17th Meeting - 63rd Session of Human Rights Council

Important announcement.

Message important. Anuncio importante.

Urgent from the speakers, the Q and A, the Q and A, the Q and A, the Q and the Q and the Q and the Q and the Q and the Q. Pour aider à transmettre les messages de manière précise et complète, les orateurs sont cordialement invités à ne pas parler trop vite.

Speakers are kindly reminded to deliver their statements at a reasonable pace to ensure complete and quality interpretation.

est rappelé aux orateurs qu'ils doivent présenter leurs déclarations à un rythme raisonnable afin de garantir une interprétation complète et de qualité.

Remind the speakers that in order for the oral translation to be complete and high quality, it is necessary to speak at a measured pace. We ask the speakers to pronounce their statements at a reasonable pace to ensure an interpretation that is complete and of high quality.

Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, I hereby declare open the 17th meeting of the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council. Excellencies, distinguished participants, we will now continue the general debate under agenda item 3. We shall proceed with the list of observers of the Council. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Eritrea via a video message.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Item 3 lies at the

core of this Council's mandate, the advancement of all human rights, including the right to development. Human rights are indivisible and mutually reinforcing, yet economic, social, and cultural rights continue to be marginalized at a time when global inequalities and unilateral coercive measures severely impair human dignity. We draw particular attention to the Special Rapporteur on Unilateral Coercive Measures report on Cuba, which documents the devastating impact of prolonged unilateral sanctions, financial blockades, and overcompliance. These coercive measures cripple economic development, disrupt access to essential health supplies, and directly violate the Charter

of the United Nations.

Unilateral economic coercion must unconditionally be lifted. Genuine progress requires constructive engagement and technical cooperation, rather than politicization and double standards. My delegation reiterates its commitment to core human rights treaties and calls on this Council to uphold the principles of universality, objectivity, and non-selectivity. I thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of South Sudan.

Mr. Vice President, South Sudan aligns itself with the African Group and NAM statements. We emphasize that the promotion and protection of human rights must be comprehensive, balanced and non-selective, encompassing civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development, in consistency with the Vienna Declaration and the Declaration on the Right to Development. All human rights are universal, indivisible, inalienable interdependent, interrelated and mutually reinforcing. Therefore, the right to development requires more than declarations. It requires practical international cooperation as a universal and inalienable human right. South Sudan believes that human rights, peace, and development must advance together. All human rights cannot be fully enjoyed where people lack peace and stability, as well as access to education, healthcare, food, housing, employment, and development, among others. We call upon the international community and our partners to uphold the equal importance and indisability of all human rights, strengthen development, financing, technology transfer, capacity building, and translate international human rights commitments into practical support for countries facing human rights and development challenges. Thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of the State of Palestine.

Mr. Vice President, our full statement available on the extranet addresses the Secretary-General's reports on genocide prevention and on the death penalty. The UN Commission of Inquiry and UN Special Rapporteurs have determined that genocide has been committed in Gaza, a finding shared by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Israeli and Palestinian civil society organizations alike. The Secretary-General's report states that preventing genocide, I quote, "requires political commitment to act early and decisively when warning signs are present," unquote. By his own words, waiting is not an option. Yet the Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide has stated that, I quote, "neither the Secretary-General nor the Special Adviser take a position in relation to ongoing judicial proceedings before the Court," unquote. An ICJ ruling, however, could take years, and nothing in the Charter, the Court's statute, or its rules require waiting for one. The duty to prevent genocide is a duty of anticipation, not retrospection, a lesson learned at devastating cost from Interahamwe, Rwanda, and Srebrenica. Nor is this standard applied consistently. UN officials have spoken plainly on other international crimes while related cases sat before the ICJ or the ICC. We recognize the weight of this determination. It is precisely because of that weight and the lives at stake that we urge the Secretary-General and the Special Adviser to exercise the leadership needed at this moment. I thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ukraine.

Mr. President, starting from today, the Russian Federation intends to conduct so-called elections.

To its State Duma, including in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

Let us be clear, there can be no genuine exercise of political and electoral rights under foreign occupation, coercion and repression. By imposing its electoral procedures on Ukrainian territory, Russia once again seeks to manufacture an appearance of legitimacy for its illegal occupation and attempted annexation.

No ballot, no fabricated turnout, and no staged international observation can change a fundamental fact. These territories are and remain an integral part of Ukraine.

The organization of any purported Russian elections.

There constitutes yet another violation of Ukraine's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, and has no validity under international law.

We are particularly concerned by attempts to legitimize this illegal exercise.

Through foreign nationals acting as so-called international observers and through newly created structures designed to imitate credible election monitoring.

Ukraine calls upon the international community to unequivocally condemn the organization of these so-called elections. in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and not to recognize their conduct, results, or consequences.

Illegal occupation cannot be legitimized through any legal vote.

Thank you. Thank you very much. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Bahrain.

Thank you, President. We align ourselves with the statement delivered on behalf of the GCC. It's important that we continue to pursue efforts to promote and protect all human rights and to do so in a balanced manner. This includes civil and political rights and economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development. Bahrain is developing its legislative and institutional arsenal in order to be able to properly promote and protect human rights. and to ensure the full rule of law and justice. We support national institutions, including the national human rights institution. We also raise awareness amongst society at large about their human rights. We respect and uphold and implement the recommendations from the UPR. The UPR, in our view, is an important tool for supporting and underpinning national efforts in the promotion of human rights and for developing good human rights practices. Bahrain is determined to continue cooperating with this Human Rights Council and its mechanisms because we are of the view that dialogue is essential. Dialogue is also essential for sharing all experiences absent any bias or selectivity. This will assist States in upholding their engagements and commitments and ensure genuine progress in the field of human rights. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Pakistan.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. The universality, indivisibility, interdependence and interrelatedness of all human rights constitute a cornerstone in the human rights architecture. We strongly believe that the enjoyment of human rights cannot be separated from the conditions necessary for human dignity and freedom. This is starkly evident in the situations of foreign occupation in Palestine and Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The continued denial of the people's fundamental right to self-determination has impeded the enjoyment of all other human rights. We urge the Council to remain attentive to the human rights of the people in Palestine and Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. We also believe that the right to development is indispensable to the full realization of all human rights. Its effective timely implementation must remain a shared global responsibility. Humanity today is confronted by acute challenges, including disregard for international law, climate change, widening inequalities, food insecurity, weaponization of water, xenophobia, religious hatred, and terrorism. To address these challenges, we require enhanced international cooperation and solidarity. Longstanding disputes must be resolved through dialogue, diplomacy, and negotiations in accordance with the UN Charter, international law, and agreements. Pakistan will continue to contribute to the promotion of regional and global peace and stability through dialogue, diplomacy, and its mediation efforts. I thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Thank you very much. That was the last speaker on my list. We shall now turn to the list of speakers from national human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations. I begin by giving the floor to the Human Rights Commission of the Philippines.

Excellencies, Assalamu alaikum. The people of Myanmar have consistently shown admirable strength, courage, and resilience. I cannot emphasize enough the vital role that women from Myanmar and women human rights defenders in the region play in this fight for the restoration of democracy and resistance against tyranny and hegemony. as they choose to unflinchingly be at the front lines as mediators, human rights advocates, and peace builders, despite facing unprecedented security challenges due to the alarming use of conflict-related sexual and gender violence as a military tactic. The Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines, as gender ombud and the national human rights institution of the country, has been actively engaging with the Philippine government, civil society partners, fellow NHRI's, and the diplomatic community to strengthen the regional accountability mechanisms to guarantee the protection of the rights not only of our sisters from Myanmar, but also the rights of fellow Filipino migrant workers caught in the trafficking hubs. I urge all of you to help us continue raising awareness about the human rights and humanitarian crisis in Myanmar. By bringing these issues to the fore, we can contribute to continuing the conversation that triggers political reforms and reconstruction processes and puts women's voices at the center of security, justice, accountability, as well as medical and humanitarian relief. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the European Center for Law and Justice for a video message.

Thank you, Mr. President. I want to commend China on its recent recognition of human rights with the release of Pastor Ezra Jin from prison. but I would like to bring to China's attention that it has another opportunity to champion the human rights of another pastor, Pastor John Saw. Pastor Saw was convicted of a border crossing violation in 2017 while he was providing humanitarian aid to impoverished children. Although Pastor Saw served his entire seven-year sentence, when he was released from prison in March of 2024, he was still unable to return home to the United States due to an administrative law that allows China withhold issuing him a passport for up to three years after his release. But this prohibition is merely discretionary, and a passport could have been issued as early as six months after his release. It has now been two and a half years since Pastor Saw's release from prison, and China is still withholding his passport. Pastor Saw has recently been diagnosed with stage four cancer and desperately needs to return home to his family and receive advanced oncology care in the United States. Issuing Pastor Saw's passport would not be a legal or political concession. It would be a humanitarian act consistent with China's own laws. Therefore, we call on this council to advocate clearly, consistently, and urgently for Pastor Saw's immediate release before it's too late. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to International Pro Bono Legal Services Association Limited.

Excellencies, In July, delegates visited the Lao PDR to observe developments in its legal services system. We were informed that Laos now has nearly 700 practising lawyers nationwide. While that figure may appear modest in absolute terms, the trajectory is clear. In 2016, it had only 188 registered lawyers, and the present figure represents an almost fourfold increase in a decade. Further progress is reflected in the Bar Association's Vision and Strategy Plan, launched in December 2024. It identifies three priorities: strengthening infrastructure, building professional capacity, and advancing gender equality. IPSA recognizes the valuable support of the UNDP in this endeavor. The right to development must benefit everyone, including women, historically marginalized groups, Lao's Ministry of Justice and Bar Association affirmed the commitment to nurturing young and female legal professionals, supporting women lawyers in leadership roles, and promoting awareness in women's rights, commitments we saw translated into action. The Bar Association, furthermore, expressed keen interest in collaboration with legal institutions and civil society organizations in Hong Kong. Such cooperation can advance legal infrastructure, strengthen the rule of law, and build institutional capacity, enhancing rights-based governments through comprehensive accountability mechanisms. While challenges remain, Laos' direction is steady and encouraging. It merits sustained international attention, cooperation, and support. Thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to Al Ain Social Care Foundation for a video statement.

In 2006, Al Ain Social Care Foundation was founded to empower orphan children and their families.

Many of them had entered the cycle of poverty because of conflict in Iraq. January 2026 marked 20 years of service to these vulnerable groups.

With our operations now spanning across Ghana and Afghanistan in addition to Iraq.

Our model of care is rooted in research, expertise, and compassion.

Today we would like to share some stories of the orphan children we have been able to assist.

Take Abdullin Sajad in Iraq, for example. Just one month before his passing, their father enrolled them in wrestling at the age of nine, carrying a dream that they would follow in his footsteps. After their father's death, the boys faced financial difficulty, but Al Ain supported them so that they could continue training. Eventually, they went on to win five local titles and a silver medal at the West Asia Championship. In Ghana, little Zainab lost her father when she was 15 months. Al Ain stepped in to assist her and her siblings providing them with nutritious meals, access to education, and clothing. In Afghanistan, Al Ain has assisted five siblings who lost their father 15 months ago. The youngest, Zahra, is in the first grade and loves reading. With Al Ain's help, the children have been able to continue.

With their education, nurturing their passions and allowing them to dream of a better future.

In total, we currently support more than 118,000 orphaned youth.

Our aim is to ensure that the human rights of.

Orphaned children and widowed mothers are protected and that these groups not only have their basic needs met, but are also permitted to live lives full of hope and happiness.

We look forward to another 20 years of service.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the China NGO Network for International Exchanges.

Mr. President, I'm from the China NGO Network for International Exchanges. We have long been committed to the protection of economic, social, and cultural rights. We firmly believe that civil society is an important force in advancing the development of human rights. Recently, CNI held the Asia Pacific Civil Society Conference in Shandong, China. Civil society representatives recognize that the realization of human rights can be separated from equitable and inclusive development, which serves as a solid foundation for the implementation of economic, social, and cultural rights. Together with our Asia-Pacific civil society partners, we put forward 55 partnership initiatives to promote human rights protection, and social development. In the future, CINI will continue to work with our member organizations and foreign partners to advance human rights protection and contribute civil society, strengthen to global human rights development.

Thank you, Mr. Many thanks. I give the floor to Friends World Committee for Consultation.

We welcome the Office of the High Commissioner's item 3 report on conscientious objection to military service.

Quakers support all whose conscience calls them to reject military activity. CUNO has been working for many decades to secure and strengthen the recognition of this right, which is inherent in the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and has been affirmed many times in UN resolutions, all by consensus. Today, the number of armed conflicts is higher than at any time since the UN was founded. We are concerned with the report's finding that the right to conscientious objection to military service is being limited due to armed conflicts. The protection of conscience is most critical when individuals are under the greatest pressure to act against deeply held beliefs. The right to conscientious objection to military service applies at all times. in all circumstances, including during military mobilization and martial law, and for those already serving in armed forces or called up as reservists. Protecting this right is a vital safeguard for democracy and human dignity. We urge all States to implement the report's recommendations, including that conscientious objectors and those supporting them should not be punished, and that those who flee persecution for exercising this right must have access to international protection.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the Sheikh Taha Azzawi Charity Organization.

Mr. President, the situation in Libya is characterized by ongoing deprivation of basic services because of power outage, and it is not just a mere instance of deprivation of electricity, but it is a full system of deprivation of rights to water and right to health because the pumping of water has stopped as a result, and infrastructure facilities have been disrupted as well as the cooling of medication that has been interrupted and no alternatives have been provided even in the parallel market. This comes with the rise in temperatures to reach 47 degrees, hence the housing facilities have become an environment that is life-threatening. And this is not a result of scarcity in resources, but an overall system that violates the provisions of the ICCPR. Hence, we recommend a binding protocol that gives an exception to medical facilities and water plants from the overall outage in order to provide a minimum of livability in housing system.

Thank you. I give the floor to the Khiam Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture via video message.

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خلال الف عام مضى.

لذلك نرفض سلخنا عن محيطنا العربي.

