62nd session of the Human Rights Council

#HRC62 Highlights

GANHRI’s engagement at the Human Rights Council and support to NHIIs

The 62^nd Session of the Human Rights Council (HRC62) took place in Geneva at the Palais des Nations, from 15 June to 8 July 2026. Throughout the session, GANHRI delivered two statements and participated in one high-level informal panel, addressing key priority thematic areas while supporting the engagement of NHRIs from 17 countries which delivered 52 oral interventions or written statements across human rights issues.

High Commissioner recognizes NHRIs as vital to human rights progress

While presenting his annual report, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights emphasized that despite mounting global challenges such as conflict, persecution of defenders, and severe funding cuts, the human rights system continues to deliver tangible results.

Pointing to NHRIs as one part of that system, he stated:

“Across all regions, from Benin to Montenegro, from the Philippines to Slovakia and Spain, National Human Rights Institutions are supporting victims of violations, safeguarding civic space and combating online hate speech.”

The report also documents OHCHR’s support to NHRIs over the reporting period, including assistance to 37 countries in establishing or strengthening their institutions and facilitating the participation of 50 NHRIs in UN human rights mechanisms. As GANHRI Secretariat, OHCHR also supported the accreditation reviews of more than 20 institutions.

HRC at 20: marking progress, looking to the future

NHRIs serve as a bridge between the international human rights system and national realities. They bring evidence from the ground into the Council, and help turn its outcomes into national laws, policies and remedies. Across regions, NHRIs operate in very different conditions, and many face political pressure, limited resources or shrinking civic space. The Human Rights Council’s 20th anniversary is an opportunity to reflect on this, and on what is needed to strengthen NHRIs’ role going forward.

At the roundtable “HRC@20: Expanding Participation and Strengthening Implementation,” co-organized with the Geneva Human Rights Hub, Global Cities Hub, International Service for Human Rights, Geneva for Human Rights and the Swiss Human Rights Institution, participants explored how the Council has gradually widened space for stakeholders beyond States, including NHRIs, Indigenous Peoples, civil society organizations and local and regional governments.

At a high-level informal discussion dedicated to HRC20 convened by the Council’s president, GANHRI Chairperson Amina Bouayach underscored this connective role, stressing that it depends on giving NHRIs the space to engage freely, including before the Council.

Protecting rights and livelihoods: NHRIs and climate change

At HRC62, during the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Climate Change, GANHRI highlighted the urgent human rights risks caused by climate change, particularly its hazardous impacts on food systems, livelihoods, land, natural resources, and forced displacement. These challenges deepen existing inequalities and place already vulnerable communities at greater risk, adversely affecting their rights.

NHRIs play an essential role in advancing human rights-based climate action: engaging with affected communities, monitoring environmental harm, supporting access to information and meaningful participation, advising States and private sector actors on their obligations, and facilitating access to strategic litigation and remedies. GANHRI’s Caucus on Human Rights and Climate Change supports this work through knowledge exchange, capacity-building, and stronger NHRI engagement on climate issues.

GANHRI called on States to include NHRIs in national climate governance processes and to ensure they are adequately resourced to address the human rights dimensions of climate change. The Special Rapporteur noted the role of NHRIs in advising on legal reform, ensuring legal guarantees stay aligned with international standards.

Addressing domestic violence against women

During the Annual full-day discussion on the human rights of women, GANHRI underlined that domestic violence remains one of the most widespread and persistent human rights violations worldwide.

Despite existing legal frameworks and international standards, many women and girls continue to face serious barriers to protection and redress, often intensified by intersecting forms of discrimination affecting, among others, women with disabilities, Indigenous women, migrant women and women living in poverty.

Recalling its 2025 outcome statement, GANHRI pointed to the important role of Paris Principles-compliant NHRIs in addressing domestic violence through monitoring, investigations, complaints-handling, reporting, advocacy and awareness raising.

To support this work, States should ensure NHRIs have the mandate and resources they need, enable their participation in CSW proceedings, and strengthen cooperation with NHRIs and civil society organizations in the design, implementation and monitoring of laws and policies addressing domestic violence.

Key resolutions of relevance to NHRIs

The Human Rights Council adopted 28 resolutions and extended eight mandates, including the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on human rights in Eritrea and seven thematic mandates covering areas such as education, disability rights, poverty, business and human rights, and the independence of judges and lawyers.

Several resolutions referred to the role of NHRIs:

- Resolution 62/27 on the twentieth anniversary of the Human Rights Council, reaffirms the “important and constructive role” of NHRIs in the work of the Council and welcomes their active contribution to the fulfilment of its mandate.
- Resolution 62/11 on freedom of opinion and expression, requests OHCHR to consult NHRIs, among other stakeholders, in preparing a study on emerging threats to freedom of expression, including from new digital technologies such as AI, for presentation at the 67^thsession.
- Resolution 62/22 on the Social Forum, decides that the Forum will remain open to the participation of NHRI representatives, alongside States, UN system stakeholders, and NGOs. This year’s Social Forum will take place in October, in Geneva.

