Policy report

Measuring the Impact of the UN Human Rights System on the Enjoyment of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The central, transformative pledge of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to ‘leave no one behind’ cannot be achieved without the inclusion of the estimated one billion people around the world living today with…

<
>

Policy report

OSLO+5 – Human rights-based approach to development and accelerating progress towards gender equality

On 29-30 September 2025, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, supported by the Universal Rights Group, and the Oslo+ Steering Group, hosted the fifth Oslo+ meeting of bilateral and multilateral development experts to share good practices in evolving human rights-based…

<
>

Policy report

Confronting Inequality and Leaving No-One Behind

Leave no one behind (LNOB) is the central, transformative promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It represents the unequivocal commitment of all UN member States to eradicate poverty in all its forms,…

<
>

Policy report

Introducing a Human Rights-Powered Approach

If the UN80 reforms are to succeed, the UN human rights system must take centre stage – driving a human rights-powered approach to sustainable development, building democratic resilience, environmental action, and preventing crises and conflict.

<
>

Policy report

A Human Rights Powered Approach to Gender Equality

2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA), the world’s most widely endorsed and visionary agenda for achieving gender equality, empowering all women and girls, and ensuring the full enjoyment of…

<
>

Policy report

Realising human rights as a critical contribution to confronting the triple planetary crisis

From March 2023 through March 2024, the Universal Rights Group (URG) conducted an analysis to assess and understand the extent to which the United Nations (UN) human rights system focuses on the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss,…

<
>

Policy report

Harnessing human rights towards a mine-free world: Restoring victims' rights, promoting sustainable development and peace

Once an armed conflict ends, its impacts on human life and rights go beyond the casualties and destruction caused during hostilities. Explosive ordnance is left behind, often for decades. Landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) are, in the words…

<
>

Policy report

Protecting the Frontline: Good practices for Recognising and Supporting Environmental Human Rights Defenders

Across the world, environmental human rights defenders (EHRDs) have been catalysing actions to safeguard a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. Their work has been crucial to the protection and respect of their human rights, the rights of their communities, and,…

<
>

Policy report

Understanding human rights related to the environment: exploring their scope and implications

The objective of this document is to provide information about the status and scope of human rights related to the environment to States, United Nations entities, other intergovernmental organizations, civil society, and the private sector. It aims to support their…

<
>

Policy report

The emergence and evolution of National Mechanisms for Implementation, Reporting, and Follow-up

This report addresses one great unanswered question: how do States implement the recommendations they receive from the three main UN human rights mechanisms, thereby bringing national laws, policies, and practices into ever greater alignment with their obligations under IHRL?

<
>

Policy report

From reaction to prevention: report of transatlantic roundtable on prevention

Meeting report

This report summarises the transatlantic dialogue on prevention organised by International Crisis Group and the Universal Rights Group, in collaboration with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on 20th February 2023.

<
>

Policy report

For people; for planet: The long and winding road to UN recognition of the universal right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment

This report seeks to tell the story of the journey towards the recognition of the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment (R2E) and address the three interlinked environmental crises facing the planet – the climate, biodiversity, and pollution…

<
>

Policy report

Advancing Rights, Transforming Lives

This report reviews how the UN human rights system has taken up women’s rights, gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights and the degree to which these recommendations have been translated into action, with UNFPA’s support.

<
>

Policy report

Unpacking the Right to a Healthy Environment: How national and regional laws and jurisprudence clarify the scope and content of the universal right

This report examines this body of practice, namely the features and best practices associated with the global implementation of the right to a healthy environment.

<
>

Policy report

'A diamond in the rough’: how to strengthen the Human Rights Council's delivery of technical assistance and capacity building (Item 10 reform)

The policy brief provides thoughts on how the Council might strengthen the delivery of domestic capacity-building support in the future – how it might ‘reset and revitalize item 10.’

<
>

Tool

What is the state of human rights and democracy around the world?

Is the situation of human rights around the world getting better or worse? Which UN member States are fulfilling their human rights obligations, and which are routinely violating the rights of their people? Is democracy really in retreat around the…

<
>
Video

UN80: The role of the Human Rights Council in responding to the crisis of multilateralism

The UN enters its 80th year amid a profound financial, political, and legitimacy crisis. To remain resilient and relevant, the multilateral system must enhance its effectiveness by refocusing resources towards ensuring that human rights commitments deliver tangible improvements to people’s daily lives.