وتزوير وتشويه تاريخنا فتاريخ الموحدين وقرارهم العقائدي ليس ملكا لاحد.

نحن دعاة سلم ولسنا دعاة حرب.

تاريخ وقوفنا في وجه كل اشكال الاحتلال يشهد على ذلك.

انما شهدته السويداء واريفها في تموز الفين خمسة وعشرين.

من احداث مأساوية واعتداءات اليمة طالت المدنيين الابرياء.

يمثل جرحا عميقا لا يمكن تجاوزه دون انصاف وعدالة صريحة تضمن عدم تكراره. من منطلق حرصنا على وحدة النسيج الوطني.

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Palabra, a global institute for water, environment, and health.

Access to safe and sufficient water is fundamental to the enjoyment of the rights to health, food, sanitation, and adequate standard of living, and a healthy environment.

In Pakistan, the Indus River Basin is central to these rights, supporting communities, agriculture, livelihoods, and ecosystems.

Water scarcity, inefficient use, environmental degradation, climate-related disasters and unequal access disproportionately affect rural communities, smallholder farmers, women, fishing.

Communities and downstream populations. We therefore call for stronger and more transparent water governance, equitable distribution, modernization of irrigation, expanded access to safe.

Drinking water and sanitation, protection of the Indus Delta, and stronger climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction.

Meaningful participation of affected communities must also be ensured. We further encourage constructive transboundary cooperation through technical dialogue, information exchange and peaceful mechanisms concerning the Indus River system.

Water is not only a resource, it is a human rights imperative and a foundation for sustainable development.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to Accept International. They are not present, so I give the floor to the Istituto Internazionale Maria Ausiliatrice Salesiane di Don Bosco.

We welcome the OHCHR study on the impact of mental health challenges on the enjoyment of human rights by young people.

Mental health is an integral part of their rights,

and its challenges can affect young people's ability to fully enjoy and exercise their human rights. Our organizations, IIMA, Vidas International, conducted a global survey that received 1,778 responses across more than 46 countries.

The findings highlight barriers that continue to prevent many young people from accessing the support that they need.

We therefore urge member states to ensure that mental health services are accessible, affordable,

inclusive, and responsive to the needs of young people.

Adapt laws, policies and programs that integrate mental health across education, employment and social protection systems consistent with the human rights-based approach. Ensure the meaningful and sustained participation of young people in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of measures that affect their mental health and human rights.

commitments must be translated into law, policy, resources, and effective

action to ensure that every young person can access the support they need, live with dignity, fully enjoy and exercise

their human rights. Thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to Harm Reduction International for a joint statement via a video message.

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, Hum Rights Action International and the co-signatories of this statement welcomes three reports before the Council addressing access to medicines and vaccines, the impact of drug policies on women and girls, and the question of the death penalty. Together, these reports underscore a fundamental point: drug policy and human rights are inextricably linked, and drug policy debates must fully account for their far-reaching human rights implications. Criminalization and punitive drug control policies continue to create barriers to health services, disproportionately affect women and other marginalized communities, and drive use of the death penalty worldwide. Yet, while these punitive approaches continue to receive significant public resources, essential health and harm reduction services remain severely underfunded. This is not simply a policy failure. It is also a question of how states choose to use their available resources to fulfill their human rights obligations. We therefore call on states and other relevant actors to divest from punitive drug control and invest in health, community, and justice, including voluntary, evidence-based, and gender-responsive harm reduction and treatment services. We further call for meaningful participation of women, girls, and people who use drugs in shaping drug policies that affect their lives and urge all actors to ensure that drug policies and resources uphold the right to health and human dignity. We call on states, UN agencies, and other international actors to ensure that their policies, programs, and funding do not contribute to or enable human rights violations in the name of drug control, including the death penalty for drug-related offenses. We finally call on the Council to adopt a new resolution on drug policy in line with commitment made in 2025.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to United Nations Association of China.

I'm Dr. Kevin Lau, a radiologist from Hong Kong. I read scans. The first vital sign of human rights is whether ordinary lives improve. I read human rights the way I read a scan, life first. We mark 40 years of the Right to Development Declaration and 60 years of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. They cause to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with what remains unfinished. No nation is finished growing. Under one country, two systems, stability has been restored, our economy thrives, the vital signs read well. The World Competitiveness Yearbook ranks Hong Kong the world's second most competitive economy, first in tax policy and business legislation. Here in Geneva, the UN World Intellectual Property Organization names Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, the world's number one innovation cluster, two years running and with 9.2% of global patent applications, our markets, 106 IPO raising HK$342 billion in eight months. These are not statistics. These are vital signs. Economic vitality is the bedrock of human rights. A young person with work, hope, and a future is a right made real. Our city moves from governance to prosperity, our young people from participants to shapers. Development protects the least protected among us. Words can wound or words can heal. Let the Council advance development together, dialogue over naming and shaming, cooperation over confrontation. Hong Kong is ready to tell its story and to hear yours. Thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the Youth Parliament for SDGs for a video statement.

President, the realization of rights to development increasingly depends on equitable access to digital technologies and essential public services. India's experience demonstrates how digital public infrastructure can support financial inclusion, access to public services, healthcare, employment, and broader participation in development. Through digital identity, mobile connectivity, interoperable payments and public service delivery, India has developed a population-scale model offering valuable lessons for the Global South. At the same time, digital transformation must remain firmly grounded in human rights, including privacy, non-discrimination, accessibility, cybersecurity and accountability. We therefore encourage the Human Rights Council and member states to promote secure and inclusive digital public infrastructure, strengthen South-South and triangular cooperation, and support developing countries through technical assistance, capacity building, and sustainable financing. Digital transformation must serve people and communities, and ensure that technological progress reduces rather than creates inequality. Thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the IDPC consortium for a video message.

President, I'm making this statement on behalf of IDPC, Cooperacion Mujeres Libres Colombia, the international network of formerly incarcerated women, which brings together hundreds of women in more than 30 countries on six continents. I also deliver this statement on behalf of five further organizations. Punitive drug policies are a leading cause of women's incarceration, with devastating and disproportionate impacts on the women themselves, but also their families and communities. Women's pathways into drug use or the drug trade are often linked to gender and structural inequalities, including poverty and gender-based violence. Deprivation of liberty further exacerbates these conditions and inequalities. Those of us who have lived experience of this must be centred in shaping and implementing policy alternatives. We advocate for approaches rooted in care, not punishment, and for channelling resources to programmes that address the inequalities and trauma faced by women who are criminalised, that keep families together, and that lead to gender and socioeconomic justice. We therefore welcome the OHCHR report on the impacts of drug policies on women and call on the Human Rights Council to continue to address the human rights implications of drug policy, including by the adoption of a new resolution on drug policy. Thank you very much.

Thank you. I give the floor to the Association d'Entraide Medicale Guinee for a video statement.

Mr. President, after more than three years of war, civilians in the Sudan continue to pay a heavy price amid ongoing violations, displacement, the destruction of homes, health facilities, and infrastructure, and the severe deterioration of access to food, water, healthcare, and education. Recent international reports continue to document serious violations, including violations attributed to the Sudanese armed forces and authorities associated with them, as well as the devastating impact of war on the civil, political, economic, and social rights of the Sudanese people. We welcome recent international and regional efforts to receive the political process and reaffirm, as the quintet recently stressed, that there is no military solution to the conflict. We call upon the Sudanese authorities to engage seriously in a negotiated peace process leading to a cessation of hostilities, the protection of civilians, and a path towards democratic civilian rule. We also call for international pressure on external actors whose support to the Sudanese armed forces contributes to the continuation of the war and violations, and for an end to such support. Protecting the rights of the Sudanese people requires ending the war, ensuring accountability for violations, and paving the way for sustainable peace and civilian governance that respects human rights. Thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the Beijing Guangming Charity Foundation for a video statement.

Mr. President, I'm the President of Beijing Guangming Charity Foundation.

For 12 years, our foundation has run the STAR project for autistic people, focusing on digital inclusion for neurodivergent people.

Deaf and hard of hearing people face digital barriers as digital

products are not designed to be accessible, support services lack standards, cross-border services interrupt poorly.

These shortcomings hamper their equal participation in education, employment, social life, contrary to the inclusive spirit of the CRPD and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Last July, at the side event of the HL Political Forum, we published three group standards on sustainable development. They show that standardization offers an effective solution to inclusion. To tackle digital exclusion, we need a unified, practical, and internationally interoperable system of standards.

Standardization can bridge the digital divide as it sets rules for accessible design, unified rehabilitation procedures, create common evaluation mechanisms that would make services replicable and practical experience shareable.

We propose using UN mechanisms to advance international standards by sharing China's practices at no cost so as to safeguard vulnerable groups' equal human rights.

The video stopped.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the Blue Tree Foundation for a video message.

Thank you, Mr. President. The Blue Tree Foundation, BTF, a youth NGO from the Republic of Korea dedicated to building a society free from violence, draws the Council's attention to profit-driven vigilantism disguised as protecting the freedom of

expression and the right to record.

Lawful recording promotes accountability and protects individuals. However, auditors, who are content creators who claim to defend public rights, deliberately provoke confrontations, disrupt public spaces, and sometimes disclose personal information for views and revenue. Their videos mobilize audiences to threaten, condemn, and target individuals, which causes secondary harm. This form of abuse also greatly affects youth, who are particularly vulnerable to online exposure and harassment. In the Republic of Korea, a teenager accused of wrongdoing was filmed being coerced into kneeling and apologizing. The teenager's personal information was circulated online, attracting widespread hate and reaching 7 million views and 230,000 shares. This is not accountability. It is harassment disguised as justice.

We urge member states of the Council to first distinguish public interest recording from targeted recording harassment,

and second, ensure accountability for deliberate provocation and exposure of personal information for profit. Freedom of expression must protect the vulnerable and must never, under any circumstances, turn them into targets for profit. Thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the Luis de la Calle Foundation.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. The Luis de la Calle Foundation Arts for Creativity and Character program advances human rights education, faith for rights, and cultural heritage. Developed with the UN Human Rights Office,

Faith for Rights Framework, and the NGO Working Group on Human Rights Education and Learning,

this latest cycle brought together children from the International School of Geneva's primary school, where the program was piloted and is now expanding globally, indigenous children from the Diocese of Cajamarca in Peru, led by Monsignor Isaac Martinez, Gauranga Gurukul Gita Govinda in New Delhi, and Senegal, Geny Music, Dakar. They performed simultaneously across four continents on 2nd June 26. Our principle is simple. Children should not merely receive knowledge, but become creators of knowledge, culture, and messages of human dignity. Through human rights education and faith for writer storytelling, they transform live experience into poetry, painting, musical composition, and performance.

The next cycle

includes Iraq and Kenya with a global arts event on 18th March 2017, marking the 10th anniversary of the Beiju Declaration on Faith for Rights. Mr. Vice President, through art, children live human rights and make their voices heard globally. Let their voices and creativity shape the world now.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Thank you very much. I give the floor for a joint statement to Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain.

Mr. President, we draw the Council's attention to the arbitrary detention of minors in Bahrain, including amid the ongoing regional conflict. On 8 March 2026, 16-year-old Mahdi Al-Mu'adhdan was arrested without a warrant, allegedly for filming a fire near his school. Denied all outside contact for a month, he was deprived of education, family visits, and legal counsel while being subjected to threats, physical beatings, and sectarian abuse. On 21 July, he was sentenced to six years for terrorism, and Arsem. The situation of minors in the Dry Rock Prison has sharply deteriorated. On the 25th of August 2026, riot forces stormed building 17 to disperse a peaceful sit-in protesting religious insult and poor conditions, causing injuries, suffocation, and a communications blackout. Ten minors remain in solitary confinement, facing ongoing psychological and physical abuse. Hence, we urge the Council to put an end to the suffering of those detainees and to call on Bahrain to put an end to the arbitrary detention and solitary confinement of children and carry out independent investigations in these abuses and hold those responsible accountable. Thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to Agence Internationale pour le Développement.

Mr. Vice President, the International Agency for Development wishes to draw the Council's attention to the need to address migration through an approach grounded in human dignity, the protection of individuals, and shared responsibility among countries of origin, transit, and destination. In this regard, Morocco has developed a significant experience in North Africa, notably through its national immigration and asylum strategy, migrants organization operation, and policies aimed at ensuring their access to essential services, and their social and economic integration. Its position as a country of origin, transit, and now how also of destination also confront the kingdom with complex challenges, particularly in border management and the fight against human traffic and migrant smuggling networks. Our organization stress that the protection of fundamental rights must remain at the heart of any immigration policy, including during border control operation, and therefore encourages Morocco to continue its efforts to strengthen protection and redress mechanisms, and to increase cooperation with African and European countries. Migration is a collective responsibility. Transit states must not become solely responsible for the consequences of crises, inequalities, and migratory movements whose causes extend far beyond their borders. Thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to Beijing NGO Association for International Exchanges for a video message.

Mr. President, the right to development is a basic human right that can't be taken away.

Protecting the right requires joint efforts from the international community.

Beijing NGO Association for International Exchanges is committed to helping local NGOs engage in global governance.

Protecting the right to development is key focus of our work. And we believe that concrete action is essential.

Under the framework of the Build and Road Initiative, we have worked with

number of organizations on a series of the projects

to improve people's life, nearly the name Silk Road people to people connectivity projects. Let me take Mauritius as an example. Since 2018, we have organized agriculture experts to introduce mushroom farming into local communities. Nearly 700 people have taken in the training.

Farmers earn around 12 US dollars per kilogram of mushrooms.

It has become important source of income for them.

They have to improve people's lives and promote community development. We call on the international community to uphold multilateralism,

respect each country's right to choose its own development path, and turn the right to development into concrete action.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to Women's Human Rights International Association.