Adoption of Universal Periodic Review (UPR) reports

During the 62^nd session, the Human Rights Council adopted the UPR outcome reports of Austria, Australia, Georgia, Lebanon, Mauritania, Micronesia, Naoero, Nepal, Oman, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Sao Tome and Principe.

The NHRIs of Austria, Mauritania, Nepal, and Rwanda delivered statements upon the adoption of their countries respective UPR outcome reports.

List of HRC62 NHRIs and GANHRI Statements

A recording of the HRC62 session is available on UN Web TV and oral statements are uploaded to the extranet HRC62 webpage.

Interactive Dialogue on the report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel

NHRI Palestine – Independent Commission for Human Rights

Interactive Dialogue with the Independent Expert on International Solidarity

NHRI Qatar – National Human Rights Committee

Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health

NHRI Colombia – Defensoría del Pueblo (video statement)
NHRI Morocco – Conseil national des droits de l’Homme
NHRI Palestine – Independent Commission for Human Rights
NHRI Qatar – National Human Rights Committee

Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education

NHRI Ethiopia – Ethiopian Human Rights commission (video statement)
NHRI Morocco – Conseil national des droits de l’Homme
NHRI Qatar – National Human Rights Committee

Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression

NHRI Colombia – Defensoría del Pueblo (written statement)
NHRI Ukraine – Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights (video statement)

Interactive Dialogue on the report of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions

NHRI Palestine – Independent Commission for Human Rights

Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

NHRI Colombia – Defensoría del Pueblo (video statement)

Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Persons Affected by Leprosy

NHRI Ethiopia – Ethiopian Human Rights commission (video statement)

Annual Panel Discussion on the Adverse Impacts of Climate Change on Human Rights

NHRI The Philippines – Commission on Human Rights (video statement)
NHRI Qatar – National Human Rights Committee
NHRI Zambia – Human Rights Commission (written statement)

Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Climate Change

NHRI Burundi – Commission nationale indépendante des droits de l’Homme (written statement)
NHRI Qatar – National Human Rights Committee
GANHRI – Download statement

Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants

NHRI Burundi – Commission nationale indépendante des droits de l’Homme
NHRI Colombia – Defensoría del Pueblo (written statement)
NHRI Ethiopia – Ethiopian Human Rights commission (video statement)
NHRI Mauritania – Commission nationale des droits de l’Homme

Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons

NHRI Burundi – Commission nationale indépendante des droits de l’Homme
NHRI Colombia – Defensoría del Pueblo (written statement)
NHRI Qatar – National Human Rights Committee
NHRI Ukraine – Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights (video statement)

Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls

NHRI Burundi – Commission nationale indépendante des droits de l’Homme
NHRI Ukraine – Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights (video statement)

Panel Discussion on the Intensification of Efforts to Empower Women and Girls through Sport

NHRI Morocco – Conseil national des droits de l’Homme
NHRI Qatar – National Human Rights Committee

Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Peaceful Assembly and Association

NHRI Burundi – Commission nationale indépendante des droits de l’Homme
NHRI Chile – Instituto Nacional de Derechos Humanos

Annual Discussion on Women’s Rights: Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls

GANHRI – Download statement
NHRI Morocco – Conseil national des droits de l’Homme
NHRI Palestine – Independent Commission for Human Rights
NHRI Qatar – National Human Rights Committee

Interactive Dialogue with the Working Group on Discrimination Against Women and Girls

NHRI Armenia – Human Rights Defender (video statement)
NHRI Burundi – Commission nationale indépendante des droits de l’Homme
NHRI Morocco – Conseil national des droits de l’Homme

Interactive Dialogue on the report of the Special Rapporteur on the Independece of Judges and Lawyers

NHRI Guatemala – Procuraduría de los Derechos Humanos

Interactive Dialogue on the report of the Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights

NHRI Scotland – Scottish Human Rights Commission

Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons

NHRI Burundi – Commission nationale indépendante des droits de l’Homme
NHRI Colombia – Defensoría del Pueblo (video statement)
NHRI Ethiopia – Ethiopian Human Rights commission (video statement)
NHRI Ukraine – Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights (video statement)

Interactive Dialogue on Oral Update of the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Burundi

NHRI Burundi – Commission nationale indépendante des droits de l’Homme

Adoption of UPR Outcomes

NHRI Austria – The Austrian Ombudsman Board
NHRI Mauritania – Commission nationale des droits de l’Homme
NHRI Nepal – National Human Rights Commission of Nepal
NHRI Rwanda – National Commission for Human Rights

Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism

NHRI Colombia – Defensoría del Pueblo (written statement)

Interactive Dialogue on Oral Presentation of the High Commissioner on Ukraine and interim report of the Secretary-General on Human Rights in Crimea

NHRI Ukraine – Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights (video statement)