Human Rights Council Concludes Sixtieth Regular Session after Adopting 35 Resolutions, Two Decisions and One President’s Statement
Establishes a New Investigative Mechanism on Afghanistan, Merges Mandates on Trafficking and Slavery, and Extends 14 Country-Specific and Thematic Mandates
The Human Rights Council today concluded its sixtieth regular session after adopting 35 resolutions, two decisions, and one President’s Statement. In these texts, among other things, the Council voted to establish one new mandate, merge two mandates into one, and extend 14 country-specific and thematic mandates.
In a new initiative, the Council established an independent investigative mechanism to collect, consolidate, preserve and analyse evidence of international crimes and the most serious violations of international law committed in Afghanistan, and to prepare files to facilitate and expedite fair and independent criminal proceedings.
Seeking to increase efficiency in the face of resource constraints, the Council decided to merge the mandates of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery and the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, establishing the mandate of “Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery and trafficking in persons” for a three-year term.
Jürg Lauber, President of the Human Rights Council, said the merger would lead to timesaving and efficiency gains, while ensuring the integrity of the outgoing mandates and avoiding a prevention gap. With this precedent, Mr. Lauber said he looked forward to further efforts to rationalise the Council’s work.
The Council extended seven country-specific mandates during the session. Under its second agenda item, it extended the mandates of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka; the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan for one year; and the independent international fact-finding mission for the Sudan for one year.
Additionally, under agenda item four, the Council extended, for one year, the mandates of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burundi and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation. Under agenda item 10, it extended the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia for two years, and the mandate of Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Central African Republic for one year.
The Council also decided to end two country mandates, namely those of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia and the International Team of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In addition, the Council decided to extend, for a period of three years, seven thematic mandates: those of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples; 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; the Special Rapporteur on the right to development; the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation; the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons; and the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.
Under agenda item 10, the Council adopted resolutions on promoting international cooperation to support national mechanisms for implementation, reporting and follow-up; enhancement of technical cooperation and capacity-building in the field of human rights; and related to technical assistance and capacity-building in Somalia, Georgia, Yemen, Libya, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In a decision, the Council called upon Nicaragua to resume its cooperation with the Universal Periodic Review mechanism and decided to postpone the consideration and adoption of the outcome document for the review of the State until the sixty-third session, while leaving open the possibility for it to be scheduled sooner.
In addition, the Council examined, in closed meetings, the situation of human rights in Tajikistan, under the complaint procedure established pursuant to Council resolution 5/1. It decided to keep the situation of human rights in Tajikistan under review and requested the Government of Tajikistan to provide further information at the sixty-second session.
Further resolutions adopted concerned promotion of a democratic and equitable international order; the question of the death penalty; the role of prevention, the rule of law and accountability in the promotion and protection of human rights; human rights and Indigenous Peoples; concrete action against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; promoting and protecting economic, social and cultural rights within the context of addressing inequalities; preventable maternal mortality and morbidity and human rights; promotion and protection of the human rights of women and children in conflict and post-conflict situations; sea-level rise and its effects on the full and effective enjoyment of human rights; the situation of human rights in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo; cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights; a world of sports free from racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; and the human rights implications of drug policy.
On the final day of its sixtieth session, the Council elected Veronika Fikfak (Slovenia), Rabah Boudache (Algeria), Justice Edward Amoako Asante (Ghana), Ren Yisheng (China), Afsaneh Nadipour (Iran), Carlos Ignacio de Casas (Argentina), and Nicole Ameline (France) to its Advisory Committee, and appointed Aristide Nononsi (Benin) as the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Central African Republic.
It also adopted, ad referendum, the draft report of the session.
Paul Empole Efambe, Rapporteur and Vice President of the Human Rights Council, presenting the session report, said the sixtieth session had shown that the Council remained successful in fulfilling its responsibility for upholding human rights around the globe. In addition to adopting 35 resolutions, one President’s Statement, and two decisions, Mr. Empole Efambe said that, during the session, the Council held nine general debates and 41 interactive dialogues and adopted the outcomes of the universal periodic reviews of 14 countries.