Thank you, Chair. We express our deep concern over the increasing arrests of political opponents in the Islamic Republic of Iran and draw the attention of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to this alarming trend. We also strongly condemn the issuance and implementation of death sentences against detainees and political opponents. These punishments have become a tool for suppressing opponents, spreading fear and terror throughout society, and punishing individuals who exercise their fundamental rights. Since the beginning of 2026, more than 1,000 people have been executed in Iran. In the recent wave of executions, political opponents and individuals arrested during the January 2026 protests have been specifically targeted. Moreover, since February 2026, nine people have been executed because of their affiliation with the People's Mujahedin Organization of Iran, a figure unprecedented since the mass executions of political prisoners in 1988. We call on the Human Rights Council, the Special Rapporteur, and the United Nations human rights mechanisms to take urgent and effective action to immediately halt these executions and save the lives of those sentenced to death. Thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse for a video statement.

INPEA makes this statement on behalf of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Older People and its more than 400 member organizations worldwide, raising the voices of older persons from all regions of the world. We welcome the Human Rights Council's continued leadership to build a stronger international framework for the protection and promotion of the human rights of older persons.

It is essential that the new treaty.

Be grounded in the principle that older persons, in all their diversity, are entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms on an equal basis with others, and without discrimination of any kind. The treaty should recognize that older age is a social construct rather than a fixed chronological threshold.

As we move into the beginning stages of intercessional work of the Intergovernmental Working Group.

We urge member states to ensure the full, meaningful and effective participation of older persons, their representative organizations and civil society throughout the drafting and negotiation process. This participation will help ensure that older persons everywhere live with dignity, autonomy, equality and full inclusion in society.

I thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the Union of Disabled People Organization of Azerbaijan. They are not present in the room, so I give the floor next to the Medical Support Association for Underprivileged Iranian Patients for a video statement.

We draw the Council's attention to a hidden consequence of economic sanctions. Illness can lead to poverty and poverty to exclusion from healthcare. The right to health requires not merely hospitals or medicine, but accessible, affordable health care, particularly for vulnerable persons, as affirmed by Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. In Iran, unlawful unilateral sanctions, banking restrictions, obstacles to financial transfers, procurement difficulties, and widespread overcompliance by banks and companies have undermined this accessibility. For patients, this means delayed tests, unavailable or more expensive medicine, interrupted treatment, and painful choices between healthcare and basic necessities. A humanitarian exemption must enable real access to treatment. Without functioning banking, insurance, transportation, and commercial channels, it cannot protect patients. Following the US military aggression against Iran, additional medical needs and pressure on health infrastructure have further increased civilian vulnerability. Therefore, we call on the relevant special procedures to examine these impacts, document overcompliance, engage with concerned states and economic actors, and urge removal of barriers obstructing essential medicine. equipment and healthcare. No patient should pay for foreign policy decisions with their health, dignity or life.

Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to Centre Europe Tiers Monde.

President, the Declaration on the Right to Development stipulates that states bear prime responsibility for creating national and international conditions conducive to the realization of the right to development. Today, this requirement is not avoided given the illegal, illegitimate, economic, unilateral sanctions of the United States against Cuba. Indeed, even though this country is recognized for the quality of its education and health systems, its national production capacity and public services are paralyzed by this blockade, which is a total one, by the major world power. In these conditions, no State could honour its commitments as regards the right to development. Moreover, the United States is multiplying its wars of aggression, threats and bribery throughout the world. It is investing in weapons to the tune of some $3,000 billion, and it also has several billion dollars in arrears with the United Nations, which means that the institution is having difficulties to function. So this state is a threat to state sovereignty, to the right of peoples to self-determination, and international cooperation based on good faith. This is why we call upon all member states of the United Nations to assume their collective responsibility to ensure the respect of international law, to defend the multilateral system which is represented by the United Nations, and to proceed to general and complete disarmament. President, thank you very much for your attention.

Thank you. I now give the floor to Shanghai Patriotic Volunteer Association by video.

I'm the founder of IPPO, advocating that loving one's own country without harming other countries' interest. I speak on behalf of 306 NGOs in support of the right to development. However, in our view, there is a blind state. There is too much focus on individual development on micro level while neglecting nations' right to development on macro level. Sovereignty is a cornerstone of the state's existence. Once a powerful country in name of national security, destabilizes another country's political order, the targeted country's economic, social, cultural rights, as well as all human rights will collapse comprehensively. The tragic plight of nations, the armed conflicts reveals the damage to national sovereignty leads to the downfall of collective human rights. Therefore, we urge the Council to incorporate the concept of nation into right to development and integrate the civil society-led model of national review of nations' right to development. Only by safeguarding the integrity of national sovereignty can we protect the collective human rights of citizens. Finally, I sincerely invite all delegates to join us on October the 1st at 17 hour in conference room Concordia 1 for our side event, human rights events in the US, to jointly examine the impact of power politics on human rights.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to ACP 23.

Mr. Vice President, APG 23 thanks Mr. Arrojo Agudo. for the passionate commitment over the six years of his mandate as Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, and his constant focus on the poorest and most vulnerable. APG23 welcomes his last report, underscoring the role of the right to sanitation as key enabler of other human rights. As a civil society organization working on the ground to promote human rights and integral people-centered development, We have directly witnessed how the widespread lack of adequate sanitation facilities, often exacerbated by climate change-induced extreme events, affects the life of too many people, preventing them from the enjoyment of several other human rights, including the right to development. We would like to highlight the adverse situations faced by the marginalized communities of pastoralists in the Azal region in northern Kenya, with women and girls bearing the heaviest burden. Due to inadequate sanitation, they are denied the right to safe drinking water, undermined by the contamination of shallow holes and wells, the primary source of water in this arid region, and the right to health, being waterborne diseases among the major causes of health issues and even death. Menstrual hygiene is likewise affected, impeding many girls to attend school consistently and the right to education itself. We urge Member States to embrace the human rights perspective proposed in the report adopt the needed policies and investments, and make the human right to sanitation a reality for all everywhere.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

I give the floor to Matt for Peace, Development, and Human Rights Association.

Thank you, President. We welcome the decision taken to prohibit trade related to illegal settlements, and we would say that Ethiopia has the intention to build dams on the Nile, but this runs counter to the existing legislation. The justification given by the Ethiopian government to build these dams does not give them the right to flout the rights of their neighbors as the downstream countries. We deplore the aggression against the Sahrawi refugees. We've seen cases of arbitrary detention, of the prohibition of peaceful demonstrations, whereas the OHCHR experts were arriving at the Tindouf camps. We call upon Ethiopia to cease their work on building dams which would flood the rights of other neighboring countries, and we call upon the Attentive Council to be visited for an independent investigation.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to PA's non-trading development activists for a video statement.

The US Midnight Hammer operation in June 2025 against the nuclear facilities in Iran and the subsequent escalation of sanctions that persist thereafter constitute a composite international wrongful act. Its legal consequence is not the simple aggregation of military action and economic sanctions, but an emerging corpus of aggregation that fuses the instruments of warfare and UCM into a single mechanism. Militaristic debates of medical infrastructure, while and block the capital equipment and raw material necessary for reconstruction. The two, in effect, produce an aggravated deprivation of right, the core standard of the right to house as entrenched in General Comments No. 14 of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, systematically collapse under this compounded pressure. This NGO advanced a distinct legal claim, the combined application of UCMs and military attack must be recognized as an independent and aggravated form of wrongful act. Such a combination can satisfy the test of necessity and proportion as it violated both the principle of distinction in the law of armed conflict and the minimum humanitarian guarantees in the law of sanctions. We call upon this Council to establish and mandate a Special Rapporteur to prepare thematic report on the attribution pattern of this composite coercion.

I thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to War Resisters International.

WRI, together with Connection EV, welcomes the analytical report of OHCHR on conscientious objection to military service. The right to conscientious objection to military service is inherent in the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. And as the report highlights, there can be no derogation. There is no distinction between peacetime and periods of war or emergency in protecting this right, as reflected by the Human Rights Committee General Comment According to human rights international standards, the right can be exercised before, during, and after military service. In several countries, including Eritrea, Turkey, and Singapore, conscientious objection is not recognized. In Israel, conscientious objectors experience repeated jail sentences in military prisons. A recurring shortfall in the implementation of the right leads to violation of political, economic, and social rights of conscientious objectors. In countries where this right is legally recognized, the alternative service is often punitive, and procedure to apply for conscientious objection status is not generally under civilian control. Greece and the Republic of Korea are two cases of such practices. Conscientious objectors continue to be at risk of arbitrary detention and even victims of torture.

On this matter, we express concern for reports regarding conscientious.

Objectors from Belarus, Russia and Ukraine, where there is a de facto suspension of the right. Conscientious objectors to military service contribute to the implementation of the rights to peace and life.

We welcome the concluding.

Recommendation in the report and call on this Council to the implementation of them and protect this human right. Thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to CPTI for a video statement.

Thank you, Chair. Conscience and Peace Tax International welcomes the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights analytical report on conscientious objection to military service, document A/HRC/62/24. We appreciate its reaffirmation that this right is non-derogable in wartime and protects all conscientious objectors, including reservists, professional soldiers and selective objectors. However, the report overlooks crucial realities. It omits post-conflict amnesties and safe return. It ignores inconsistent asylum protection for objectors fleeing forced recruitment. It fails to address school militarisation, registration barriers and punitive disenfranchisement. Today, a person unwilling to prepare to kill must justify their stance, rather than those prepared to kill. The world has got it wrong.

We ask, how will the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights?

Support conscientious objectors and youth movements to meaningfully participate in shaping these policies? And how will all member states take immediate action to end punitive detention, protect defenders, and prioritize this fundamental right affecting millions of young people worldwide?

Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you very much. I give the floor to Youth Rise Limited for a video statement.

President, I speak on behalf of Youth Rise, a youth-led network working on drug policy and harm reduction. We welcome the High Commissioner's study on youth mental health. Young people experiment with substances for many reasons, from curiosity and coping with trauma to navigating structural uncertainty. When formal mental health care is absent, unaffordable, or unsafe, substance use often functions as an accessible tool where pleasure and survival coexist. To bridge the gap between youth and mental health services, states must dismantle coercive, criminalizing barriers and invest in rights-based care.

This requires three urgent steps.

First, acknowledging systemic inequalities and ending the punitive laws that target marginalized youth, Moving beyond pathologizing language and addressing substance use across a normal continuum of human experience. Second, ensuring harm reduction services and mental health services are co-designed and delivered by youth themselves. And third, implement mandatory training for providers to eliminate institutional stigma and secure safe, non-judgmental spaces. Decriminalizing drug use is vital to protect youth from lifelong criminal records, ensuring they can seek the help they need without fear of arrest. Thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to Shivi Development Society.

Mr. Vice President, civil space is a fundamental pillar of functional democracies. An open, free, and inclusive civic space is essential for meaningful democratic participation. However, civic space has been shrinking across the world. Peaceful protesters, human right defenders, and CSOs increasingly face excessive use of force, legal harassment, and other forms of intimidation. South Asia is also experiencing a serious civic space crisis marked by restrictive legislation, digital censorship, and growing intolerance towards public dissent. The situation in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is especially concerning with protests and tensions escalating since June. Reports of significant loss of life and disproportionate use of force by security forces underlying the urgent need for accountability, dialogue, and protection of fundamental freedoms in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. India has a long tradition of voluntary action and civic engagement. Civil society initiatives have contributed to important democratic and social reforms, such as the right to information. However, the prevailing social and political environment have placed increasing pressure on civic space and need collective action. Shivi Development Society urges all states to protect and strengthen civic space and ensure that short-term exigencies do not undermine democratic reforms. Om Shanti. Thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to Peace Track Initiative for a video statement.

Peace Track Initiative, in collaboration with Women's Solidarity Network, draws the Council's attention to Yemen's rapidly deteriorating protection environment. Renewed military escalation and fighting between the Houthi non-state armed group and forces aligned with the national government have displaced tens of thousands of civilians, many of them repeatedly, further straining an already exhausted humanitarian response. Those serving Yemen's community are also increasingly at risk. The killing of Iftihan Al-Mashhari, director of Taiz Cleaning and Improvement Fund, and Wissam Qa'id, acting executive director of the Social Fund for Development. demonstrate the grave risk facing public service and development professionals. Meanwhile, the Houthi non-state armed group continues to arbitrarily detain UN humanitarian and civil society personnel. Women human rights defenders face additional gendered threats, including intimidation, movement restrictions, and coordinated smear campaigns. We call on the Council to demand protection and humanitarian assistance for displaced civilians, the immediate release of arbitrarily detained personnel, strengthening independent investigations and accountability, the preservation of evidence, and rapid protection mechanisms for human rights defenders and humanitarian development and public service workers, particularly women. Yemen cannot achieve peace while those sustaining its communities are unprotected.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to Bassou for a video statement.

The first substantial meeting of the intergovernmental working group demonstrated an encouragingly high degree of consensus regarding both the urgency of strengthening the human rights of older persons and the importance of involving them throughout the process of drafting an international legally binding instrument. The time has now come for the member states to turn their words into action. As representatives of the German National Association of Senior Citizens Organizations, we reiterate one essential principle. Those whose human rights this process seeks to strengthen must have a prominent role in the shaping of its content and outcome. This requires more than the opportunity to speak, namely sufficient time to consult older persons in all their diversity, as well as their representative organizations to bring their expertise and lived experiences into the negotiations. For this reason, we call for early access to all relevant documents and working materials, allowing us to consult our diverse membership to ensure that older persons can be meaningfully and inclusively involved throughout the entire drafting process. We stand ready to contribute to this historic endeavor.

Thank you very much. I give the floor for a joint statement to Edmund Rice International Limited.

Mr. Vice President, Edmund Rice International and Just Justice Africa urges Council to confront the pandemic gender-based violence and femicide in Southern Africa. Despite laws and policies, women and girls continue to suffer devastating violence, while perpetrators too often act with impunity. GBV is not only a women's issue. It is a systemic human rights crisis rooted in patriarchy, harmful gender norms, and toxic masculinity. Prevention will fail unless we address the root causes and hold men and institutions accountable. Grassroot programs at Bakoto and Tsikya Themba, facilitated by Justice as Africa, demonstrate that change is possible. By empowering survivors and engaging men and boys, they challenge harmful ideas of masculinity and promote equality, dignity, respect, and human rights. Yet state responses remain inadequate. Weak police accountability, failure in prosecution, and insufficient trauma-informed services continue to deny survivors justice. We call on this Council and Member States to fund community-led prevention engaging men and boys, strengthen police and judicial accountability, and survivor-centered justice, Embed rise based male mentorship in national youth policies. Ending GBV requires accountability, prevention, and transformation. Men must lead the change and not perpetuate the violence. Thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to Comite International de Coordination Humanitaire.

