22nd Meeting - 63rd Session of Human Rights Council

Important announcement. Message important. Important announcement. Important announcement. Important announcement. Important announcement. Important announcement. Important. Important. Important. Important. Important. Important. Important. Important. Pour aider à transmettre les informations 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. Il est rappelé aux orateurs qu'ils doivent présenter leurs déclarations à un rythme raisonnable afin de garantir une interprétation complète et de qualité. Se ruega a los oradores que pronuncien sus declaraciones a un ritmo razonable para garantizar una interpretación íntegra y de calidad. Good afternoon, Excellencies, distinguished colleagues. I hereby declare open the 22nd meeting of the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council. We continue the general debate under agenda item 4. We return to the list of speakers for national human rights institutions. and non-governmental organizations. So I give the floor to the representative of public organization, public advocacy, intervention by video.

Distinguished participants, I'm a bishop of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. I would like to draw your attention to the problem of illegal forced mobilization of the clergy of our church, mobilized priests go missing or die. At the same time, all other religious denominations in Ukraine can get a deferment, and also they can serve as chaplains. But this is strictly forbidden by our clerics. This is open and clear discrimination on religious grounds. What is of special concern is that this continues after a UN reaction, the format of the press release on the problems of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, where Ukraine's actions were called collective punishment of our entire confession. However, actions that threaten the very existence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church continue. Criminal prosecutions of bishops and clergy have not stopped. The process of the legal liquidation of our church continues. We, the believers of the largest Christian confession in Ukraine expect a clear, more meaningful and large-scale response from the UN special procedures. Today, it's not just simply enough to record violations. Effective protection is needed. Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the representative of Badil Resources Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights, intervention by video.

President, UN Member States have done nothing to stop the illegal change of UNRWA's geographic scope and obstruction of its operations resulting from the Israeli regime's banning laws. Member States have also done nothing to hold the Israeli regime accountable for the killing of 393 UNRWA personnel and the wanton destruction and/or seizure of UNRWA property. As Finland joins the United States and Sweden in defunding UNRWA, other states have decreased, redirected, or conditioned their UNRWA contributions, further impairing its operations and enabling genocide. These actions and inactions normalize and enable UNRWA's dismantlement and other Israeli crimes. Badil calls on UN member states to end their complicity and inaction and uphold UNRWA's mandates by fulfilling their obligations to impose sanctions on the Israeli regime to renounce its banning laws, provide increased unconditional funding to UNRWA to ensure its operations, revoke the Israeli regime's UN membership and privileges, Freeze or ban the activities of Zionist Israeli organizations in member states' jurisdictions. Seek legal remedy and reparations for the killing of UN personnel and the destruction and seizure of UN property. UNRWA and its services are our right until return. Thank you.

Before moving to the next speaker, I would like to remind all speakers to uphold UN standards in referring to countries. I give the floor to the representative of Patiala Foundation.

Mr. President, Patiala Foundation draws the Council's attention to findings placed on the public record before Pakistan's own parliamentary committee on the minority caucus. According to that briefing, of 1,817 Hindu temples and Sikh gurdwaras across Pakistan, only 37 remain functional. Committee members attributed this decline to sustained neglect by the Evacuee Trust Property Board, while the Caucus's own convener acknowledged that constitutional guarantees for minorities have yet to be translated into meaningful protection in practice. These findings are reinforced by an 11 April 2024 statement from United Nations human rights experts, who warned that Christian and Hindu girls remain particularly vulnerable to forced religious conversion, abduction and forced marriage, and that the impunity surrounding such crimes can no longer be tolerated or justified. The urgency of this issue was underscored again in July 2026, when the 125-year-old Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib in Farukhabad was reportedly demolished, prompting India's Ministry of External Affairs to formally condemn the and Sikh religious bodies to seek intervention at international forums, including this Council. The protection of minority heritage must be judged not by rhetoric, but by preservation, accountability, and equal custodianship. Patiala Foundation therefore urges the Council to call on Pakistan to implement its own parliamentary committee's recommendations, reform the Evacuee Trust Property Board, ensure accountability for demolition and encroachment, and involve minority communities directly in the protection and management of the sacred sites. Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Coudepoix.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Our organization drew the urgent attention of this Council to the grave situation in Pakistan-administered Azad Jammu and Kashmir. We are the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee. Charter of demand remains central to a peaceful civilian movement for fundamental rights. We are also deeply concerned by the reported denial of the 4th October 2025 written agreement, including commitments sought as a sovereign guarantee. Since 5th June 2026, reports indicate that Pakistan's security forces, including rangers and other formations, have used excessive and lethal force against civilians, alongside allegations of targeted killings. arbitrary detention, looting, vandalism, and violation of private property. More than 100 civilians have reportedly been killed, including a female lawyer, two doctors, a PhD scholar, elderly persons, and predominantly young people. 100 have reportedly been detained, while numerous bodies remain uncounted, particularly in Rawalakot, Poonch, Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The internet and mobile communication blackout has isolated entire region and obstructed emergency assistance. Restrictions on food, medicines, and healthcare have placed civilians and the wounded at grave risk. We strongly condemn these reported abuses, the alleged use of heavy weapons against civilians. Thank you.

I now give the floor to the representative of Sambali Trust.