Human Rights Resolution portal Human Rights Resolution portal
Human Rights Resolution portal
HRC voting portal HRC voting portal
HRC voting portal
Glion Human Rights Dialogue Glion Human Rights Dialogue
Glion Human Rights Dialogue
yourHRC.org yourHRC.org
yourHRC.org
environment-rights.org environment-rights.org
environment-rights.org
state-of-the-world.org state-of-the-world.org
state-of-the-world.org

URG Insights

The People’s Republic of China and the United Nations: 55 Years Through the Lens of Geneva

by H.E. Mr. Jia Guide, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China to UNOG

On October 25, 1971, the 26th session of the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758 by an overwhelming majority, deciding to restore all the rights of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) at the United Nations and recognizing the representatives of its government as the only legitimate representatives of China at the United Nations. This historic decision enabled the Chinese people, accounting for one-quarter of the world’s population at the time, to take their rightful place on the world stage at the United Nations. It also made the Organization more universal, representative and authoritative. The decision carried profound and…

Read more

previous URG Insights

SEE FULL LIST
Report on the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council

Report on the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council

Quick summary The 63rd regular session of the Human Rights Council (HRC63) was held from Monday 7th September to Wednesday 7th October 2026.  On 7 September, the High Commissioner Volker Türk opened HRC63 by presenting a global update on the situation of human rights around the world. He expressed the…

Read more

Report on the 62nd session of the Human Rights Council

Report on the 62nd session of the Human Rights Council

Quick summary  The 62nd regular session of the Human Rights Council (HRC62) started on Monday, 15 June and concluded on Tuesday, 7 July 2026.  On 15 June, the UN High Commissioner for human rights, Mr. Volker Türk, opened HRC62 by presenting his global update on the state of human rights…

Read more

27 March urgent debate on killing of schoolchildren in Iran ‘reflective of major power shifts at the Human Rights Council’

27 March urgent debate on killing of schoolchildren in Iran…

One relative constant over the twenty-year history of the Human Rights Council has been that the body’s mandate to ‘address situations of violations of human rights, including gross and systematic violations’ (paragraph 3 of GA resolution 60/251) has largely been implemented in one direction only. Developed or Western States have…

Read more

Latest policy report

May 2026

Ensuring Dignity and Realising Rights: Measuring the Impact of the United Nations Human Rights System on the Enjoyment of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Ensuring Dignity and Realising Rights: Measuring the Impact of the United Nations Human Rights System on the Enjoyment of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities report cover

Since its establishment eight decades ago, the United Nations has played a central role in raising awareness about and advancing the rights of persons with…

Download View online

Previous policy reports

Glion XI: Beijing at 30

The eleventh Glion Human Rights Dialogue (Glion XI), organised by the Universal Rights Group (URG) in partnership with UN Women, Morocco's Inter-Ministerial Delegation for Human…

Read more

OSLO+5 – Human rights-based approach to development and accelerating progress towards gender equality and women’s and girls’ rights

On 29-30 September 2025, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, supported by the Universal Rights Group, and the Oslo+ Steering Group (consisting of Norway,…

Read more

Confronting Inequality and Leaving No-One Behind: Turning the United Nations' Human Rights System into the International System's 'Equality Engine'

Leave no one behind (LNOB) is the central, transformative promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It represents…

Read more
SEE FULL LIST

Subscribe

Sign up here to receive URG news, policy reports and event notifications

future events

No Events are currently planned

past events

Next steps for the network of national mechanisms for implementation, reporting and follow-up and the NMIRF virtual hub: HRC61 side event

National mechanisms for implementation, reporting, and follow-up (NMIRFs) are instrumental to effective reporting and follow-up of international human rights obligations and recommendations at the national level. These mechanisms serve as key versatile government institutional frameworks that facilitate the interaction between...

  • February 24, 2026 - 15:00 - 16:00
  • Room XII, Palais des Nations / Geneva
  • By invitation only

The Human Rights Council in 2025

On 4th December, the Permanent Mission of Norway with the support of the Universal Rights Group will host an event to look back on the work, achievements and challenges of the Council in the past year. The event will mark...

  • December 4, 2025 - 17:00 - 19:30
  • Norwegian Residence / Geneva
  • By invitation only

The Glion Human Rights Dialogue 2025 (Glion XI)

UN Women, the Permanent Missions of the People’s Republic of China, the Kingdom of Morocco, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates, Morocco’s Inter-Ministerial Delegation for Human Rights, and the Universal Rights Group, will organise the eleventh Glion Human Rights Dialogue...

  • October 16, 2025 - 14:30 - 13:00
  • Hotel Victoria / 1823 Glion-sur-Montreux
  • By invitation only
/

The Istanbul Process is a mechanism for follow-up on the implementation of the Human Rights Council plan to combat religious intolerance.

VIEW WEBSITE
/
/

Inside Track: HRC61

View Report