We speak on behalf of the Ullam Tamil people whose homeland in the northeast of Sri Lanka continues to bear the environmental and social costs of militarization and discrimination by the Sri Lankan state. In Churnagom, Jaffna, untreated oil waste from a state-run power plant has contaminated groundwater on which the community solely depends upon. Families have faced contaminated wells, health risks, and inadequate remedy. Across the northeast, the Sri Lankan military also continues to occupy Tamil farmland. Land once cultivated by Tamil families is used for military-run hotels, commercial ventures, and other facilities, while displaced farmers are denied return or compensation. Control over land, water, and fisheries further undermines Tamil livelihoods and self-determination. are not isolated environmental issues. They demonstrate how militarization affects access to land, natural resources and fundamental rights. We therefore urge the Special Rapporteur to: First, call for an independent, internationally supervised environmental and health assessment of the Chunathum contamination with effective remedy for affected families. Second, examine the human rights impact of military-controlled land and natural resources in the Tamur North and East. We further call upon on the Council to establish a special rapporteur on Sri Lanka and an independent international investigation mechanism. Thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the Conseil National des Droits de l'Homme et du Citoyen for a video statement.

Chair, we speak today on behalf of the Eelam Tamil people whose right to self-determination remains denied under the ongoing militarised occupation of their homeland in the north-east of Sri Lanka. 17 years after Sri Lanka's genocidal war against Eelam Tamils, tens of thousands of security forces remain stationed on Tamil land, seizing property, surveilling civil society, and suppressing memorialisation. Successive reports from this Council document credible allegations of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Domestic mechanisms have consistently failed. Impunity remains the norm. We call on this Council to Recognize Eelam Tamils as victims of genocide and ongoing structural violence. Strengthen Resolution 46/1 evidence-gathering mechanisms to support universal jurisdiction prosecutions. Urge Special Procedures mandate holders to prioritize country visits and reporting on Sri Lanka. Establish a dedicated special reporter on Sri Lanka to monitor militarization, land occupation and the right to self-determination. Justice delayed for Eelam Tamils is justice denied. We urge member states to act decisively before the window for the accountability closes entirely. Thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor for a joint statement to Alliance Defending Freedom.

This statement is endorsed by a diverse group of 60 organizations from 23 countries. We differ on much, but we agree that a woman's body is not a commodity and that a child is not a product. Mr. Vice President, we welcome the joint political declaration launched by Italy, Chile, and Argentina calling for an international moratorium on surrogacy in all its forms with a view to its abolition. This initiative reflects the growing recognition that surrogacy poses a serious threat to the dignity of women and children and violates their human rights. Because the harms of surrogacy crosses borders, it cannot be treated as a purely domestic matter and requires coordinated international response. Whether presented as altruistic or commercial, surrogacy operates within a demand-driven market projected to reach 200 billion US dollars by 2035. The industry profits from unequal power relation and exposes women and children to trafficking, exploitation, and other grave abuses. As the evidence accumulates, more states are moving to close the legal gray zones in which this practice thrives. But demand does not end at borders, and the industry follows it to jurisdictions where women are more vulnerable and effective legal remedies are harder to access. That is why we join the call for an international moratorium and appeal to all states to act together towards abolition, so no woman is ever treated as an instrument and no child as a deliverable. Thank you.

Thank you very I give the floor to Focus Asia Foundation.

Mr. President, we are gravely concerned by the escalating human rights crisis across the region. In Iran, the situation has spiraled further into crisis. Since the start of 2026, authorities have carried out over 950 executions, including at least 26 protesters following torture, trend, and grossly unfair trials. More than 6,000 people have been arbitrarily arrested. Women, ethnic, and religious minorities, and perceived dissidents continue to be prosecuted under broadly worded national security and cyber laws. We echo UN experts and call on Iran to scratch the death sentences against protesters, establish a moratorium on executions, and release all those detained solely for exercising their right to expression and assembly. Across the region, the right to freedom of expression is under sustained and continued attack. In Iraq, journalists face kidnapping and record number of violations by armed factions with impunity. In Egypt, authorities have arrested over 50 people, including women, merely for joining an online group critical of the government and detained journalist, Heather Kandil, for documenting arrests. In Libya, peaceful critics face arbitrary arrest. Cybercrime and counterterrorism laws are weaponized to silence dissent, with Libya now ranking 138 of 180 countries on the World Press Index, We urge this Council to hold these states accountable and to protect the universal right to freedom of expression. I thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety for a video message.

More than 400 political prisoners are currently held in Azerbaijan. Over 40 of them are journalists and media workers. In recent rulings, journalists of Absaz Media were sentenced to up to 9 years imprisonment.

The Toplum TV team and affiliated reporters received sentences of up to 15 years.

These punishments bear no proportion to any offense. They are retaliation against professional journalists for speaking out, and they are designed as a warning to prevent anyone who might follow them. I speak also from my own experience. As an independent journalist and blogger, I was prosecuted continuously by the government and imprisoned for two years.

I was forced into exile.

I continue to receive threats against my life. My family in Azerbaijan has also been threatened. Following my recent publications on matters of public interest, the government is trying to initiate SLAPP proceedings.

Against me. We call on Azerbaijan to.

Release all imprisoned journalists, to end reprisals against their relatives, and to withdraw abusive litigation targeting journalists abroad.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the Association Internationale pour l'egalite des femmes.

Mr. Vice President, for decades, the systematic repression of women has been one of the main.

Pillars of the rule of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

From imposing strict dress codes to restricting women's.

Access to employment and political participation, this approach reflects deep-rooted misogyny and a blatant disregard for women's rights and dignity.

Iranian women have not remained silent in the face of this repression. Over the past four decades.

Thousands of women have been executed for political reasons.

We also remember the women among.

The thousands of political prisoners who were forcibly disappeared and executed in 1988, and whose families have been searching for the truth about their fate and the whereabouts of their remains for decades.

We draw the Council's particular attention to the situation of women political prisoners and to the eight women currently facing death sentences in political, security-related and protest-related cases, including Aravon Fallahi and Zahra Shahboztabari. We call for urgent and particular attention to the situation of these women.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to Humanists International for a video statement.

Thank you, Mr. President. With Syria at a critical juncture, we wish to bring to the Council's attention some important issues relating to the right to freedom of religion or belief and the constitutional declaration or interim constitution. Minorities in Syria have continued to experience persecution and violence since the end of the civil war. There have been reports of recent violence and discrimination against Alawites, Jews and Bedouins, as well as Christians in Syria. Minority religious sites remain threatened by armed conflict, civil unrest and sectarian vandalism. The transitional authorities have failed to protect religious and belief minorities. It is in this context that we are deeply concerned about certain provisions of the interim constitution. Although it enshrines equality before the law and non-discrimination on the basis of religion, it notably excludes belief as a protected characteristic, failing to protect non-religious Syrians. This is exacerbated by the provisions specifying the President's religion as Islam and making Islamic jurisprudence the principal source of legislation. The permanent Constitution must replace these provisions with language that explicitly guarantees the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and belief for all, including those with no religious belief. Constitutional protection of the right to freedom of belief is also qualified as respect for all divine religions. We call on Syria to include explicit justiciable protections for all ethnic and religious minorities in its permanent constitution, including the right to express and act on non-religious convictions without discrimination or penalty. Laws on apostasy and blasphemy, if retained or introduced, would be fundamentally incompatible with international human rights law. We hope the future of Syria is inclusive of all Syrians. Thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the International Planned Parenthood Federation for a video statement.

IPPF delivers this statement jointly with RIN. We welcome the report on the impact of drug policies on women's rights and share the concern that fear of punitive consequences deter women who use drugs from being able to exercise sexual and reproductive health and rights. In some states, pregnant women who use drugs risk forced confinement, forced medical treatments, or imprisonment. Obstetric violence, including forced sterilization and the removal of children based solely on a mother's drug use are unacceptable violations. We welcome the report's recognition that health-based non-punitive approaches are needed and endorse its call for voluntary gender-responsive services. Women who use drugs must be meaningfully positioned in health, gender-based violence, penal reform, and other relevant platforms.

Muchas gracias.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the International Bar Association for a video statement.

The International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute draws attention to the precarious state of transitional justice and.

Institutional reform in Syria.

While the authorities have taken initial steps towards accountability, deep structural deficits threaten the integrity of this fragile process. Historic domestic proceedings before the Fourth Criminal Court, targeting high-profile Assad-era officials.

Are moving forward in the absence of a finalized transitional justice law.

Cases have advanced before the necessary legal, evidentiary, and procedural foundations have been fully developed. This legislative void and the lack of domestic codification of customary international law, including.

Crimes against humanity and war crimes, compromises the fundamental principle of legality.

On this basis, judges are forced to adjudicate within an insufficient legal framework and under immense public pressure.

Civil.

Society has reported that trials have severely undermined due process and have been absent of proper evidentiary and examination protocols.

Furthermore, court-appointed legal representation has remained largely symbolic, leaving the accused without a coherent defense. When the Fourth Criminal Court hands down death sentences under these compromised conditions, the credibility of the entire transition is placed at risk. To conclude, addressing the legacy of atrocities and guaranteeing their non-occurrence demands systemic change. The authorities must prioritize and commit to a comprehensive legal and institutional reforms to ensure judicial independence.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to CIVICUS, World Alliance for Citizen Participation.

Mr. Vice President, CIVICUS commends the UN High Commissioner's Civil Society Space report and efforts made to protect and promote civic space and meaningful engagement of civil society at all levels. And yet the recommendations will only be effective to recognize civic space as a cross-cut enabler and precondition for fulfilling the objectives of the UN Charter if civil society is enabled to hold the UN accountable. 2020 UN Guidance Note on Protection and Promotion of Civic Space outlines a system-wide policy to protect and expand the environment in which civil society operates. Six years on, systematic UN-wide reporting, compliance audits, and status assessments on implementation are still lacking. Civicus urges the Office of the High Commissioner to take decisive steps to advance the protection and promotion of civic space through coordinated rollout of the Note by ensuring full compliance, establishing formal reporting mechanisms, and tracking barriers to system-wide reporting. According to the Civicus Monitor, just 7% of the world's population lives in less than 75 UN member states with open and narrow civic space conditions. In just 17 members of the Council, people can exercise core civic freedoms without fear of persecution. With membership on the Council comes a responsibility to uphold the highest human rights standards. We call on states, particularly candidates for election, to submit pledges indicating their contribution to international initiatives for the promotion of civic space, protect civic space through robust legal frameworks, and meaningfully contribute to the enabling environment for civil society at the national and international levels. We thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the Society for Threatened Peoples.

Mr. Vice President, the China escalating policy are threatening the very foundation of Tibetan cultural rights, freedom of religious or belief, and their ability to preserve and transmit their language and cultural identity. On 2nd July 2026, one day after China newly enacted law on promoting ethnic unity and progress, Lopgar Rangzen self-immolated outside United Nation headquarter in New York. In his final message, he warned that this policy would accelerate the destruction of Tibetan identity, language, religious and cultures. He chose the United Nation because he believed this institute stood for justice, peace, human dignity. His death should not become another forgotten tragedy. Only days later, the authorities rapidly began another wave of demolitions of Lhalunggyar Buddhist academies, with at least 1,060 residents of monks and nuns at risk. Tibetan monks, educators, community leaders also continue to face arbitrary and incommunicado detentions, while several cases raise serious concerns of enforced disappearances. Chokhor Dorji Ten, Geshe Kunchok Chodas, Gyan Pemba, Tenzin Sangpo, Palden Yeshe and Lobsang Lhunrig are among those whose cases raise grave concerns without denial of fundamental rights and due process. Mr. Vice President, the culture does not disappear in one day. It disappears when one language is silenced, one monastery destroyed, one teacher detained, one family left...

Thank you very much. I give the floor to Human Rights Research League.

President, since the occupation of the cities of Bukavu and Goma by the M23, the presence of armed conflict has triggered a new wave of mass displacement of the local population and serious human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law, a situation further exacerbated by the most recent outbreak of an Ebola epidemic in the east part of the DRC. With more than 7,000 confirmed cases of Ebola more than half of which have led to the death of the affected person, Human Rights Research League remains concerned by the human rights situation in the DRC, in particular in the eastern part of that country. Given these circumstances, we are left wondering whether allocating so much time and resources to conclude a process which, when all said and done, is intended merely to ensure that the serving president can modify the constitution in order to stand for a third term of office, whilst further consigning to the political wilderness the opposition, is a really worthwhile and judicious use of resources, particularly if the stated objective is to rather use resources to support the region most in need of peace, the eastern part of the RDC. The simple fact of giving the impression of fueling personal ambitions for a third mandate sends a poor signal to a population which is already very divided. And we hope that the presidential party will choose to change course. Thank you very much.

Thank you. I give the floor to RSKS for a video statement.

Thank you, Mr. President. I address this council today with facts and figures that reflect India's strong commitment to women and child development. India has decisively moved from a welfare based approach towards women led development supported by a strong policy framework. Under Mission Saksham, Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 nutritional support and early childhood care reach more than 7.67 crore children along with pregnant women, lactating mothers and adolescent girls. Through the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, over 20,000 100 crore has been directly transferred to more than 4.27 crore beneficiaries supporting maternal health at the same time beti bachao beti padao continues to transform attitudes towards the girl child while Mission Vatsalya strengthens protection and care for vulnerable children these initiatives reflect a simple principle when women and children progress the nation progresses India's development is therefore not merely about economic growth it is about creating leading a society where every woman and children can live with dignity, opportunity, and security. Thank you.

Muchas gracias. Thank you very much. I give the floor to the International Network for Human Rights and the Rule of Law.

