Human Rights Council to Hold its Fifty-Seventh Regular Session from 9 September to 11 October 2024

The United Nations Human Rights Council will hold its fifty-seventh regular session from 9 September to 11 October 2024 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.   

The session will open at 10 a.m. on Monday, 9 September under the presidency of Ambassador Omar Zniber (Morocco).  The opening will be addressed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk.  The Council will be meeting in room XX of the Palais des Nations. 

During the session, the Council will hold 30 interactive dialogues with Special Procedures mandate holders, expert mechanisms and investigative mechanisms.  It will hold interactive dialogues with the High Commissioner under agenda item two on Nicaragua, under agenda item four on Myanmar, and under agenda item 10 on Ukraine, Honduras and Haiti.   

The Council will hold enhanced interactive dialogues on Afghanistan and Sudan under agenda item two; with the High Commissioner and the International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement under agenda item nine; and under agenda item 10 on the nuclear legacy in the Marshall Islands, and with the High Commissioner and the Team of International Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  It will also hold an interactive dialogue with the Advisory Committee. 

The Council will hold six panel discussions on promoting and protecting economic, social and cultural rights within the context of addressing inequalities; quality education for peace and tolerance for every child; the right to development; the implementation of States’ obligations on the role of the family in supporting the human rights of its members; the rights of indigenous peoples; and the integration of a gender perspective throughout the work of the Council.  It will additionally hear presentations of country and thematic reports from the Secretary-General, including his report on reprisals against those who seek to cooperate or have cooperated with the United Nations.   

Reports and oral updates will be presented on the human rights situations in Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Nicaragua under agenda item two; Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Burundi, the Syrian Arab Republic, Belarus, Ukraine and the Russian Federation under agenda item four; and on South Sudan, Somalia, the Central African Republic and Cambodia under agenda item 10.  At the end of the session, the Council will appoint four mandate holders of Special Procedures and expert mechanisms, and elect four members of its Advisory Committee. 

The final outcomes of the Universal Periodic Review of 14 States will also be considered, namely those of New Zealand, Afghanistan, Chile, Cyprus, Viet Nam, Yemen, Vanuatu, North Macedonia, Comoros, Slovakia, Eritrea, Uruguay, the Dominican Republic and Cambodia.   

A detailed agenda and further information on the fifty-seventh session can be found on the session’s web page.  Reports to be presented are available here.  All meetings of this session are broadcast on UN Web TV.  

First Week of the Session 

The fifty-seventh regular session will open on Monday, 9 September under the presidency of Ambassador Omar Zniber.  Under agenda item two on the annual report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General, the Council will be addressed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, who will present an update to his annual report on the situation of human rights across the world.  This will be followed by an interactive dialogue with the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar on the situation of human rights of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar; an interactive dialogue on the report of the Office of the High Commissioner on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka; an enhanced interactive dialogue on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan based on an oral update by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan and a report by the Office of the High Commissioner; and an interactive dialogue with the High Commissioner on his report on the human rights situation in Nicaragua.   

Tuesday, 10 September will start with the conclusion of the Nicaraguan dialogue, followed by an enhanced interactive dialogue on Sudan with the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan, which will continue until the afternoon.  This will be followed by the presentation of an oral update by the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua, and the presentation of the High Commissioner’s report on the implementation of resolution 31/36.  The Council will then begin its general debate under agenda item two, which will continue on Wednesday, 11 September in the morning.  The Council will start the Wednesday afternoon meeting by opening its agenda item three on the promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights and holding a panel discussion on economic, social and cultural rights within the context of addressing inequalities.  It will then conclude the general debate on agenda item two, and begin an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence, to be concluded on Thursday, 12 September. 

Also on Thursday, the Council will hold three separate interactive dialogues with the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences; the Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination; and the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, the latter which will conclude on Friday, 13 September.  Following this, the Council will hold an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights.  It will then conclude its first week with an interactive dialogue on the Secretary-General’s analytical study on climate change. 

