Human Rights Council President Presents Report, as General Assembly Speakers Call for End to Double Standards, Collaboration between Geneva, New York
The Human Rights Council must serve as a "sanctuary of humanity" that not only protects but also delivers on the promise of human rights as enshrined in the United Nations Charter, the General Assembly heard today, as it considered the body’s report.
"Today, both international law and human rights are under growing pressure," said Annalena Baerbock, President of the General Assembly, noting that — despite the vision of the UN’s founders — some countries brazenly dismiss the rule of law, while others question the principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In their most extreme form in Afghanistan, the Taliban deny women and girls even the most basic human rights.
"The frequency of such abuses is shocking," she said. "We cannot remain passive [...] nor allow cynics to weaponize these failures to discredit the institutions that protect human dignity".
The Human Rights Council, like the broader United Nations, "can only deliver within its means", she stressed, calling on States to sustain their financial contributions. She urged them to use the UN80 reform initiative as a tool to make the Council more integrated, efficient and responsive in the pursuit of delivery.
Prior to her opening remarks, the General Assembly adopted an oral decision, proposed by President Baerbock in her letter dated 28 October and related to the "Doha Political Declaration of the ‘World Social Summit’ under the title ‘the Second World Summit for Social Development’".
Reflection — and a ‘Call to Action’ amid Acute Budget Crisis
Citing the eightieth anniversary of the United Nations as both "a moment for self-reflection and a call to action", Jürg Lauber, President of the Human Rights Council, warned that — amid persisting conflicts and the erosion of the rule of law — fulfilling the rights enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration can often feel like "an impossible task".
Yet, he highlighted the remarkable progress achieved across the full spectrum of human rights. The Council expanded the scope of issues on its agenda, while continuing its focus on technical assistance and capacity-building in Cambodia, Central African Republic, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Georgia, Haiti, Libya, Mali, Somalia, South Sudan, Ukraine and Yemen.
However, the Council’s sessions took place amid the UN’s liquidity crisis, he said, which affected all mandates and forced many to be delivered in a reduced form. "The current situation is not sustainable," he stressed, warning that without timely and adequate resources, fulfilling the Council’s mandate will create protection gaps for victims.
He further elaborated on the Council’s Universal Periodic Review and Special Procedures mechanisms as well as its resolutions. Among them was the resolution on the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, which invites the Assembly to consider establishing an ongoing international, impartial, and independent mechanism to support investigations and prosecutions of the most serious international crimes committed by all parties since 2014.
Calling for a holistic approach that engages all actors and institutions, "human Rights are neither superfluous nor a luxury," he said. "They are essential for any society’s stability and prosperity."
Member States Reaffirm Commitment to Justice, Equality, Inclusion
In the ensuing debate, speakers emphasized the indispensable work of the Human Rights Council and the need to ensure it remains fully equipped to carry out its functions, with mandates adequately staffed and resourced.
"We are witnessing an erosion of the global commitment to human rights and democracy," declared Iceland’s delegate, also speaking on behalf of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The Council’s important work over the last year includes its vote to create an independent investigative mechanism into human rights abuses in Afghanistan, its engagement on the "horrific" situation in Palestine, and its continued stance in favour of gender equality and the rights of LGBTI+ persons.
The representative of the European Union, speaking in its capacity as observer, likewise welcomed the Council’s omnibus resolution on economic, social and cultural rights, as well as texts on the right to education, the right to food, and the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
For his part, Kyrgyzstan’s representative spotlighted the adoption of the resolution on women’s economic empowerment, an initiative led by his country, while Switzerland’s delegate called for stronger synergies between Geneva and New York to integrate human rights across the entire UN system. "Human rights are not an isolated pillar of the UN system [and] cannot be dissociated from peace and sustainable development," she stressed. She praised the Council’s swift reactions, including in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Iran, Syria, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ukraine.
The Council had stood by humanity "from the onset of the Syrian movement", said Syria’s delegate, by repeatedly calling on the former regime to cease its grave violations and establishing the Independent International Commission of Inquiry to investigate crimes committed in Syria since 2011.
In Myanmar, the Council’s impartiality in addressing the human rights conditions "serves as a lifeline for the people of Myanmar", said that country’s delegate. Its resolutions provide a crucial basis for action by the General Assembly and the Security Council, he said, calling for stronger synergy among UN bodies.