Thank you, Vice President. We thank Madam Ana Lorena de Galdo first, member of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance. for her presence at the international conference, the long road to justice organized by Madam Yoga Raja Kanagaranchini and the Association of Relatives of Enforced Disappearance. For over 15 years, Tamil mothers across the northeast Sri Lanka have gathered on roadsides, demanding to know the fate of their disappeared children, husbands, and fathers. Many have grown old and some have died still fighting for truth. We representing the Tamil community and families. Tamil community and families of the microphone please as victims or enforce disappearance distinct within a broader Sri Lankan context given the scale and pattern of disappearance during and after the Sri Lankan genocidal war against ulam second established an independent International investigation into enforce disappearance in Sri Lanka with full access to sites archives and Witnesses third appoint a country specific special reporter on Sri Lanka to ensure sustained and security. Fourth one, strengthen in involvement of special procedures, including the working group and enforced or involuntary disappearance in monitoring and follow-up. Justice delayed for these mothers has for too many become justice denied. We urge member states and his council to act so that truth, accountability, and non-recurrence become concrete commitments rather than distant hopes.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the Arab Society for Academic Freedoms.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. In light of the High Commissioner's concerns regarding shrinking civic space, reflected across several reports, the Arab Society for Academic Freedom expresses deep concern over the state of academic freedom, particularly across the Arab region. Universities across the region have long faced restrictions on institutional autonomy, academic unions, curricula, and independent thought. Over the past year, these pressures have intensified. Under the guise of national security, several states have increased oversight of universities, while academics and students have faced retaliation for their speech and research, including threats to their position and even arrest. Safeguarding academic freedom requires states to protect institutional autonomy, both administrative and financial, support democratically established academic unions, and ensure safe environments where ideas can be exchanged without fear of reprisal. But as the International Day to Protect Education from Attack reminded us, these safeguards mean little if there are no educational institutions left to protect. While Gaza represents the most glaring example of universities being systematically attacked during war, it is far from the only one. From Iraq and Syria in the past to Yemen, Sudan, and Palestine today, universities have become a key battleground for those seeking to consolidate power. Academic freedom cannot survive where universities are destroyed. Thank you.

Muchas gracias.

Thank you. and now give the floor to Ritec by video.

Ritec, Edmond Rice International and the Children of India draw your attention to the urgent challenge of unsafe and inadequate waste management in India. The right to a clean and healthy environment has been recognized by our Supreme Court as part of the right to life under Article 21 of our Constitution. Annually, 62 million tons of waste are being generated, including 5.60 million tons of plastic waste, 0.17 million tonnes of biomedical waste, 7.90 million tonnes of hazardous waste and 15 lakh tonnes of e-waste. Improper disposal leads to soil and groundwater contamination, air pollution and release of toxic substances such as lead, cadmium and mercury. e-waste dismantling hub highlights severe health issues among workers, many of whom are children. While the government has taken a significant step by revising the e-waste rules, the children of India urge the government to: Strengthen monitoring and enforcement so that the waste management rules are implemented effectively. Promote the principle of reduce, reuse, repair, and recycle to build a cleaner and safer India, ensure hazardous waste is never dumped near school, playgrounds, or residential areas.

Muchas gracias.

Thank you. And now, I give the floor to Rado.

Vice President, Rado wishes to draw attention of this Council to the poor detention conditions and lack of access to health care for persons deprived of their liberty in Africa. In many African countries, places of detention, overcrowding, torture, a lack of hygiene, a lack of access to drinking water and food, a lack of access to medical personnel and medicines continue to expose detainees to major risks to their mental and physical health. We see that detained persons must benefit from quality health care, irrespective of their legal status. So, RADO calls upon African states to strengthen access to health care and equality in places of incarceration to ensure genuine access and to take appropriate measures to combat overcrowding in prisons. The Commission for Africa is continuing to investigate conditions in prisons, but we call upon civil society to fully support this process to make sure that conclusions and recommendations of this study be fully implemented. Vice President, the respect of human dignity in prisons is a fundamental right amongst all human rights. Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to Juventum e.V. by video.

Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Juventum is honored to participate. More and more self-serving leaders bring other people's lives into misery, such as wars, genocides, and famines, without hesitation. Climate change kills more people. Our food becomes more toxic with radioactives and chemicals. We hear the arguments justifying the use of nuclear weapons, landmines, cluster munitions, and so on. The sophistication of weapons such as AI and drones increases. Children witness that greed defeats justice. The new generation of monster leaders is nurtured everywhere now. Justice and common sense have to be restored. The human rights-based approach is the best and the only way to peace, development and sustainability. We propose that all UN member states should be mandated to integrate human rights education into their school curricula. There are materials such as the UDHR and HRC resolutions. The states should be ranked based on their students' performance. Compliance should be a prerequisite for candidacy to the Human Rights Council. We need a clear and decisive action to guide the UN membership toward a more humane and compassionate future. Thank you very much.

Thank you, and I give the floor to UNESCO Etxea by video.

Mr. President, the UNESCO Centre of the Basque Country, UNESCO Etxea, welcomes the study of the Office of the High Commissioner on Mental Health, Youth and Human Rights. Mental health must not be understood solely as a clinical issue. It is a human right, instrumental to youth dignity, equality, participation and adequate living conditions. Young people today face multiple challenges, including economic insecurity, discrimination, racism, xenophobia, gender-based violence, social isolation, and limited access to safe spaces for support and participation. These structural factors have a direct impact on their emotional well-being and on the enjoyment of their rights. Through our work with young people, including young migrants, we have heard repeated concerns about administrative barriers, uncertainty regarding the future, experiences of discrimination, and a lack of accessible and culturally responsible support services. Their testimonies reminds us that mental health cannot be separated from social justice and inclusion. We urge the states to implement mental health as a fundamental human right and a prerequisite for the full enjoyment of other rights for young people. ensure free, accessible, quality and culturally responsive mental health services for all young people, address structural discrimination and promote the meaningful participation of young people in the design, implementation and evaluation of policies that affect their lives.

Thank you. And now I'll get the floor to Cindy Adeha Manch.

Right to health is a fundamental human right. It must include suitable access to life-saving medical treatment, including organ and tissue transplantation. Today, millions of people suffering from organ failure continue to die while waiting for suitable organs. Others never reach transplant waiting lists because of inadequate infrastructure, financial barriers, and geographical inequalities. Cadaver organ donation can transform this situation. A single deceased donor can save up to eight lives through organ transplantation and restore sight to two people through corneal donation. It is an extraordinary expression of compassion, solidarity, and respect for human dignity. We therefore call upon Member States to strengthen deceased organ donation, improve hospital infrastructure and transplant coordination, and ensure transplant and non-discriminatory allocation based on medical needs and fairness. The right to health cannot be fully realize when people lose their lives simply because transferable organs are unavailable.

Thank you, Mr. Thank you. I now give the floor to the Akshaya Foundation.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Agenda item three reminds us that civil, political, economic, social, and environmental rights are deeply interdependent. The right to development is realized when public education equips marginalized youth to lift their own communities out of poverty. We commend the government of India for advancing national initiatives like the National Education Policy 2020 and the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme, which prioritize experiential learning and learn and earn models. Operationalizing these priorities in partnership with state education departments, Akshar transforms government public schools into multi-service action hubs. Secondary students from low-income households serve as peer tutors, receiving points-based stipends that prevent dropouts and child labor while upholding their right to education and economic agency. Students also apply their learning directly to environmental stewardship. By recycling plastic waste into eco-bricks within their schools, young people stop open plastic burning and combat ecosystem degradation in critical wetlands like Assam's Deepor Beel. Working across 80 public schools in three states, we have trained over 1,000 government teachers to lead this practical approach, proving education can drive economic dignity, digital inclusion, and climate resilience. We urge member states to embed hands-on learning and earning community action into public school systems worldwide. Thank you.

I thank you. And now, I give the floor to the Union de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba by video.

President, I represent a Cuban civil society organization that brings together nearly 8,000 writers and artists of different generations and artistic styles, united in the free exercise of creative expression. As members of the Union of Writers, we keep a constant dialogue with are compatriots around the world and we're standard bearers of avant-garde art rooted in popular traditions and the artist heritage bequeathed to us. Cuba is facing a harsh economic and financial siege imposed by the government of the United States which has just been identified by the Human Rights Council and the Special Rapporteur on Unilateral Coercive Measures as the principal cause of suffering among our people. Art, literature, Cuban heritage and our creators are suffering severe consequences that affect artistic creation and free arts education and cultural programming. We are being denied the right to engage in cultural and academic exchanges with Americans who are being prevented from developing our artistic industry under normal circumstances. Access to universal and free education and culture are rights that our people have enjoyed since the triumph of the revolution in 1959. Culture must continue to be the heritage of the people. The blockade and energy siege imposed upon us by the U.S. government must cease. Cuban art and literature, which are internationally recognized, and that artists have as much right to freedom of creation as they do to the right to life.

Muchas gracias.

Thank you. And I'll get the floor for a joint statement to Frontline by video.

Dear Mr. President, women environmental human rights defenders are carrying some of the most important struggles of our time.

Across Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Balkans and around the world.

Women are standing on the front lines to protect water, forests, rivers, land, food, and the rights of their communities. They are defending basic human rights for all of us and the rights of future generations to inherit a safe and healthy planet. Women environmental defenders from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Balkans are not exception to the threats that other human rights defenders are facing. We are experiencing the degradation of our rights in the face of our fights for public interest and healthy planet. At the same time, the mechanisms to protect us become weaker, less accessible and less effective. This must stop. This is why we call on the states, international institutions and businesses to ensure effective gender-responsive protection of women human rights defenders and environmental defenders to investigate attacks and decriminalize environmental activism. Protecting women defenders means protecting people, territories and the rights they are defending today and for the generations to come.

Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to Conectas Direitos Humanos by video.

Mr. President, Conectas would like to draw the Human Rights Council's attention to Brazil's new environmental licensing laws, whose constitutionality is currently under review by the Supreme Federal Court.

The previously scheduled court session was suspended and no new date has been announced yet. These laws significantly weaken Brazil's environmental licensing system and directly undermine the environmental impact assessment framework. They expand exemptions and self-licensing mechanisms, allowing activities to be authorized with reduced environmental assessment and oversight. Strikingly, the legislation doesn't mention climate change at all, despite the central role of environmental licensing in preventing and mitigating environmental impacts. They also create a fast track special environmental license to streamline licensing for specific economic sectors and priority projects. This politically driven licensing mechanism raises.

Concerns on the principle of non-regression, which prohibits states from reducing existing levels of environmental protection.

The laws also restrict the participation of indigenous peoples and quilombola communities and weaken the role of public authorities responsible for protecting their rights. These changes threaten essential safeguards against environmental harm and may increase risks to health, life, territory, culture, and the right to a healthy environment.

For these reasons, civil society organizations have warned that this framework represents a severe regression in environmental protection and raised significant concerns regarding Brazil's constitutional and international human rights obligations.

Thank you very much. And now, call Tonella Paj.

Thank you, Vice President. continue to live under Sri Lankan military occupation. 17 years after the genocidal war that killed tens of thousands of our people, the northeast remains heavily militarized. The army occupies Tamil land, farms, and places of worship. Checkpoints also allow arbitrary arrests and lethal force against civilians. The representative can see two recent cases. Tamil rapper Sangeethan Kaneshkumar, known as Hip Hop Sangee, was arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act for a song about Tamil political memory and loss. This shows how the PTA continues to target Tamil artistic and cultural expression. On 10th February, police shot and killed 17-year-old Albino Arul Pius at a checkpoint in Kyz. His family has faced intimidation while seeking justice. We call on this council, establish an independent international accountability mechanism, appoint a special reporter for Sri Lanka, repeal the PTA, full democratize the Tamil homeland, and recognize the right of Eelam Tamils to self-determination, including through an internationally supervised referendum. We thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the Amman Center for Human Rights Studies.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. The Amman Center for Human Rights Studies welcomes the High Commissioner for Human Rights' follow-up report on the implementation of the Guidelines on the Right to Participate in Public Affairs. We are deeply concerned, however, by its findings that meaningful participation is increasingly constrained by shrinking civic space and restrictions on freedom of expression. In this regard, we wish to draw the Council's attention to several concerning developments across the Arab world. The 2011 uprisings raised hopes for greater political participation in the region. Yet, 15 years later, meaningful and sustained democratic progress remains elusive. Initial gains have too often been undermined by political instability, institutional weaknesses, and democratic reversals. More recently, escalating regional conflict has intensified security concerns. In several states, this has been accompanied by further restrictions on civic and political freedoms. However, security challenges must never become a justification for postponing or even backtracking democratic reforms. Accountable institutions, meaningful participation, and respect for human rights contribute to peaceful societies. Democracy and security are not competing priorities. ACHRS therefore urges states to strengthen democratic institutions, protect civic space, and uphold regular, credible, and inclusive elections. Meaningful participation is not a privilege to be granted when circumstances permit. It is a fundamental human right and an essential component of peace. Thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to CCID for a video statement.

Thank you, Mr. President.

We wish to draw the Council's urgent attention to the worsening human rights situation in Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir.

For more than two months, peaceful civilians demanding democratic rights and accountability have faced a severe crackdown by Pakistani security forces.

According to our documentation, 89 civilians have been confirmed killed.

Among those reportedly killed are a female lawyer, a doctor in Kotli.

And Osama Jamil, a PhD scholar who was killed in Ramla Kot. We have also documented the arrest of at least 80 students today in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Islamabad and Punjab police have been reportedly carrying out arbitrary arrests.

Of young people based in age, age, race, and their CNICs. We are particularly concerned about Shaukat Nawaz Mir, leader of the People's Rights Movement, who was reportedly arrested on June 30.

At the same time, Pakistan has reportedly restricted supply and the movement of essential food and medicines into the region, creating serious humanitarian hardship for civilians already affected by curfews and communication restrictions.

Mr. President, we urge this Council to demand an end to arbitrary arrests, restore access to food and medicines, clarify the fate of missing persons, ensure due process, and establish an independent international investigation.

The international community must not remain silent.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the Conseil national pour les droits de l'homme.