In his concluding remarks, Mr. Lauber said that, despite being faced with the requirement to reduce meeting times and being unable to deliver previously mandated activities due to liquidity issues, the Council had adopted new activities and renewed old ones during the session, requiring new resources and more meeting time. He stressed that finding solutions to this predicament was an urgent priority for the Council.
Closing the session, Mr. Lauber expressed sincere gratitude to all those who had made the session possible, including the members of the Council’s Bureau and Secretariat, conference services, other United Nations staff, and Member States.
The official dates of the sixty-first regular session of the Human Rights Council are yet to be announced; they will be announced at a later stage on the Council’s website.
Action on Resolutions
Action on a President’s Statement Under Agenda Item One on Organizational and Procedural Matters
In a President's Statement (A/HRC/60/L.7) on Reports of the Advisory Committee, adopted without a vote, the Council takes note of the reports of the Advisory Committee on its thirty-second and thirty-third sessions and notes that the Advisory Committee has made two research proposals.
Action on Resolutions Under Agenda Item Two on the Annual Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and Reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.1/Rev.1) on Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka, adopted without a vote, the Council decides to extend the mandate of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and all work requested of it by the Council in its resolution 51/1 of 6 October 2022, and requests the Office to present a written update at its sixty-third session, and a comprehensive report on progress in reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka at its sixty-sixth session, to be discussed during an interactive dialogue.
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.8) on the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery and trafficking in persons, adopted without a vote, the Council decides to merge the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences and the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, and therefore further decides to establish one mandate that will operate under the title of Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery and trafficking in persons, for a period of three years; further decides that the new mandate holder on contemporary forms of slavery and trafficking in persons will start his or her functions on 1 May 2026 with the understanding that the current Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children will continue her mandate until July 2026; decides to renew the mandate of Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences until the entry into function of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery and trafficking in persons, whereafter the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences will conclude; and requests the Special Rapporteur to submit a report on the implementation of the mandate to the Council and to the General Assembly in accordance with their annual programmes of work.
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.9) on the Situation of human rights in Afghanistan, adopted without a vote, the Council decides to establish an ongoing independent investigative mechanism to collect, consolidate, preserve and analyse evidence of international crimes and the most serious violations of international law committed in Afghanistan, including against women and girls, and to prepare files in order to facilitate and expedite fair and independent criminal proceedings; decides to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan for a period of one year, and requests the Special Rapporteur to present a report to the Council at its sixty-third session, and to present that report, in combination with an oral update, to the General Assembly at its eighty-first session, in accordance with their respective programmes of work; requests the Special Rapporteur to prepare a report on the situation of human rights of women and girls, adopting an intersectional approach, and to present the report to the Council at its sixty-first session, to be followed by an enhanced interactive dialogue; decides that the mandate of the Special Rapporteur to document and preserve information relating to human rights violations and abuses will continue and remain valid until such time that the investigative mechanism is operational and the information collected can be safely preserved and, to the extent possible, transmitted to the investigative mechanism for its use, and that the Special Rapporteur should be supported with sufficient staff and other resources to carry out the mandate; and also requests the Office of the High Commissioner to present, during the enhanced interactive dialogue, a comprehensive report also reflecting victims’ and survivors’ perspectives on justice and redress
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.18) on Responding to the human rights and humanitarian crisis caused by the ongoing armed conflict in Sudan, adopted by a vote of 24 in favour, 11 against and 12 abstentions, the Council decides to extend the mandate of the independent international fact-finding mission for the Sudan for a period of one year; requests the fact-finding mission to provide the Council with an oral update on its work at its sixty-second session, to be followed by an enhanced interactive dialogue with the participation of a representative of civil society, and a comprehensive report at its sixty-third session, to be followed by an interactive dialogue, and to present the report to the General Assembly at its eighty-first session, to be followed by an interactive dialogue; and requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, with the assistance of the designated Expert on human rights in the Sudan, to submit to the Council at its sixty-fourth session a comprehensive report on the situation of human rights in the Sudan and on violations and abuses committed by all parties to the conflict, to be followed by an interactive dialogue with the participation of the High Commissioner and the Expert.