Second Week of the Session 

The second week of the session will begin on Monday, 16 September with three separate interactive dialogues with the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation; the Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order; and the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances.  Tuesday, 17 September will see four separate interactive dialogues held with the Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes; the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development; and the Special Rapporteur on the right to development.  

On Wednesday, 18 September, the day will begin with a panel discussion on quality education for peace and tolerance for every child.  Following this, the Council will conclude the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the right to development, followed by an interactive dialogue with the Working Group on the rights of peasants.  The dialogue with the Working Group will conclude on Wednesday afternoon, after the Council’s biennial panel on the right development.   

This will be followed by presentations of thematic reports prepared by the United Nations Secretary-General and the High Commissioner; briefings by the President of the Economic and Social Council and the Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission; and presentations of reports by the Working Group on the right to development, and by the open-ended intergovernmental Working Group to elaborate the content of an international regulatory framework on the regulation, monitoring and oversight of the activities of private military and security companies.  This will be followed by the start of the general debate under agenda item three, which will continue through the morning of Thursday, 19 September.   

After the general debate concludes on Thursday afternoon, the Council will open its agenda item four on human rights situations that require the Council’s attention and begin an interactive dialogue with the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, which will conclude on the morning of Friday, 20 September.  Also on Friday, the Council will hold three separate interactive dialogues with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burundi; the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic; and the Group of Independent Experts on the Situation of Human Rights in Belarus which will present its first oral update.  The second week will end with a closed meeting on the complaint procedure. 

Third Week of the Session 

The third week will kick off on Monday, 23 September with three separate interactive dialogues with the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine; the High Commissioner on the human rights situation in Myanmar; and with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation.  The Council will conclude the day by beginning its general debate under agenda item four.  The general debate will continue into Tuesday, 24 September, followed by interactive dialogues with the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and with the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples.   

The interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples will conclude on Wednesday, 25 September in between the morning panel discussion on the implementation of States’ obligations on the role of the family in supporting the human rights of its members; and the afternoon annual panel discussion on the rights of indigenous peoples on the theme of laws, policies, judicial decisions and other measures taken by States to achieve the ends of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.  Under agenda item five on human rights bodies and mechanisms, the Council will then hold an interactive dialogue with the Advisory Committee, which will conclude on the morning of Thursday, 26 September.   

Also on Thursday, the Council will hold an interactive dialogue on the Secretary-General’s report on alleged reprisals against those who seek to cooperate or have cooperated with the United Nations.  It will then hold its general debate under agenda item five.  The rest of the third week will be dedicated to the consideration of the outcomes of the Universal Periodic Reviews of New Zealand, Afghanistan, Chile, Cyprus, Viet Nam, Yemen, Vanuatu, North Macedonia, Comoros, Slovakia, Eritrea, Uruguay, the Dominican Republic and Cambodia.  This will continue into the fourth week, until Tuesday, 1 October.  

Fourth Week of the Session 

The fourth week will commence on Monday, 30 September with the Council’s annual discussion on the integration of a gender perspective throughout its work and that of its mechanisms, under the theme of enhancing gender integration in human rights investigations: a victim-centred perspective.  The Council will then continue with the considerations of the outcomes of the Universal Periodic Reviews for the rest of the day, finishing the morning of Tuesday, 1 October.  Following the final review on Tuesday, the Council will hold its general debate under agenda item six on the Universal Periodic Review.  It will then hold the general debate under agenda item seven on the human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories, and start the general debate under agenda item eight on follow-up to and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, which will conclude on Wednesday, 2 October in the morning.   

The Council will then open up its agenda item nine on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related forms of intolerance, follow-up to and implementation of the Durban Declaration and programme of action and hold an interactive dialogue with the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, followed by an enhanced interactive dialogue with the High Commissioner and the International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement.  This will be followed by an interactive dialogue with the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent.   

On Thursday, 3 October, the Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of Complementary Standards to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination will present its report, followed by the presentation of the report of the Group of Independent Eminent Experts, and of the High Commissioner’s oral update on sports and racism.  These will be followed by a general debate under agenda item nine.   