Thank you, Vice-President. We speak for the Eelam Tamils, whose right to self-determination remains denied 17 years after Sri Lanka's genocider war. We draw the attention of the Special Reporters to the continuing designation of the LTT as a proscribed organization by the European Union and secured Western states. Long after the LTTE's military defeat in 2009, this listing criminalized legitimate Tamil political activity, Tamil organizations, remembrance events, humanitarian fundraising, and advocacy to accountability and self-determination are routinely conflated with terrorism. Bank accounts are frozen, travel is restricted, and activists face surveillance, prosecution, and repulsion harm. These measures disproportionately restrict Tamils' freedoms of association, expression, and assembly, while undermining their right to pursue self-determination through political means. We ask the special procedures mandate holders to conduct a joint study of the human rights impact of these proscriptions on Tamil civil society and issue guidance ensuring that counterterrorism and sanctions frameworks are not used to suppress legitimate self-determination claims.

Muchas gracias.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the.

Thank you, Vice-President.

Microphone, please, the speaker. The speaker is absent, so I give the floor to International Lawyers Organization.

Thank you, Vice-President. As we discuss human rights, we should look at what this means for the Iraqi people. We are seeing the flagrant violation of their fundamental rights, because the militia are gaining in importance, and this is a constant threat for the populations. We are seeing cities which are being targeted, inhabitants have been displaced, There are more than 130,000 persons who have been forcibly displaced since 2014, and they still cannot go back to their homes, which are occupied by the militia. This requires immediate action so that we can guarantee the safe return of all displaced persons and impose on armed groups respect for the rule of law, so that they do not enjoy impunity. Given the conflict with armed groups and the weakened institutions and the foreign interference and support for armed groups who are working outside the framework of the state institutions, we are seeing increased suffering of citizens. This is why we urge the international community to support a solution which is a global political one. to guarantee peace in Yemen and to guarantee its territorial integrity so that the institutions of the state can see their authority restored and there is full respect of human rights and international law by all parties. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the Women's Human Rights Collective, CFDH, for a video statement.

Thank you, Chair. For more than 40 years, nearly 60,000 of Tamil refugees have lived in camps across Tamil Nadu, India, a part of larger population of Tamil refugees scattered across India and indeed everywhere in the world. They arrived after fleeing Sri Lanka's civil war from 1983 onwards and have remained ever since, generation after generation. Children have been born in these camps, gone to school, married, and had children of their own, all without any change in their legal status. They fled war in Sri Lanka and even now, return is not safe. They have nothing left there, no home, no land, no security to go back to. Over time, many now consider India their home. But in India, they cannot ask for citizenship openly. Camps are monitored under strict security arrangements and refugees fear that raising the demand for citizenship will be seen as a challenge to that structure. Even their voices on this issue is watched and controlled, leaving them unable to advocate for themselves the way citizens.

Can.

India has not signed the 1951 Refugee Convention, but this does not prevent action. India can create domestic legislation, including at the state level in Tamil Nadu, to address the refugee status and provide a legal pathway forward. Let this be stated clearly, for these Tamil refugees, Indian citizenship is the only real solution.

They want it, they want it now.

For years of limbo, we create a concrete answer, not a continued silence. Thank you.

Thank you very much, I give the floor to the Association de Defense et de Promotion des Droits de l'Homme for a video statement.

Thank you, Chair. On the 15th of September, Eelam Tamils around the world began commemorating Thiyagadeepam Thilleepan, who 39 years ago, undertook a fast unto death protest in Nallur, Jaffna. His demands included the release of Tamil detainees without charge and an end to state colonization of Tamil areas, a halt to militarization, and a genuine interim administration for the Tamil homeland. He died on the 26th of September, 1987, his demands unmet. 39 years later, these issues remain unresolved. Tamils in the Northeast continue to face militarization, settlement, surveillance, and detention under repressive laws. Domestic mechanisms have repeatedly failed to deliver truth, justice or accountability, or to address the fundamental political question underlying the conflict. The right of the Eelam Tamils to self-determination, recognized under Article 1 common to the International Covenants, continues to be denied. We therefore respectfully request the relevant Special Procedures mandate holders, including the Special Rapporteurs on Minority Issues and on Truth, Justice and Reparation, to prepare a joint report examining the of the right of the Eelam Tamils to self-determination in light of the political, structural and security situation in the North East of Sri Lanka. Such a report would provide this Council with an evidence-based foundation for a durable and just political solution. We thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the Training and Research Network on African Migration Reform, AFR.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo faces a dual emergency, the fastest growing Ebola outbreak on record, concentrated in conflict zones of Ituri and Kivu. Superimposed on decades of armed violence, armed groups and some state forces have attacked civilians, committed sexual violence and child recruitment, and targeted health facilities and workers. Mr. Chairman, gross human rights violations are taking place in Pakistan since decades. People of Sindh, Balochistan and KP provinces are subject to brutal atrocities since decades by Pakistan's Punjabi dominated army. Latest is Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir where common citizens are killed, extrajudicially abducted, tortured and involuntarily disappeared. Pakistan is a signatory to all relevant United Nations covenants and treaties yet violates all these blatantly. Pakistan's army chief and de facto head General Asim Munir has introduced number of undemocratic amendments to the constitution of Pakistan to consolidate all powers to control masses and natural resources.

One moment, please. One.

Moment.

A point of order. One moment, please. A point of order has been raised by Pakistan. Pakistan, you have the floor.

Thank you very much, Mr. Vice President. While we believe in constructive engagement with the civil society organizations and value their inputs, we urge you to ensure that no speaker misleads the plenary, misleads the hall, and no speaker should be able to give wrong information and stay within the UN Charter and to adhere and adhere the principles of territorial sovereignty, integrity and of of the member states. We reject casting unfounded accusations and allegations against our authorities and senior leadership. And we urge that this August forum should not be allowed to be misused or misled by any CSO. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much. Throughout the general debate under agenda item 3, it is my hope that speakers will raise issues or make comments on the promotion and protection of all human rights, including civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development. With that reminder, I give the floor back to the previous speaker, the representative of the reformers, to continue the statement. You have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, whatever I have said is well documented and it is true. Mr. Chairman, it is my organization's request to hold Pakistan accountable for its gross human rights violations. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to Ecofone.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President, distinguished delegates. We welcome General Assembly resolution declaring 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer. This year matters only if it transforms the first kilometer from home to the land registry, bank, water source, or market, where rights are either realized or denied. We propose the first kilometer guarantee in climate, market, or tenure crisis. Women farmers must be reached first, not last. First, secure the land rights. Second, climate protection within 30 days. Third, income beyond survival. India already provides important foundation for this approach at scale. Under honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi, women-led rural livelihood, financial inclusions, digital and agricultural support systems are connecting millions of women with credit, training, and technology. At the state level, Tamil Nadu's is translating this national progress into meaningful actions. Its strong community-based networks connect women directly with public services, sustainable livelihoods, market opportunities, and institutional support. Under the leadership of Honorable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, C. Joseph Vijay, the state is well-positioned to pioneer the first kilometer guarantee. turning an ambitious principle into a practical, scalable, and credible model for India and the world. We urge the Human Rights Council to recognize the First Kilometer Guarantee as a practical framework to pilot and scale it, measuring how quickly women farmers gain land security, climate protection, and decent incomes. I thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to Human Rights Organization of Rights and Freedoms of Citizens of Turkmenistan.

Thank you, Vice-President. Turkmenistan continues to ignore its international human rights obligations and UN decisions. The UN Human Rights Committee found serious violations in Gildik Arizov case, yet Turkmenistan continues to ignore the Committee's decision and has failed to provide any effective remedy. Persecution of Rozygul Baltayeva, a human rights activist inside Turkmenistan, continues. She is reportedly being denied necessary medical care and has received death threats. Merdan Muhammedov was deported from Turkey and persecuted. Alisher Zakhadov and Abdullah Urusov disappeared in Turkey in July 2025, and their whereabouts remain unknown. Jamal Bazarova was subjected to sexual violence by investigators. Iskander Mulikov and Chary Kulov were held incommunicado. The fate of many prisoners in Turkmenistan who disappeared since 2002 also remains unknown. We insist that the government of Turkmenistan end persecution, disclose the fate of the disappeared, and implement UN decisions to ensure accountability and justice. I thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to India Thaweed Jamat Trust.

They are not.

Present in the room, so I move on to the next speaker, Christian Solidarity International.

Christian Solidarity International wishes to highlight the threat to religious freedom posed by mass violence directed against religious communities.

Nowhere in the world today is this problem more urgent.

Than in the Middle Belt region of Nigeria, in states like Plateau, Kaduna, Benue, and Taraba. There, a network of militias drawn from Fulani herding communities are waging an organized campaign to drive out the indigenous Christian populations. In the past eight years, these militias have killed untold thousands of Christians and displaced millions more from their homes.

For the most part with impunity.

As recently as September 13, Fulani militiamen murdered 13 Christians in attacks on three different communities in Plateau State. The Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Professor Nazila Khan, recently returned from a visit to Nigeria. Her preliminary report states that these militia groups are also subjecting rural Christian communities to so-called peace deals. in which these militias are given access to the community's land and are allowed to, quote, take any woman that they want from the hamlet. Christian Solidarity International corroborates these horrific reports. It is long past time for the Nigerian government, Nigeria's international partners, and the international human rights community to take decisive action to end the killings in the Middle Belt.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the recognition of the particular associations for freedom of conscience.

We raise the case of Chairman Lee Man-hee, the 95-year-old leader of the Cheongji Church of Jesus and Korean War veteran, held in pretrial detention at the Seoul Detention Center in the Republic of Korea, a nonviolent church. The proceedings continue. Concerns remain regarding religious persecution and politically driven discriminatory investigation while his detention continues. With a fixed residence and no flight risk, he was held in non-air conditioned cells during Seoul's most severe heat wave. These violate Korean international obligations. Article 9 of the ICCPR requires detention to be necessary and proportionate. Article 10 requires humane treatment. The Nelson Mandela Rules guarantee health care equal to that in the community. The Tokyo Rules make pretrial detention a last resort. And Article 18 protects freedom of religion, disregarded by the Minister of Justice. We urge the Council to call on Korea to honor its treaties, alternatives to detention, and independent medical assessment, and a fair trial, and a fair and personal trial. I thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to Promotion du Developpement Economique et Social.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. We welcome the work of the UN human rights mechanism aimed at achieving the universal and effective protection of all human rights. In this context, PDES wishes to draw the Council's attention to the importance of ensuring effective protection of rights in regions where multiple forms of vulnerability intersect. In North Africa and Sahel-Sahara region, prolonged displacement, poverty, insecurity, environmental pressures, and limited development opportunities can interact, deepening the vulnerability of individuals and communities, including those living in refugee camps. These realities remind us that humanitarian assistance, while essential, cannot on its own address the structural conditions affecting the effective enjoyment of rights. We therefore encourage states and the international communities to strengthen protection mechanisms, support national capacities, ensure access to information and effective remedies, and enable the meaningful participation of affected populations in decisions concerning their rights and future. In this context, the right to development is particularly important. Reducing vulnerabilities, strengthening the capacities of individuals and communities, and ensuring inclusive participation are essential conditions for protection into sustainable human development and preventing vulnerability from becoming entrenched. Hence, the human rights is not a measure.

Thank you very much. Thank you very much. I give the floor to Radek. Sayida Rais, Vice President.

I would like to draw your attention and that of the Council to the human rights situation in the Sadr Eyya refugee camps. The Polisario Front imposes restrictions vis-a-vis the freedom of movement of those in those camps. It is thus that the inhabitants of the camps are not able to really move between midnight and 6.30am, and that's been the case since 2013. The inhabitants of the camps can only leave the camps, in any case, on Sundays or Thursdays if they have an authorisation in writing that has been provided by the Algerian military bureau in Tindouf. As far as entry to the camps is concerned, that is only possible on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but again only with written authorisation. There is therefore no freedom of movement. There is also no freedom of expression in the camps. Thus, the Polisario Front can target their opponents and opposition decision-makers through its recurrent practice of enforced disappearance and torture, and deprivation of food. When it comes to journalists and activists outside the camps, they are often the target of defamation campaigns and of threats. This happens with complete impunity, which allows the Polisario organization to continue said barbaric practices targeting the Sahrawi people. In response thereto, independent investigations need to be opened into these violations and to do, and steps need to be taken to guarantee freedom of movement, access to justice, and freedom of expression.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to United Villages.

Thank you, Chair. The people of India-administered Jammu and Kashmir continue to seek the realization of their right to self-determination, a matter that has remained on the agenda of the United Nations for decades. In their pursuit of this objective, it has been observed that there are increasing restrictions on public expression. Peaceful gathering face heavy constraints. The YSEB journalists, civil society members, and human rights defenders are being limited, making it difficult to document and report on developments on the ground. At the same time, independent human rights organizations and international media continue to be denied access to the region. The lack of access, combined with internet disruption and restrictions on press operations, has created a wide information gap. As a result, Concerns relating to detention conditions, freedom of movement and public discourse are not receiving adequate attention. Mr. Vice-President, when independent monitoring is not possible, Information flows are restricted and people are disempowered. It becomes harder for this Council and the international community to form a clear and balanced understanding of the situation. Transparency, inclusion, and open engagement are essential to build trust and to prevent further escalation of conflict, and therefore warrant this immediate intervention of this Council. I thank you, sir.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to Institut International pour les Droits et le Developpement for a video statement.

Inclusive urbanization is increasingly essential to the realization of the right to development. The experience of several countries in South Asia demonstrates how integrated urban policies can combine economic growth with social inclusion, environmental sustainability, and climate resilience. National initiatives in areas such as affordable housing, water and sanitation, essential services and digital governance have sought to improve living conditions in rapidly growing urban centers across the region. The expansion of urban public transport and electric mobility also shows climate adaptation and early warning system of protection from extreme weather events. These experiences highlight that sustainable urbanization should be fundamentally connected to human dignity and the progressive realization of economic, social, and cultural rights, not merely infrastructures. We therefore encourage stronger international and South-South cooperation, sustainable financing, and technical assistance, particularly for developing countries in assisting in the region and meaningful participation of women, youth, local communities, and vulnerable groups in urban planning, people must remain at the center of urban development.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to CDP, CENS for a video statement.

