The Human Rights Council is the world’s peak multilateral human rights body. It is comprised of 47 Member States and meets at least three times per year in Geneva. It is mandated to strengthen the global promotion and protection of human rights, and to address human rights violations and situations of concern.
ISHR works intensively at the Human Rights Council to support the work of human rights defenders. Our strategic combination of research, capacity building, policy development, and advocacy seeks to ensure that the Council is accessible to human rights defenders, protects them against intimidation and reprisals, and is an effective mechanism for change on the ground.
We also monitor and report on States’ cooperation with the Human Rights Council and advocate to ensure that States that seek membership are held to account for their commitment to ‘uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights’.
Read more about our impact and vision in making progress and preventing regress for civil society at the UN.
Three years after the UN Human Rights Office found that human rights violations in the Uyghur region (Xinjiang) may amount to crimes against humanity, the High Commissioner admits little progress while civil society warns the Council’s credibility is at stake.
The UN Secretary-General’s annual report on reprisals shows that ‘targeted repression across borders appears to grow in scale and sophistication’ against defenders who cooperated with the United Nations'. Notably, 10 of the 32 States reported to have retaliated against individuals or groups who sought to engage with the United Nations are sitting members of the Human Rights Council.
Organisations from around the world condemn US and UK sanctions targeting human rights organisations and stand in solidarity with human rights defenders working to uphold international law in the face of Israel’s genocide and colonial apartheid against the Palestinian people.
During the HRC60 Interactive Dialogue with the Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan on 9 September 2025, Manal Alawal, director of Peace and Human Dignity Organisation, delivered a joint statement by ISHR, Sudanese Women’s Rights Action (SURWA), the Regional Coalition for WHRDs in Southwest Asia and North Africa (WHRDMENA) Coalition, and Peace and Human Dignity Organisation. Read and watch the statement below.
The UN Secretary-General published his annual report on reprisals, expressing concerns over the growing 'scale and sophistication' of 'targeted repression across borders' against human rights defenders. These acts are directly aimed at individuals and organisations engaging with the United Nations, and in some cases, their family members and colleagues.
Over a dozen organisations sent a joint letter to all States members of the Human Rights Council, calling for the renewal of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Russia. Read the letter below.
Understand the structure, purpose and mandate of the Human Rights Council and the opportunities for effective engagement.
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ISHR has published ‘scorecards’ for States seeking election to the UN Human Rights Council for 2026-2028 to help inform voting States’ decisions in the upcoming election.
In response to the annual call for inputs from the UN Secretary-General, ISHR has submitted 120 cases of intimidation and reprisals against human rights defenders engaging with the UN from 29 countries.
In a new report, ISHR analyses China’s tactics to restrict access for independent civil society actors in UN human rights bodies. The report provides an analysis of China’s membership of the UN Committee on NGOs, the growing presence of Chinese Government-Organised NGOs (GONGOs), and patterns of intimidation and reprisals by the Chinese government.
ISHR is pleased to launch a Reprisals Toolkit in four languages, an essential tool for human rights defenders and all stakeholders concerned about intimidation and reprisals against those cooperating with international or regional human rights systems.
ISHR has published ‘scorecards’ for States seeking election to the UN Human Rights Council for 2025-2027 to help inform voting States’ decisions in the upcoming election.
On April 15 2024, ISHR submitted its annual submission to the UN Secretary General on intimidation and reprisals against defenders engaging or seeking to engage with the UN and its human rights mechanisms.