Action on Resolutions Under Agenda Item Three on the Promotion and Protection of All Human Rights, Civil, Political, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, including the Right to Development
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.2) on Human rights and Indigenous Peoples: mandate of Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted without a vote, the Council decides to renew the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples for a period of three years.
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.3) on the Mandate of 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, adopted by a vote of 28 in favour, 17 against and 2 abstentions, the Council decides to extend for a period of three years the mandate of 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, for it to continue its work in accordance with Council resolution 7/21 of 28 March 2008, and other relevant resolutions.
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.4) on Promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, adopted by a vote of 24 in favour, 17 against and 6 abstentions, the Council invites the Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order to study and present concrete measures that can be adopted by States and international institutions to contribute to the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order and the transformation of the international financial architecture, in close cooperation with relevant stakeholders from all regions; and requests the Independent Expert to report on the implementation of the present resolution to the Council and the General Assembly, in accordance with their programmes of work.
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.5) on The right to development, adopted by a vote of 28 in favour, 14 against and 5 abstentions, the Council decides to extend for a period of three years the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the right to development, in accordance with the terms set out by the Council in its resolution 33/14 of 29 September 2016; recalls the biennial panel discussion on the right to development and the report thereon of the Office of the High Commissioner submitted to the Council at its fifty-eighth session, and requests the Office, in accordance with paragraph 27 of [Council] resolution 42/23, to organize the next biennial panel discussion on the right to development, to be held at its sixty-third session, in a format that is fully accessible to persons with disabilities, including sign language interpretation, and also requests the Office to prepare a report on the panel discussion and to submit it to the Council at its sixty-sixth session; and decides to review the progress of the implementation of the present resolution, as a matter of priority, at its future sessions.
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.6) on Arbitrary detention, adopted without a vote, the Council decides to extend the mandate of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention for a further period of three years, in accordance with Commission on Human Rights resolutions 1991/42 and 1997/50 and Council resolution 6/4; notes that the Working Group has been receiving an increasing number of submissions concerning allegations of arbitrary detention, and requests the Working Group to reduce and address the backlog of submissions, and continue to process all new cases in a timely and efficient manner so as to avoid future backlogs; requests the Secretary-General to provide the Working Group with all the assistance necessary for it to be able to effectively and sustainably fulfil its mandate, in particular by putting sufficient, assured and predictable human resources at its disposal.
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.10) on The human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, adopted without a vote, the Council decides to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation for a period of three years; requests the Special Rapporteur to continue to report, on an annual basis, to the Council and, on a biennial basis, to the General Assembly as of its eightieth session; and also requests the Special Rapporteur, with a view to promoting the progressive realisation of the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation at the 2026 United Nations Water Conference and the 2028 United Nations Conference on the Final Comprehensive Review of the Implementation of the Objectives of the International Decade for Action, “Water for Sustainable Development”, 2018–2028, to actively engage in collaboration with States and other stakeholders in the preparatory process to ensure that the human rights dimension, including gender equality, is adequately reflected in the agenda and outcome of the conferences, and to ensure broad and inclusive civil society representation, and to this end to participate actively in the conferences and their preparatory meetings.
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.12) on the Question of the death penalty, adopted by a vote of 31 in favour, 7 against and 8 abstentions, the Council requests the Secretary-General to dedicate the 2027 supplement to his quinquennial report on capital punishment to the right to non-discrimination with regard to the imposition and application of the death penalty, and to present it to the Council for consideration at its sixty-sixth session and to make it available in all working languages before the session; decides that the upcoming biennial high-level panel discussion to be held during the sixty-fourth session of the Council will address the latest developments, strategies, best practices and alternative approaches to reducing the scope and limiting the use of capital punishment; requests the Office of the High Commissioner to organize the high-level panel discussion and to make it fully accessible; and also requests the Office of the High Commissioner to prepare a summary report on the panel discussion, also in an accessible format, and to submit it to the Council at its sixty-sixth session.