President, I'm speaking on behalf of a non-governmental organization that enjoys consultative status with COSOC and is active in Togo, France, Switzerland, the United States, Benin, and Kashmir. The right to development is one that is not fully enjoyed by young girls, and this will continue to be the case as long as they lack real, visible, and duly recognized access to said right. That's why we established the Forum for Young Girls, an annual platform that brings together in those stakeholders in the area and hot spotlights all of our actions in order to promote the economic, social and cultural rights of young Togolese girls. The fifth edition of the platform took place, will take place, I beg your pardon, from the 22nd to 24th of October this year in Lome and will be focused on three areas of action, social awards, the prize for the best female centered project and the Young Changemakers Initiative, which is sponsored by the WHO, which will bring together 100 young ambassadors of at least of whom at least 60% need to be girls, representing 10 different schools and educational establishments. This forum is fully documented, structured and ready to be strengthened and bolstered in its actions, but its access to international finance is severely circumscribed. So we take this opportunity to ask this Council to call upon Member States and donors to work to ensure that direct financing mechanisms are made available for African civil society platforms such as the Young Girls Forum, the Young Women's Forum, which is intended to concretely expand the right to development for young girls on the Thank you very much.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to CERID. They are not present in the room, so I give the floor next to United for Human Rights.

Mr. Vice President, Pakistan judiciary, rather than defending the constitutional guarantees of equality and religious freedom continue to entrench systemic impunity. On March 2026, Pakistan Federal Constitutional Court recognized the validity of a marriage between Maria Bibi, a 13-year-old Christian girl, and a Muslim man, Shariar Ahmad. The court dismissed Maria's father's plea for the release of his minor daughter, ruling instead that Maria, having embraced Islam, was of age and therefore lawfully under the custody of her husband. The case demonstrates how perpetrators of forced conversion and child marriages operate with confidence. It is not merely a single miscarriage of justice, but part of a broader pattern in which the rights of minority girls are sacrificed at the altar of impunity. Arzoo Raja was abducted from Karachi Railway Colony, forcibly converted to Islam, and married to her middle-aged captor. She was eventually placed in a state-run shelter after medical tests confirmed she was a minor. Article 18 of ICCPR clearly forbid forced conversion, impairing the freedom to have a religion. However, Pakistan judge habitually dismissed the petition of parents of minority girls. We urged the UN to call on Pakistani authorities to ensure Maria's immediate protection, grant her legal access, representation, and independent psychological support. Minority girls deserve the Council's attention. I thank you, Mr. President -- Vice President, sorry.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to Absha Atefeya Charity Institute.

They are.

Not in the room, so I move on to give the floor to Association for Defending Victims of Terrorism for a video statement.

Women and children are among the most vulnerable groups in armed conflicts, and their protection is a binding international obligation, not an optional choice. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women explicitly condemns all forms of discrimination against women.

And calls upon the states to guarantee the rights.

Of women in all the spheres, including in situations of armed conflict. The military aggression by the US and Israel against Iran is a clear example of the systematic violation of these obligations. On 28th of February 2026, American missile targeted school in Minab and more than 168 students and 26 female teachers were martyred. Deaths are on the right to education disrupt the attack at the massacre of girls in classrooms and confirmed that within one month, more than 600.

Educational facilities were destroyed and 230 students and female teachers were killed.

On the same day, the attack.

On the Lamer Sports Hall resulted in the martyrdom of 21 civilians, including young female athletes. Furthermore, during the war, 28 medical centers across Iran were targeted, obstructing women and children's access to health care. We call upon the Council to condemn these attacks as war crimes, to demand independent international investigations, and to ensure that the international community does not remain silent regarding the killing of women and children in the classrooms and on the sports field.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to Japan Society for History Textbook for a video statement.

I am Yasuaki Ibo, a member of the Tomigusuku City Council in Okinawa, Japan. Under item 3, protecting political rights, require rights, respect for democratic representation and the rule of law, recently in Okinawa, an individual council member submitted a document to EMRIP falsely claiming to act on behalf of the Ginowan City Council. In response, the Ginowan City Council passed an official resolution declaring this submission completely unauthorized. Individual members cannot replace the decision voice of an elected body. Furthermore, local councils in Okinawa, including Ginowan, have officially passed a resolution in UN recommendations that label the people of Okinawa as indigenous people, falsely presenting personal claims as local consensus, directly violates the political rights of our citizens. To protect trust in IRO3 proceeding, we urge the Council to strictly verify the legal authority of submitters and to official resolutions of elected local councils as true democratic evidence. Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to Chunhui Children's Foundation for a video statement.

Care home program, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child confirms the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness. and the rehabilitation of health, Chunhui Care Home partners with welfare institutions in China to bring infants and toddlers born with life-threatening diseases and defects to Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou for the best medical treatment available. Working with the institutions and China's top hospitals, CCH covers all areas of the children's medical treatment, including hospital register, physical backup, hospitalization, surgery, pre and post-surgical care, and discharge. The program serves more than 200 children fighting for their lives each year. We train full-time loving Jhomi mamas to patiently provide the best follow-up care and emotional support so the children can recover, return to the institutions, and find a permanent adoptive family at the earliest possible date. As of today, the program has benefited more than 4,800 children.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the Association of Iranian Short Statured Adults for a video message.

President, imagine that your child is suffering from a severe illness such as the butterfly disease and you're not able to access effective medicine.

Your child dies after suffering severe pain. That's the story of many child patients in Iran.

That's how economic sanctions work.

All humanitarian exemptions exist only on paper and on the ground, sanctions deprive people from all essential items such as medicine, healthcare, food, income, education, job, housing, and all.

Aspects of the right to development.

Recently, US sanctions even banned Iranians from taking TOEFL tests.

The situation even gets worse when sanctions are accompanied with wars of aggression, because the targeted.

Civilian populations are not only deprived of medicine, food, and economic lifelines, but are also bombed, displaced, and traumatized while being denied the basic protections of the international law.

Mr. President, witnessing the situation in Iran, we call on the UN monitoring mechanisms, including the special procedures, to.

Examine the adverse impact of sanctions on human rights.

Within the scope of their mandates and report their findings to the Council. We call on the UNHCR to study the impact.

Of wars of aggression against Iran on the Iranian human rights and present the findings to the UN member states. I thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to Africa Culture International.

Mr. Vice President, today I speak on behalf of the people of Sindh. Sindh was an independent country before the conquest by the British in 1843. Since 1947, Sindh has been a province of Pakistan, yet today Sindh is colonized by Punjab. Our natural resources are extracted, our culture is being eroded, our language, Sindhi, one of the oldest languages, has not been granted national status in Pakistan. We also face grave human rights concerns. Inforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, forced conversion have become deeply disturbing reality. Sindh is also facing an educational crisis. Millions of children remain out of school. There are also growing concerns over attempts to alter the administrative and territorial structure of Sindh. Mr. Vice-President, the people of Sindh are not asking for privilege, they are asking for rights, the right to dignity, the right to security, the right to benefit fairly from their natural resources, and above all, the right to freedom. We call upon the international community to hear the voice of Sindh, not after grievances have turned into despair and Sindhis will say, "Homeland are shrouds, freedom are death." Thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the ARC Association for a video statement.

Dear President, Distinguished Delegates, The Council's attention is drawn to the economic, social and cultural deprivation experienced by Azerbaijanis and other minority nations in Iran. The right to development has not been implemented in accordance with international human rights standards, particularly the principles of inclusion, participation, non-discrimination and equal opportunity. Azerbaijani-populated provinces and regions continue to face structural and disproportionate inequalities affecting employment, education, healthcare, economic opportunities, and access to public services. Unequal access to development and resources further deepens social and economic disparities. The restriction of cultural rights also undermines the dignity and human development of Azerbaijanis by limiting their ability to preserve, develop, and transmit their language, culture, and heritage. Furthermore, civil society must be able to freely monitor and advocate for these rights. Its criminalization prevents genuine and sustainable development. ACTH therefore calls upon the Council to urge the Iranian authorities to ensure equal and non-discriminatory access to economic, social, cultural and political rights for Azerbaijanis and other minority nations, and to guarantee meaningful participation in decisions affecting their future. Thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor for a joint statement to Soka Gakkai International.

They are.

Not in the room, so I next give the floor to Citoyens en Action pour la Democratie et le Developpement.

Hello.

Mr. Vice President, we draw the Council's urgent attention to the continuing diversion of the Indus River and the resulting human rights crisis in Sindh. The recent commencement of the Jalalpur Canal in Punjab, reportedly without the consent of downstream Sindh, further threatens an already devastated river system. Decades of upstream diversion have drastically reduced freshwater flows to Sindh, undermining the livelihood and fundamental rights of more than 60 million people. Water shortages are destroying agriculture, reducing fisheries, and pushing rural communities into poverty and displacement. In the Indus Delta, reduced freshwater flows have caused a severe seawater intrusion, loss of fertile land, groundwater contamination, and degradation of mangrove ecosystem. Entire communities are being forced from their ancestral lands. These policies threatens an internationally recognized rights to water, food, health, housing, work, development, and clean and healthy, sustainable environment. We urge this Council to call upon Pakistan to suspend the Jalalpur Canal and further diversion until the rights of downstream communities are protected and facilitated an independent assessment of environmental, economic, social, and human rights impact on Indus water divergence. Mr. Vice President, protecting the Indus is not merely an environmental necessity. It is a fundamental human rights obligation. I thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to Takudo.

Mr. Vice President, thank you. To draw attention to continuing concerns regarding the protection of the rights of the Shia and Ahmadi communities in Pakistan. The issue addressed here engages Pakistan's obligations under Articles 2, 7, and 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. which is guaranteed equality before the law, non-discrimination and the right to freedom of thought as well as the United Nations Declaration on the.

Rights of Persons Belonging to the National, Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities.

Pakistan's treatment of Shias and Ahmadis reflects a persistent failure to meet basic international obligations on freedom of religion, equal protection, and the prevention of discrimination. Mr. Vice President, the same UN statement also notated violent attacks during Eid celebrations in Azadabad, Karachi, and the sealing or forced closure of Ahmadi mosques in major cities such as Karachi and Lahore. In light of these concerns, this statement encourages the Human Rights Council and its relevant mechanisms to ensure that all members of religious communities enjoy equal protection of the law without fear of violence, intimidation, and arbitrary detention.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the Association Paix pour la Lutte contre la Contrainte et l'Injustice.

Absent.

They are not present in the room. So I give the floor next to Partners for Transparency.

Absent.

Also absent from the room. So I give the floor to the World Muslim Congress.

Vice-President, we are witnessing a deeply concerning pattern of human rights violation, demographic and cultural change in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Policies presented as development must not become a means of dispossession, demographic alteration, or the erasure of the identity and heritage of the Kashmiri people. We are particularly concerned about land dispossession, restriction on civic and political freedoms, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, torture, and excessive use of force. Such practices, where established, require independent investigation and accountability. The destruction or alteration of historic, cultural, and religious sites also raises serious concerns regarding the protection of cultural heritage and collective memory. Mr. Vice President, international human rights law requires that security measures respect human dignity, due process, and fundamental freedoms. Sexual violence and other grave violations must be investigated impartially, with victims protected and perpetrators held accountable. We therefore call upon the international community to ensure independent monitoring of the human rights situation in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, protect civic space, uphold the rights of civilians, and ensure accountability for violations. There can be no sustainable peace without human dignity, justice, and respect for the fundamental rights of the people. I thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the Al Salam Foundation for a video statement.

Bahrain continues to detain prominent elderly opposition leaders, Hassan Mushaima, Dr. Abdul Jalil Sankis, and Abdul Hadi Al Khawaja, who were sentenced to life imprisonment following unfair trials. At 78, Hassan Mushaima, one of Bahrain's most prominent opposition leaders, has been imprisoned for over 15 years and suffers from serious chronic conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, and kidney, nerve, and joint problems. Despite appeals by UN experts, he faces life-threatening medical neglect, requiring pain relief injections. Rahman, 64-year-old human rights defender Dr. Abdul Jalil Sanghez, remains deprived of treatment, despite doctors recommending surgery for his shoulder pain. As Sanghez suffers from post-polio syndrome and several serious chronic illnesses, he has endured prolonged solitary confinement and been denied medical appointments, treatments, and crutches, forcing him to go on a 1,000-day hunger strike. 65-year-old Bahraini-Danish human rights defender Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja also remains detained despite concerns over his health. We call on the Council to ensure their immediate and unconditional release, provide medical care, and hold perpetrators accountable. Thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the Commission Africaine des promoteurs de la sante et des droits de l'homme.

Mr. Vice President, I would like to respectfully draw the Council's attention to the development in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. It has been reported by Indian independent, uh, media that civic space is in- increasingly constrained. Opportunities for the peaceful assembly, free expression and public participation have been limited. Journalists and civil, civil society members report, uh, challenges in carrying out their legitimate work while local representative institutions remain weakened. This has contributed to a sense of disempowerment among young people seeking the realization of the right to self-determination, as recognized by relevant UN resolutions. My organization also wish to highlight humanitarian concerns regarding detainees. Families report difficulties in accessing information, legal assistance, and medical care for those who has health facility in facilities distant from their home. often for prolonged period without trial. Mr. Vice President, open civic space, due process, and independent access are essential to build up confidence. We respectfully encourage the Council to advocate for the greater transparency, inclusion, and engagement in this regard. Thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to Community Human Rights and Advocacy Center.

You Mr. President religious freedom is not a privilege it is a fundamental human right yet in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir Muslims.

For years have faced restrictions and pressures that raise serious concerns about their ability to freely practice their faith.

The issue is not merely political it is.

Deeply human touching the sanctity of worship identity dignity and basic religious freedoms mosques we should remain peaceful spaces for.

Prayer of prayer and community have repeatedly become affected by security restrictions and administrative controls.

