council has requested the existing Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan to conduct an urgent inquiry and present its findings at the next Council session in September.

 

 

 

Cover image: Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Informal high‑level discussion, Human Rights Council’s 20th anniversary, Palais des nations. 19 June 2026.

UN photo by Violaine Martin