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.15) on The human rights of older persons, adopted without a vote, the Council decides to extend the mandate of the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons for a period of three years according to the terms set out by the Council in its resolution 33/5; requests the Independent Expert to report regularly to the Council and the General Assembly in accordance with their respective programmes of work; requests the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide the Independent Expert with all the human, technical and financial resources necessary for the effective fulfilment of the mandate; and decides to remain seized of the matter.
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.19) on The right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, adopted without a vote, the Council decides to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health for a further period of three years; and requests the Special Rapporteur to submit an annual report to the Council and to the General Assembly covering all activities relating to the mandate.
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.20/Rev.1) on Preventable maternal mortality and morbidity and human rights, adopted without a vote (as orally revised), the Council requests the Office of the High Commissioner to facilitate inclusive and participatory virtual consultations with relevant stakeholders on the implementation of the report of the Office entitled “Update to the technical guidance on the application of a human rights-based approach to the elimination of preventable maternal mortality and morbidity”, and to compile and analyse examples of best practices emerging from those consultations into a report to be submitted to the Council at its sixty-sixth session, including a plain language version targeted at national stakeholders; and decides to remain seized of the matter.
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.21) on The role of prevention in the promotion and protection of human rights: the rule of law and accountability, adopted without a vote, the Council requests the Office of the High Commissioner to prepare a study on the role of the rule of law and accountability, at the national and international levels, in preventing and addressing conflict-related sexual violence, and to present it to the Council at its sixty-sixth session; and encourages the Office of the High Commissioner to continue to gather information and research for further preparation of a practical toolkit to support States and other stakeholders in the practical application of prevention in the promotion and protection of human rights.
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.24/Rev.1) on Human rights and Indigenous Peoples, adopted without a vote, the Council decides that the theme of the annual panel discussion on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, to be held during the sixty-third session of the Human Rights Council, will be “Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage: Indigenous Peoples’ rights and engagement”, and requests the Office of the High Commissioner to encourage and facilitate the participation of Indigenous women and youth in the panel discussion, to make the discussion fully accessible to and inclusive of persons with disabilities, and to prepare a summary report of the discussion for submission to the Council prior to its sixty-fifth session; and decides to remain seized of the matter.
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.27/Rev.1) on Promoting and protecting economic, social and cultural rights within the context of addressing inequalities, adopted without a vote, the Council decides to convene a panel discussion, with gender balance and equitable geographical representation, on progress, challenges and opportunities in promoting and protecting economic, social and cultural rights within the context of addressing inequalities, at the sixty-third session of the Council, and to invite relevant stakeholders; requests the Secretary-General to provide the panel discussion with all the resources necessary for services and facilities; and requests the High Commissioner for Human Rights to prepare a substantive report on the panel discussion and to present the report to the Council at its sixty-sixth session, to be followed by an interactive dialogue.
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.28) on Promotion and protection of the human rights of women and children in conflict and post-conflict situations: ensuring justice, remedies and reparation for the victims, adopted without a vote, the Council requests the High Commissioner to prepare an analytical report on best practices and main challenges in the promotion and protection of the human rights of women and children in conflict and post-conflict situations, with a focus on ending impunity and ensuring accountability for gross violations of international human rights law and serious violations of international humanitarian law and on the provision of effective remedies and reparation for the victims, and to present the report to the Council, at its sixty-third session, to be followed by an interactive dialogue with the participation of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence.
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.31/Rev.1) on The human rights implications of drug policy, adopted without a vote (as orally revised), the Council requests the Office of the High Commissioner to prepare a report on human rights challenges in addressing and countering all aspects of the world drug problem, in particular on the impact of drug policies on the rights of women and girls, and to present it to the Council at its sixty-third session, also in an accessible format, and also requests the Office of the High Commissioner to share the report with the Commission on Narcotic Drugs through the appropriate channels; decides to convene an intersessional panel discussion before its sixty-fourth session, in an accessible format, on human rights challenges in addressing and countering all aspects of the world drug problem, to have a constructive and inclusive dialogue on this issue with relevant stakeholders, requests the Office of the High Commissioner to prepare a report on the panel discussion in the form of a summary and to present that report to the Council at its sixty-sixth session, and also requests the Office of the High Commissioner to share the report with the Commission on Narcotic Drugs through the appropriate channels; and decides to remain seized of the matter.
