Geneva, 25 February 2024 (TDI): The United Nations Human Rights Council is expected to hold its fifty fifth regular session from the 26th of February to the 5th of April 2024 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
The session is anticipated to open at 9 AM on Monday 26th February under the presidency of Ambassador Omar Zniber of Morocco.
Dignitaries would be representing over 110 member states whilst addressing the council. The opening statements will be carried out by the Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres, followed by the President of the UN General Assembly Dennis Francis.
The Council’s meeting will take place in room XX of the Palais des Nations.
The first segment of the UNHRC
The United Nations Human Rights Council’s 55th session will open on the 26th of February and continue through the 28th of February. On the 28th of February the council will convene an interactive dialogue on the situation of human rights in Eritrea.
The next day the Council is expected to hold an interactive dialogue on the High Commissioner’s report on the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, along with making sure of answerability and justness.
Furthermore, an interactive dialogue will take place on the report of the Group of Human Rights Experts in Nicaragua, along with a dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan.
On the 1st of March, the Council will hold an interactive dialogue on the High Commissioner’s verbal update on Myanmar and a report of the Commission on human rights in South Sudan.
Second segment of UNHRC
At the second week of the session on the 6th of March, the Council will be hearing an verbal update by the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the current human rights developments throughout the globe, which will lead toward a presentation of reports on activities of his Office in Columbia, Guatemala, Honduras.
This will be followed by a presentation of other reports and updates including Cyprus, Nicaragua and Sri Lanka. Moreover, the Council will be holding separate interactive dialogues with the Special Rapporteur on the sale, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children.
On the morning of the 6th of March, an interactive dialogue will be held by the Council with the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, followed by separate interactive dialogues with the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by people with albinism.
A Special Rapporteur on the issues of human rights obligations will take place which relate with the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment, along with a Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
On the 7th of March, an interactive dialogue will be held on the right to food, and on torture, cruel and other demeaning and harsh treatment or punishment.
The 8th of March will begin with a panel discussion on negating religious hatred constituting incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence. An interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur will be held on torture, on foreign debt and other international financial obligations of States on the complete enjoyment of human rights, such as economic, social and cultural rights.
Third segment of UNHRC
The third week of the United Nations Human Rights Council will begin with interactive dialogues on the rights of people with disabilities, and the protection of human rights and fundamental freedom all the while warding off terrorism.
The council will also be holding separate interactive dialogues on the 12th of March on human rights defenders and on the right to privacy. The interactive dialogue with the Special Representative of the Secretary General on violence against children will end on the 13th of March.
On Thursday the 14th of March, a report will be presented on the open ended intergovernmental working group on transnational corporations and other business endeavors with respect to human rights, along with thematic reports by the High Commissioners and his Office and by the Secretary General.
The fourth and fifth segment of the UNHRC
On the 18th of March, Monday, the Council will end its interactive dialogue with the independent international fact finding mission on the situation of human rights in Iran.
Furthermore, separate interactive dialogues will be held on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the independent international commission of inquiry in Syria and Ukraine.
In addition, the Council will hold separate interactive dialogues with the High Commissioner on his verbal update on the situation of Human Rights in Venezuela, Myanmar and Belarus.
Moreover, the Council will conclude its fourth week by initiating to reflect on the outcomes of the Universal Periodic Reviews of Turkmenistan, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Colombia, Uzbekistan, Tuvalu, Germany, Djibouti, Canada, Bangladesh, the Russian Federation, Azerbaijan, Cameroon and Cuba.
On the fifth week of the session, an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the condition of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 will take place.
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On Wednesday afternoon, the Council will convene to hear the presentation of the report of the intergovernmental working group on the impactful application of the Durban Declaration and the Program of Action to be followed.
Following the session, separate interactive dialogues with the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Mali will take place on the 28th of March, concluding with a high level dialogue on the state of affairs of human rights in the Central African Republic.
The sixth segment of UNHRC
Lastly, on the 2nd of April, the Council will hold separate interactive dialogues with the international human rights, on determining the hinderances to the application of the 2016 peace agreement in Colombia. Also, a report of the Office of the High Commissioner on technical assistance and capacity building for South Sudan will take place.
Additionally, a report will also be presented on the situation of human rights in Haiti and on the verbal update by the High Commissioner and by the team of international experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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