Restrictions on congregational prayers, particularly Friday prayers and religious gatherings, have caused anguish among Kashmiris.

When access to places of worship is restricted or religious activities are curtailed.

In the name of security, the consequences extend far beyond the mosque's walls.

They affect an entire community's sense of freedom and belonging.

Mr. President, The Council must not remain silent when freedom of religion is compromised. Kashmiris deserve the right to worship without fear, to hear the call to prayer without unnecessary interference.

And to enter their mosques without restrictions imposed merely because of their faith or identity in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Religious freedoms.

Must never be treated as a security threat.

A mosque is a place of worship, not a crime scene. The right to pray is a human right, and that right--.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to International Action for Peace and Sustainable Development.

Mr. Vice President, my organization believes that the right to development means little if people cannot freely speak, participate, and live with dignity. Civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights are not separate promises; they depend on one another. In Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, these rights remain closely connected. Freedom House's 2026 assessment gives the region 38 out of 100 for political rights and civil liberties, with only 17 out of 40 for political rights. At the same time, the deployment of 670 companies of central armed police forces for the 2026 Amarnath Yatra raises serious concerns about the extent of militarization in civilian spaces. Mass detentions have also marked this situation. Recently, over 3,000 political detainees, including Hurriyat leaders, activists, youth, and women, remain in detention under laws including the PSA and UAPA. Mr. Vice President, how can development be meaningful when civic space is restricted, communities live under constant pressure, and young people are detained? We urge the Council to ensure the development policies uphold freedom, dignity, equality, and participation, and call on the High Commissioner to strengthen monitoring and reporting on these interconnected rights. Thank you.

Thank you very much. This was the last speaker that we could accommodate, and with this last intervention, we have duly concluded the general debate on agenda item 3. We shall now continue to hear statements in exercise of the right of reply pertaining to statements under agenda item 3. and I begin by giving the floor to the distinguished representative of Belarus you have three minutes.

The delegation of Belarus categorically rejects the accusations made by delegation Poland on behalf of a group of countries on the alleged illegal removals of Ukrainian children, such statements have nothing to do with facts and reality. The Belarusian authorities are being guided purely by humanitarian concerns when helping victims of the conflict in Ukraine. We have taken in families and children fleeing from the conflict, and we work with them, and we are open to cooperation, and we comply with all international standards in welcoming children from our conflict areas. We have also helped women and children who have been victims of Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory. We need to note the fact that a group of countries regularly using different thematic discussions for political purposes and this is unacceptable the Lithuanian delegation comments also do not reflect reality either their own policies are in fact the genuine threat to democracy in European countries they try to overthrow the legitimate governments in other states in their own interests. And this is creating chaos. And we believe that this is unacceptable in Europe. This aggressive policies blocking international transit by the Lithuanian authorities are harming their own economies as well as economies of other countries. And it's not in the interest of their population. They are alleging that we are a threat to Western democracies, and so they are restricting freedom of movement, freedom of expression. They are provoking problems and provoking unemployment, a lack of economic growth, and causing depression in their country. We consider that they are dropping the standard of living in their country, which Eurostat states are the lowest in the EU. They are alleging that Belarus is a threat to democracy and criticising our own human rights record, but they should look at keeping their own house in order. Thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of China. You have three minutes.

Vice-President. Certain NGO misused this council to disseminate disinformation. China strongly condemns and firmly opposes such act. The law on promotion of ethnic unity and progress aims to safeguard the legitimate interest of all ethnic groups and foster ethnic unity. China highly values the protection of ethnic minority cultures and continuously advances socioeconomic development in ethnic minority regions, improves the people's livelihood and preserves local language and cultures. The achievements in this regard are widely recognized. The so-called culture genocide or assimilation of ethnic minorities are nothing but deliberate attacks and smears devoid of any factual or legal basis, which China firmly opposes and categorically rejects. Those who back the independence of Tibet attempt all means to boost international tension and manipulate the UN position on Tibetan issue, even willing to sacrifice precious human lives. China condemns such act. As a country with a codified legal system, China maintains that anyone who is detained, arrested, prosecuted and put on trial is subject to such measures because their conduct has violated the law. China's religious policies are open, transparent and consistent. China manages religious affairs in accordance with the law and protects normal religious activities. The malicious hyping of false information by certain NGO will only exacerbate the politicization and instrumentalization of human rights issues. China urges this NGO to stop exploiting this issue and instead take concrete action to promote and protect human rights. I thank you, Vice President.

Thank.

You very much. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Sudan. You have three minutes.

Thank you, President.

We are exercising a right to reply, followed what was said by the Association of Medical and Trade Mutual Aid. We contest the information provided and the politicization of the situation and allegations levelled at the government of Sudan. They are promoting a certain discourse of a terrorist group. Vice President Sudan is facing an armed rebellion supported by a well-known state and fuelled by different kinds of foreign support. As an independent sovereign state, we have the right in Sudan to defend our sovereignty and our territorial integrity, to defend our people and our institutions in line with international law. The Sudanese army is a national institution which is assuming its duty under the constitution, which is to protect the people and the state. This is why we reject the selectivity in the allegations against the Sudanese authorities and attempts to accuse people who are supporting us in this very difficult situation in a politicized, non-objective, non-impartial way. We regret that this organisation decided to talk about Sudan here in this August Council. They should have a closer look at documents which clearly set forth all of the atrocities which have been committed by the FSR against the Sudanese people. the ethnic and sexual violence in Fashir and in other cities in Sudan. They should have looked seriously at the reports and the information on military supplies from abroad coming to this militia, which is allowing them to carry on with their activities. Silence faced with these facts, and then these accusations addressed to the Sudanese activities authorities show clear selectivism, and we see that this organization is not credible, it is not impartial, especially as this discourse is the same as that of the terrorist militia and the regional entities that support them. Sudan is a sovereign state. We have our history, our institutions, and our people, and as if these people are the only ones who can decide their fate. No other party has the right to take guardianship of our country. Sudan reserves the right to have recourse to mechanisms and procedures which exist within the United Nations to bring a complaint against this organization, which is benefiting from having a voice within this Council to promote terrorist militia and the countries which support them. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Is there any other delegation that wishes to exercise the right of reply at this juncture? That does not seem to be the case. Your Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, I hereby declare open agenda item four, entitled Human Rights, Situations that Require the Council's Attention. Under this agenda item, we will now begin the interactive dialogue with the Group of Independent Experts on the situation of human rights in Belarus. I am pleased to welcome the members of the Group of Independent Experts: Ms. Karina Moskalenko, who is the chair of the group, Ms. Susan Basily, and Ms. Monika Stanislawowa Piatek. I now give the floor to Ms. Karina Moskalenko, chair of the Group of Independent Experts on Belarus, to present the human rights situation in Belarus. Ms. Kripes, you have the floor.

Ms. Kripes: Mr. President, distinguished delegates, I am honored today, together with Dr. Susan Bazily and Professor Monika Platik, to provide this oral update on the human rights situation in Belarus, as requested by this Council in its resolution 61/26. Since the 1st of January 2026, the group has conducted five investigative missions and over 70 interviews with victims and witnesses. We have also collected over 200 items of information and reviewed all over 10 written submissions from individuals, civil society organizations, and academics. These testimonies contain a simple truth. Behind every case, there is a human being. Behind every statistic, there is a life. And behind every violation, there is a victim whose fundamental rights have been denied. And we are very grateful to every person who had the courage to come forward. Mr. President, we remain deeply concerned by the continuing deterioration of the human rights situation in Belarus. fundamental freedoms continue to be systematically and unlawfully restricted. Our particularly worrying trend is the criminalization of civic engagement and community-based initiatives. In March 2026, Eight women associated with the local online communities, known as neighborhood chats, received lengthy prison sentences on charges related to extremism and attempts to seize state power. neighbors created these communities after the crackdown in 2020 to help one another, share information, and build communal cooperation. Yet, these spaces for mutual assistance and civic engagement have become the target of a broader campaign that began at 2024 and has disproportionately affected women. Many members have been arrested, detained, and prosecuted under extremist-related legislation. When peaceful association is treated as extremism, civic space is not merely shrinking, it's being systematically dismantled. We are also deeply concerned by growing restrictions on access to education. In April 2026, The European Humanities University, a Belarusian institution operating in exile, was designated as extremist organization and banned in Belarus. Reports indicate that students and their families subsequently faced intimidation, questioning, and other forms of harassment because of their association with the university. Education should open doors. It should allow young people to ask questions, think critically, and plan a future. It should never become a reason for intimidation. These developments raise serious concern for freedom of thought and expression and for the right to education itself. Mr. President, we note 275 persons detained on political grounds have been released this week, as well as in March. We welcome these releases, but release does not bring an end to the violations endured by those detained. Some of those released were forcibly expelled from Belarus, a clear violation of international law. These releases neither signal moderation, nor do they reflect changes in a system that continues to perpetrate widespread and systematic violations of human rights. They appear to reflect transactional arrangements intended to ease the international pressure on the brutal system. Hundreds remain detained on politically motivated charges. Those who have been released remain in acute risk of persecution, arbitrary arrest, torture, and ill treatment, reprisals against their relatives, separation with their children, and deportation. We are equally alarmed by the government's decision to invalidate the passports of several individuals held on political grounds and subsequently expelled from the country. Many have consequently been left without valid identity documents, restricting their freedom of movement and access to employment, healthcare, legal status, and family life. while heightening the risk of statelessness. These developments are not isolated, but a continuing architecture of repression, misusing extremism legislation, shrinking civic space, restricting education, imprisoning for political reasons, and targeting for harassment those who have been released or forced into exile. They embody a system in which multiple state institutions operate in coordinated and mutually reinforcing manner to suppress fundamental rights and freedoms. We examine on Tuesday, this Tuesday, we issued a conference room paper. examining this system and the role of Belarusian state institutions in violation throughout the criminal justice system. We examine how the criminal justice system has been used against individuals because of their real or perceived opposition to the government and the role of the state institutions at every stage from arrest and interrogation through detention, prosecution, trial, and imprisonment. Two, post-release supervision. We examined the role and functions and chain of command of the principal institutions involved. Our findings are clear. Belarus bears responsibility for violations of multiple provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention against Torture, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. We reaffirm our previous finding of a complete lack of accountability. Belarusian authorities have not undertaken meaningful investigations or disciplinary proceedings against institutions or alleged perpetrators. Mr. President, we reiterate our call on Belarus to immediately cease these violations, release all persons detained on politically motivated grounds, and with particular attention to those with health conditions. Restore the rights of affected individuals and bring all laws, policies, and practices into full conformity with international standards. Distinguished members of the Council, Human rights are not privileges granted by the governments. They are not reward for obedience. They do not disappear when persons speak critically, join a community, pursue an education, or refuse to remain silent. They belong to every woman, every man, every child, just simply because they are human. We stand for those whose voices have been silenced, those who remain in prison, those forced into exile and families separated from their loved ones. We stand for students who should be free to learn, communities that should be free to organize, and every person should be able to live without fear of punishment for exercising fundamental rights. Those responsible must be accountable. Victims must receive effective remedies and reparations. The international community must not look away. We urge the members of this Council, and the wider international community to continue paying close attention to the situation in Belarus, to take all appropriate measures to promote accountability, protect victims, and support the realization of their rights. Thank you.

Muchas gracias.

Thank you very much. In accordance with our established practice, we will now hear from the delegation of the country concerned. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Belarus. You have five minutes for your statement.

Thank you. President, distinguished members of the Council, the group of experts is carrying on to pursue their investigations and working against our efforts to develop our country and they aim to distort our policies and the strategy that is a statement of fact for more than 20 years the Human Rights Council has been working against our country for political economic approaches and Today's dialogue with the group shows that they're working on country mandates which undermine the human rights system in the United Nations and runs counter to the Charter of the Organization and is against the interests of sovereign states, their authorities and their peoples. The activities of this group are an inalienable part of a massive repressive machine which has been deployed against the Belarus state and its people. It is promoting militarisation and military political tensions on our western borders. It is an instrument of disinformation about the situation in our country and the policies of our state. The report is not an impartial analysis; it is the expression of the hatred of the authors for my country. It is full of lies and Who needs this? In whose interest is this? The focus of the so-called analysis is the so-called violations in the presidential elections in 2020 and the so-called following repression. In fact, this is a desire for revenge, at least on paper, for those who portray themselves as innocent victims who have in fact violated the laws, have broken laws in our country, and therefore are serving just sentences. This group has worked against the legitimate authorities of our country, and they are turning all of the human rights apparatus against the interests of the people and our state. This is an attempt to justify the broad sanctions which undermine the economic development of Belarus. And they also are a counter to the genuine desire of our people, expressed through the elections for the President and all of our political authorities over all these years. The Belarusian issue on the Human Rights Council agenda does not serve the interests of promoting and protecting human rights. It only promotes the narrow interests of a small group of countries, first and foremost the EU. We harbour no illusion that the situation will change whilst there is a war in our region, and whilst Belarus refuses to break all ties with Russia. Distinguished members of the Council, Belarus is convinced that in the HRC we should not have mechanisms which could be distorted in this way. We must have a system which works in the interests of the peoples of the world. And the UN needs to function on the basis of equality between sovereign states. Belarus is an independent sovereign state and needs to decide its own fate. We deliberately chose our own path for state development, to develop our public institutions without revolution, without conflict. Belarus knows its rights and will fully use these, and the Belarus people know their rights. We value peace and interstate cooperation with our neighbors and with the whole world. Distinguished colleagues, members of the Council, this the group of Western countries have imposed on the HRC to have this format to discuss the situation in Belarus. This is a dead-end path. We said this many times. And in interest of international relations, we will explain our position. We will hope that common sense will prevail and that we can promote human rights without any politicization, without any manipulation. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Excellencies, distinguished participants, this brings us to the end of this morning's meeting. We will reconvene this afternoon at 3:00 p.m. to continue the interactive dialogue with the group of independent experts on the situation of human rights in Belarus, following which we will move to the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burundi. which, in turn, once concluded, will be followed by the interactive dialogue with the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. With that, I hereby close the 17th meeting of the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council. Thank you very much.