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.38/Rev.1) on Sea-level rise and its effects on the full and effective enjoyment of human rights, adopted without a vote (as orally revised), the Council requests its Advisory Committee to prepare an in-depth analytical study to review the implications of sea-level rise for the full enjoyment of human rights, to present it to the Council at its sixty-sixth session and to include the study for discussion during the interactive dialogue with the Advisory Committee at the same session; and requests the Office of the High Commissioner to increase its support, technical assistance and capacity-building for States to implement human rights-based approaches in their efforts to mitigate, adapt to and address the adverse effects of sea-level rise, and requests the Secretary-General to further strengthen the dedicated capacity of the Office of the High Commissioner at the regional level to provide such increased support.
Action on Resolutions Under Agenda Item Four on Human Rights Situations that Require the Council’s Attention
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.13) on the Situation of human rights in Burundi, adopted by a vote of 23 in favour, 9 against and 15 abstentions, the Council decides to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burundi for a further period of one year, and requests the Special Rapporteur to present to the Council, at its sixty-second session, an oral update on the situation of human rights in Burundi, and also to submit a comprehensive report thereon to the Council at its sixty-third session and to the General Assembly at its eighty-first session; and urges the Government of Burundi to constructively cooperate with the Office of the High Commissioner, and to present a timeline for the reopening of the country office of the Office of the High Commissioner in Burundi.
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.23) on the Situation of human rights in the Russian Federation, adopted by a vote of 20 in favour, 8 against and 18 abstentions (as orally revised) adopted without a vote (as orally revised), the Council decides to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation as defined by the Council in its resolution 54/23 for a period of one year, and requests the mandate holder to hold consultations with all stakeholders, including civil society inside and outside the Russian Federation, and to present a comprehensive report to the Council at its sixty-third session and to the General Assembly at its eighty-first session.
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.32/Rev.1) on the Situation of human rights in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, adopted without a vote (as orally revised), the Council requests the High Commissioner for Human Rights to make the secretariat of the relevant independent commission of inquiry established by resolution S-37/1 operational as soon as possible, preferably before 31 December 2025; urgently requests the members of the independent commission of inquiry to present an oral update on the situation of human rights in North Kivu and South Kivu Provinces, within the framework of an enhanced interactive dialogue, at its sixty-second session; and requests the members of the independent commission of inquiry to submit a comprehensive report on the situation of human rights in the above-mentioned provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, within the framework of an enhanced interactive dialogue, at its sixty-fourth session and to the General Assembly at its eighty-first session.
Action on a Resolution Under Agenda Item Five on Human Rights Bodies and Mechanisms
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.25) on Cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights, adopted without a vote, the Council invites the Secretary-General to continue to provide the Office of the High Commissioner with adequate resources to prevent and address allegations of acts of intimidation or reprisal in the most effective and gender-responsive manner; encourages the President of the Council to provide information on cases of intimidation or reprisal brought to his or her attention at each session of the Council; and invites the Secretary-General to submit the report he presents annually to the Council on cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights also to the General Assembly.
Action on a Decision Under Agenda Item Six on the Universal Periodic Review
In a decision (A/HRC/60/L.62) on Non-cooperation of a State under review with the universal periodic review mechanism, adopted without a vote, the Council calls upon Nicaragua to resume its cooperation with the universal periodic review mechanism; decides to postpone the consideration and adoption of the outcome document of the universal periodic review of Nicaragua until its sixty-third session, while leaving open the possibility for it to be scheduled sooner; and also decides to consider at its sixty-third session any steps that may be deemed appropriate in the light of the provisions of General Assembly resolution 60/251 and Council resolution 5/1.