The Council will then open its agenda item 10 on technical assistance and capacity building and hold an interactive dialogue on the oral update of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on its technical assistance and capacity building efforts for South Sudan, which will conclude on the morning of Friday, 4 October.  Also on Friday, the Council will hold an enhanced interactive dialogue on nuclear legacy in the Marshall Islands, followed by separate interactive dialogues with the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia, and the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Central African Republic.  

Fifth Week of the Session 

The fifth and final week of the Council will begin on Monday, 7 October with three separate interactive dialogues with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia; with the High Commissioner on his oral update on the findings in the report of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Ukraine; and with the High Commissioner on his report on technical cooperation in Honduras, which will continue into the morning of Tuesday, 8 October.  Also on Tuesday, the Council will hold an enhanced interactive dialogue with the High Commissioner on his report on the situation of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and with the Team of International Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  The Council will then hold an interactive dialogue with the High Commissioner on his interim report of the human rights situation in Haiti, with the participation of the independent human rights expert on Haiti. 

Tuesday will conclude with presentations of the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner’s country reports and oral updates on Cambodia and Yemen and the Office of the High Commissioner’s report on the implementation of resolution 51/33 on promoting international cooperation to support national mechanisms for implementation, reporting and follow-up, followed by the general debate under agenda item 10, which will conclude on Wednesday, 9 October in the morning.  From Wednesday afternoon, through Thursday, 10 October and until Friday, 11 October, the Council will take action on draft resolutions and decisions.  It will then elect Advisory Committee members for four vacant seats, appoint four mandate holders of Special Procedures and expert mechanisms, adopt its session report ad referendum, and close its fifty-seventh regular session.   

The Human Rights Council 

The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system, made up of 47 States, which are responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe.  The Council was created by the United Nations General Assembly on 15 March 2006 with the main purpose of addressing situations of human rights violations and making recommendations on them. 

The composition of the Human Rights Council at its fifty-fifth session is as follows: Albania (2026); Algeria (2025); Argentina (2024); Bangladesh (2025); Belgium (2025); Benin (2024); Brazil (2026); Bulgaria (2026); Burundi (2026); Cameroon (2024); Chile (2025); China (2026); Costa Rica (2025); Côte d’Ivoire (2026); Cuba (2026); Dominican Republic (2026); Eritrea (2024); Finland (2024); France (2026); Gambia (2024); Georgia (2025); Germany (2025); Ghana (2026); Honduras (2024); India (2024); Indonesia (2026); Japan (2026); Kazakhstan (2024); Kuwait (2026); Kyrgyzstan (2025); Lithuania (2024); Luxembourg (2024); Malawi (2026); Malaysia (2024); Maldives (2025); Montenegro (2024); Morocco (2025); Netherlands (Kingdom of the) (2026); Paraguay (2024); Qatar (2024); Romania (2025); Somalia (2024); South Africa (2025); Sudan (2025); United Arab Emirates (2024); United States of America (2024); and Viet Nam (2025). 

The term of membership of each State expires in the year indicated in parentheses. 

The President of the Human Rights Council in 2024 is Omar Zniber (Morocco).  The four Vice-Presidents are Febrian Ruddyard (Indonesia); Darius Staniulis (Lithuania); Marcela Maria Arias Moncada (Honduras); and Heidi Schroderus-Fox (Finland).  Mr. Staniulis will also serve as Rapporteur of the Geneva-based body.  

The dates and the programme of work of the fifty-seventh session are subject to change. 

Information on the fifty-seventh session can be found here, including the annotated agenda and the reports to be presented. 

For further information, please contact: Pascal Sim, HRC Media Officer (simp@un.org), David Díaz Martín, HRC Public Information Officer (david.diazmartin@un.org), and Matthew Brown, HRC Public Information Officer (matthew.brown@un.org). 

Follow the Human Rights Council on social media: Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.