Georgia’s representative pointed to the Council’s recently adopted resolution calling for access for senior UN human rights officials to the Georgian territories occupied by the Russian Federation. The ongoing illegal occupation is a violation of the 2008 ceasefire and international law, as confirmed by the European Court of Human Rights and the International Criminal Court. He described violations of the right to life and health, denial of Georgian language education, restrictions on free movement and arbitrary detentions, stressing: "Russia is laying the groundwork for ethnic cleansing that began years ago."
The representative of Brazil said the proposed UN80 initiative must protect the global human rights framework from any rollbacks. Warning against any dilution of that system, she called for efforts to safeguard the special procedures mandates, treaty bodies and the Universal Periodic Review process. "For developing countries, a renewed emphasis on dialogue, inclusivity and technical cooperation is essential to bridge implementation gaps," she stressed, calling for deeper discussion on how climate change impacts the enjoyment of human rights, especially for the most vulnerable groups.
Demands to End Politicization, Double Standards
However, numerous speakers voiced concern over the proliferation of double standards and politicization within the Human Rights Council, noting that such approaches undermine its credibility and perpetuate underdevelopment, dependence and exclusion of the Global South.
The representative of Venezuela, speaking on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defense of the UN Charter, rejected the Council’s "biased" Independent International Fact-Finding Missions, Special Rapporteurships, country-specific resolutions, and the ever-increasing application of unilateral coercive measures. "It is immoral and utterly contradictory for some Governments to pretend to present themselves as champions and so-called guardians, defenders or promoters of human rights when, at the same time [...] they commit daily mass violations, and even crimes against humanity," he stressed.
In the same vein, Iran’s representative rejected "politically motivated" mandates of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission and the Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights Situation in Iran, as well as the country-specific resolution on Iran. She welcomed the Council’s recent focus on regional attacks by the "rogue Israeli regime", including its widespread violations against Palestinians and unprovoked strikes against her own country. She advocated for the adoption of a legally binding covenant on the right to development.
Egypt’s delegate similarly attached special importance to the right to development, an "inherent" and "inalienable" right. Starting its Council membership on 1 January 2026, Cairo will promote dialogue and cooperation. Respecting the sovereignty of States and their developmental specificities is "the best way" to promote human rights, he said. "International cooperation should be based on partnership and solidarity," rather than confrontation.
"The Council has long strayed from the principles of impartiality and integrity it was meant to embody," Israel’s delegate observed, calling it a platform where political agendas overshadow and distort its purpose. Since the Council’s creation, Israel has been subjected to over 100 country-specific condemnatory resolutions, she said, pointing out that — by eliminating the structural bias against her country — the Council could conserve time and resources. She also voiced concern over "the reckless use of the term genocide", made without any legal determinations.
The representative of the Russian Federation rejected the expansion of country-specific resolutions and mechanisms, and efforts by Council members to "plump its work" with non-rights-related themes — such as climate and artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, Western countries have pushed numerous resolutions about the human rights situation in the Russian Federation. Rejecting those false narratives, he said the West "makes every effort to dominate the human rights agenda within the UN [and turn] the Council into a closed club of ‘true democracies’ which dictates rules of behaviour to the rest of the world."
Echoing that sentiment, Cuba’s delegate stressed that "no country is exempt from human rights challenges, and no country should therefore [...] impose its vision on the rest of the international community". Double standards only fuel confrontation and mistrust. He called the Universal Periodic Review "the ideal forum" for a comprehensive, equal assessment of all human rights situations.
Urging the Council to uphold the principles of universality, impartiality, objectivity and non-selectivity, Indonesia’s delegate noted that its work "can only be truly credible when no country pretends to hold absolute moral authority over others". He called for unity on the dire human rights situation in Palestine, the right to development and need to eliminate unilateral coercive measures. "The Human Rights Council must remain a beacon of hope for justice and equality," he emphasized.
In the afternoon, the Assembly continued its debate on the report of the International Court of Justice (document A/80/4) covering the period from 1 August 2024 to 31 July 2025, and the report of the Secretary-General on the trust fund established to assist States in settling disputes through the Court (document A/80/338).
Complete Live Blog coverage of today's meeting can be found here .