Action on Resolutions Under 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
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.22) on A world of sports free from racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, adopted without a vote, the Council requests the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action to continue its discussions on sports and racism and to build on previous recommendations; requests the Office of the High Commissioner to support national efforts to prevent and respond to racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in sports; and requests the High Commissioner to prepare and submit to the Council at its sixty-sixth session a report on progress made towards addressing the specific issues highlighted in, and the broader implementation of, the present resolution.
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.29/Rev.1) on From rhetoric to reality: a global call for concrete action against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, adopted without a vote, the Council requests the High Commissioner to facilitate the interactive participation of the group of legal experts referred to in Human Rights Council 51/32 in one of the two one-week segments of the sixteenth session of the Ad Hoc Committee of the Human Rights Council on the Elaboration of Complementary Standards to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, to be held in 2026; requests the Chair-Rapporteur of the Ad Hoc Committee to present in person a progress report to the General Assembly at its eighty-first session; requests the Office of the High Commissioner to organize an information campaign for the twenty-fifth anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action; decides to hold the annual panel discussion on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination scheduled for the sixty-first session of the Council as a high-level panel discussion, and also decides to make the panel discussion fully accessible for persons with disabilities; requests the Office of the High Commissioner to invite the submission of written contributions in order to propose recommendations on the modalities of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, to prepare a report thereon and to transmit the outcome of the Office’s evaluation to the General Assembly at its eighty-first session; and decides to extend, until the end of 2027, the two-year comprehensive communications strategy requested by the Council in its resolution 48/18 and requests the Secretary-General to provide the resources necessary for the communication strategy.
Action on Resolutions Under Agenda Item 10 on Technical Assistance and Capacity Building
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.11) on Promoting international cooperation to support national mechanisms for implementation, reporting and follow-up, adopted without a vote, the Council decides to convene at its sixty-fifth session a panel discussion for further exchange and review of the latest developments and outcomes of initiatives and activities carried out among States, at both the global and regional levels, to promote the establishment and strengthening of national mechanisms for implementation, reporting and follow-up, and requests the Office of the High Commissioner to organize the said panel discussion; and requests the Office of the High Commissioner to prepare a report containing consolidated information on the activities not covered by its previous report owing to the liquidity crisis currently affecting the United Nations Secretariat, and a summary of the panel discussion, and to present the report to the Council before its sixty-sixth session.
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.14) on Assistance to Somalia in the field of human rights, adopted without a vote, the Council requests the Office of the High Commissioner, in close consultation with the Somali authorities, to provide technical assistance and capacity-building to Somalia, with a view to improving further the situation of human rights in the country; also requests the Office of the High Commissioner to assess, monitor and report on the situation of human rights in Somalia; further requests the Office of the High Commissioner to present to the Council at its sixty-third and sixty-sixth sessions a report on the implementation of the present resolution, both to be followed by an interactive dialogue; and requests the Secretary-General to provide the Office of the High Commissioner with the resources necessary for the full implementation of the present resolution. [The resolution does not renew the mandate of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia.]
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.16) on Cooperation with Georgia, adopted without a vote, the Council demands that immediate and unimpeded access be given to the Office of the High Commissioner and other international and regional human rights mechanisms to Abkhazia, Georgia, and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, Georgia; requests the High Commissioner to present to the Council, in accordance with its resolution 5/1 of 18 June 2007, an oral update on the follow-up to the present resolution at its sixty-first session and to present a report on developments relating to and the implementation of the present resolution at its sixty-second session; and also requests the High Commissioner to continue to provide technical assistance through the Office of the High Commissioner in Tbilisi.
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.17) on Enhancement of technical cooperation and capacity-building in the field of human rights, adopted without a vote, the Council decides that the annual thematic panel discussion under agenda item 10 will henceforth be held biennially starting from its sixty-second session, and that the theme at the said panel discussion will be “Technical cooperation and capacity-building in supporting States in the full and effective realisation of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health”, and to make it fully accessible to persons with disabilities; and requests the Office of the High Commissioner to prepare a report on technical cooperation and capacity-building activities, as well as related challenges and best practices, of States, the Office and other relevant stakeholders in helping States to fully and effectively realise the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, taking into account the outcome of the panel discussion, and to submit the report to the Council at its sixty-sixth session.
