The Council is represented in the current session by two members of the Council: Mr. Moulay Ahmed Meghizlat and Ms. Saadani Maoulainain.

This session opens today, under the chairmanship of the Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Morocco to the United Nations Office in Geneva, and current President of the Human Rights Council for the year 2024, Omar Zniber.

During its five-week session, the Council will examine more than 80 reports submitted by the United Nations Secretariat, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, human rights experts and other investigative bodies on a wide range of issues related to the human rights situation in some 50 countries.

The Council will also hold a total of 20 interactive discussions with mandate holders under the framework of special procedures.

On the first day of the session, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, will present an update on his annual report on the state of human rights in the world. A general debate on Mr. Türk’s report will take place over the following two days.

With regard to country situations, the Council will consider a report by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on Sri Lanka on 9 September.

It will then consider the human rights situations in Afghanistan, Nicaragua, Myanmar, Sudan, Venezuela, Burundi, Syria, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Cambodia, Somalia and the Central African Republic.

A general debate on human rights situations requiring the Council’s attention will take place September 23 and 24.

During this 57th session, the Council will also consider reports prepared at its request, within the framework of the promotion and protection of human rights, by special procedures experts (special rapporteurs, independent experts, and working groups) with mandates on the topics of truth, justice and reparation (11 September); contemporary forms of slavery, use of mercenaries, and rights of the elderly (12 September); right to drinking water and sanitation, democratic international order, enforced disappearances (16 September); hazardous products and wastes, and arbitrary detention (17 September); rights of farmers (18 September).

The Council will also consider a study prepared by the Secretary-General of the United Nations on the consequences of loss and damage resulting from the adverse effects of climate change on the full enjoyment of human rights (13 September).

With regard to the right to development, the Council will consider September 17 and 18 the reports of the Expert Mechanism, the Special Rapporteur and the Working Group on this issue. On September 18, the Council will hold its semi-annual discussion on the right to development, during which arguments will be presented in favour of the elaboration of a United Nations framework convention on international cooperation in tax matters.

September 11 , a round table will be devoted to the promotion and protection of economic, social and cultural rights in the context of combating inequalities. The Council will engage in dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures on September 13.

The President of the Economic and Social Council and the Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission will be invited to brief the Council, respectively, on the discussions of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development and the work of the Commission on 18 September. The general discussion on the promotion and protection of human rights will take place following the consideration of these reports September 18 and 19

A general discussion on the situation of human rights in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories will take place on October 1st.

With regard to racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, the Council will hold a dialogue on October 2nd with the Working Group of Experts and the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, and with the International Mechanism of Independent Experts Responsible for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Equality in the Context of Security.

In the framework of the Universal Periodic Review, the Council will consider, from 26 September to 1 October, reports of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review on 14 countries: New Zealand, Afghanistan, Chile, Cyprus, Viet Nam, Yemen, Vanuatu, North Macedonia, Comoros, Slovakia, Eritrea, Uruguay, Dominican Republic and Cambodia.

Also during this session, the Council will hold a panel discussion on access to quality, inclusive, equitable and comprehensive education for all children, especially the most vulnerable, in the service of peace and tolerance (18 September); A panel discussion on the fulfilment of States’ obligations regarding the role of the family in protecting the human rights of its members (25 September); and its annual panel discussion on mainstreaming a gender perspective throughout its work (30 September).

During the last three days of its session, from 9 to 11 October, the Council will vote on draft decisions and resolutions submitted to it on issues considered during the session. In addition, the President will propose to the Council the appointment of two new mandate holders under the special procedures.

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