The Human Rights Council session will start today with an oral presentation from the UN High Commissioner on her annual report on the human rights situation.

Over the next three weeks, the Council will host panel discussions, discuss 18 reports from Special Procedures, and is expected to adopt more than 28 resolutions and other texts on both thematic and country specific.

The OHCHR website has an overview of the session and other documents. You can also follow a live webcast of proceedings.

GANHRI intends to make interventions on the following issues:

• Afghanistan, where we will reiterate our call for the protection of AIHRC members and staff and for the Council to establish an independent investigation mechanism into the human rights situation in the country
• Recognition of the right to a healthy environment as a universal human right, where we will add our support to a resolution led by a group of States (in line with the 2020 GANHRI Annual Conference Statement on NHRIs and climate change)
• Right to development and climate change, where we will call on all States to urgently adopt climate policies that enable the meaningful participation of all members of society in decision making and guarantee equality of opportunity in access to resources and services.
• Reprisals against those cooperating with the United Nations, where we will call for protection of those facing reprisals, including cases involving NHRIs, and for States to investigate threats and actions against individuals
• Rights of older persons, which will be presented by the GANHRI Working Group on Ageing.

General Assembly session

The General Assembly session will run from 14-30 September. The provisional agenda and other documents are available online.

GANHRI will focus on contributing to the resolution on national human rights institutions. Germany will present the resolution again this year, which will build on the previous General Assembly resolutions and Human rights Council resolutions on NHRIs. We will advocate for strong references in the resolution in relation to the work of NHRIs during the COVID-19 pandemic; addressing reprisals and intimidation against NHRIs; NHRI engagement with the UN and its mechanisms; and the role of NHRIs in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals.

We will also monitor developments with regards to the resolution on human rights defenders, which will be presented by Norway. Together with civil society, we will add our voice and advocacy to ensure there is a strong resolution.