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.26) on Technical assistance and capacity-building for Yemen in the field of human rights, adopted without a vote, the Council requests the High Commissioner to continue to provide substantive capacity-building and technical assistance to the Government of Yemen and all requisite technical and logistical support to the National Commission of Inquiry to enable it to continue to investigate allegations of violations and abuses committed by all parties to the conflict in Yemen, and to submit its comprehensive report on alleged violations and abuses of human rights in all parts of Yemen, in accordance with Presidential Decree No. 20 of 8 July 2025, as soon as it is available; and requests the High Commissioner to present a report on the implementation of technical assistance, as stipulated in the present resolution, to the Council at its sixty-third session.
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.30) on Technical assistance and capacity-building to improve human rights in Libya, adopted without a vote, the Council requests the Office of the High Commissioner to continue to provide technical assistance and capacity-building to Libya as provided for by the Council in its resolutions 52/41 of 4 April 2023 and 56/16; also requests the Office of the High Commissioner to present to the Council at its sixty-fourth session a report on the implementation of the present resolution, to be followed by an interactive dialogue; and requests the Secretary-General to provide the Office of the High Commissioner with the resources necessary for the full implementation of the present resolution.
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.34/Rev.1) on Advisory services and technical assistance for Cambodia, adopted without a vote, the Council decides to extend for two years the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, and requests the Special Rapporteur to report on the implementation of his mandate to the Council at its sixty-third and sixty-sixth sessions and to make recommendations on technical assistance and capacity-building for the protection and promotion of human rights in the country; requests the Secretary-General to submit a report to the Council at its sixty-third and sixty-sixth sessions on the role and achievements of the Office of the High Commissioner in assisting the Government and the people of Cambodia in the promotion and protection of human rights; and decides to continue its consideration of the situation of human rights in Cambodia at its sixty-sixth session.
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.33/Rev.1) on Technical assistance and capacity-building in the field of human rights in the Central African Republic, adopted without a vote, the Council decides to renew, for one year, the mandate of Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Central African Republic, which is to assess, monitor and report on the situation with a view to making recommendations relating to technical assistance and capacity-building in the field of human rights; requests the new Independent Expert to pay particular attention to human rights violations and abuses and violations of international humanitarian law alleged to have been committed by all parties to the conflict; decides to hold, at its sixty-first session, a high-level dialogue to assess developments in the human rights situation on the ground; and requests the Independent Expert to submit a written report to the Council at its sixty-third session and to the General Assembly at its eighty-first session.
In a resolution (A/HRC/60/L.37) on Technical assistance and capacity-building in the field of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, adopted without a vote (as orally revised), the Council decides to terminate the mandate of the team of international experts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and requests the Office of the High Commissioner to provide the necessary technical support to the Government in its effective implementation of the national transitional justice policy; requests the Office of the High Commissioner to organise, before its sixty-third session, a meeting to evaluate the implementation of the present resolution, bringing together all the actors involved and with the aim of assessing the progress made in the fields of forensic science and transitional justice; requests the High Commissioner to present the Council with an oral update on the situation of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the framework of an enhanced dialogue, at its sixty-first session; and also requests the High Commissioner to prepare a comprehensive report on the situation of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and to submit it to the Council, in the framework of an enhanced interactive dialogue, at its sixty-third session.
Other Matters
The Council elected Veronika Fikfak (Slovenia), Rabah Boudache (Algeria), Justice Edward Amoako Asante (Ghana), Ren Yisheng (China), Afsaneh Nadipour (Iran), Carlos Ignacio de Casas (Argentina), and Nicole Ameline (France) to its Advisory Committee.
It also appointed Aristide Nononsi (Benin) as the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Central African Republic.
In addition, the Council adopted its draft report ad referendum for the sixtieth session.
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HRC25.009E