Mr. Vice-President, in Jaisalmer, Sambali works with Hindu minority families, many from Bhil communities, who come to India after leaving difficult circumstances in Pakistan. I have sat with them and heard them myself. I will not repeat private details without permission. They did not leave home lightly. I have no reason to doubt what they had told me. This is not against Pakistan's people. It is a request to hear its minorities. In April 2026, UN experts reported that about three quarters of women and girls affected by forced conversion through marriages in 2025 were Hindu, and nearly four in five reported incidents occurred in Sindh. Pakistan established a statutory National Commission for Minorities Rights in 2025. Pakistan's National Commission for Human Rights called forced conversion through marriage a grave concern. We respectfully ask these institutions to investigate every complaint fairly and protect girls from forced conversion and forced marriages. Here in India, these families are beginning again. We stand beside them. Thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, intervention by video.

Mr. President, We welcome UN High Commissioner Volker Turk calling for the abolition of China's so-called Ethnic Unity and Progress Law. Moreover, we welcome the High Commissioner's appeal for a U-turn in China's policies aimed at the rights of the Tibetan people. The High Commissioner's appeals reflect the absence of fundamental rights the Tibetan people are entitled to. Most recently, China's new assimilationist law raised by the High Commissioner further extends state control over language, education, religion, and identity. It threatens to eradicate Uyghur culture and distinct identity. Following the devastating floods in Qirong, Tibetan families have been left searching for answers about missing loved ones, while authorities tightly control access to the disaster zone and the identification and recovery of the dead. Even grief is controlled. Families cannot speak openly about their loss, and at least 19 people have faced punishment for sharing information or questioning official accounts of the disaster. China's response to this disaster is emblematic of its policies in Tibet: tight control of information, persecution of dissent, and lack of independent access. We urge this Council to echo the appeals of the High Commissioner, demand unfettered access to Tibet, and hold China accountable for violations of Tibetans' fundamental rights. Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism, Joint Statement.

Thank you. I am Rana Araj, representing the anti-racism movement in Lebanon. We work alongside migrant communities to challenge racism and discrimination. Since Israel's bombing of Lebanon, migrant workers have described being trapped between employer abandonment and control and the kafala system on one side and bombings on the other. The lack of reliable and disaggregated data on migrant workers limits their visibility and planning and response mechanisms. During the ongoing crises and displacement in Lebanon, migrant communities face barriers to access information, shelter, protection, and particularly those with precarious legal status. Feminists and women human rights defenders played a significant role in responding to these needs, alongside migrant community members and leaders who organized collectively with limited resources amid financial constraints and insufficient support from state and non-state actors alike. For these reasons, we call on the Council and the international community to urge Lebanon to ensure that crisis preparedness and response mechanisms include migrant communities, regardless of residency status, and that migrant-led organizations meaningfully participate in their design and monitoring, while putting in place strong safeguards on how their data is collected and protected. We further call on States as well as the Special Procedures to consider the situation of migrant workers in Lebanon when addressing the current crisis. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Iranian Thalassemia Society, intervention by video.

Mr. President, the Iranian Thalassemia Society draws the Council's attention to reality in which foreign policy measures directly affect the right to health and life. More than 3,000 persons with thalassemia major in Iran depend on regular blood transfusion and uninterrupted access to iron chelator medicine. For them, a blood payment or delayed medicine can mean irreversible organ damage or premature death. Patients cannot be treated with humanitarian exemption paper. When banks refuse payment and pharmaceutical companies withdraw for fear of penalty, medicines still fail to reach those who need them. The pressure has weakened Iran's health system. Recent military aggression by the United States and Israel has further disrupted infrastructure, public services, and supply chains, increasing the vulnerability to persons with chronic illness. Mr. President, patients must not be made to pay a disruptive between a state with their life. As a thalassemia patient who is struggling between life and death daily, we call upon the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health to urgently engage the US government and relevant financial, the pharmaceutical actors to remove practical barrier to treatment for person with thalassemia in Iran. We further urge to a Special Rapporteur to independently access the impact of sanction and over compliance on patient with right to health. The right to health must not be where sanction begin thank you

thank you I give the floor to the representative of engineer Dumont joint statement

Mr. President three charges were repeated against Israel in this chamber genocide apartheid ethnic cleansing in fact each is a case of projection genocide If Israel sought to annihilate Gaza, why is the death count not exponentially higher? The IDF that sent 200 jets 1,000 miles away to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities in 12 days could have killed many times the amount without warning. It could have stayed in the air. Instead, it warned civilians to move them out of harm's way and sent its young servicemen into the Hamas tunnels. Hundreds of them are dead. No, it is Hamas who launched a massacre on October 7th with openly stated genocidal intentions. That is what its leaders still promise to do again. Sadly, many of these Hamas leaders are principals of UNRWA schools, including Fathi al-Sharif in Lebanon, Suheil al-Hindi in Gaza, and many others. The world should not support those with genocidal intent to teach in UN schools. Apartheid? In Israel next month, 2 million Arab citizens will vote in national elections. Arabs will be elected. Under Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, there are zero Jews. ethnic cleansing, the Arab population in Israel has multiplied. Under Palestinian law, selling to Jews gets you the death penalty. On September 6, 2023, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas justified Hitler. He is a Holocaust denier. We applaud the mayor of Paris for stripping him of the city's award. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Christian Council International, intervention by video.

Presidents, Christian Council International is deeply concerned about the increasing violence against Christians around the world. An estimated 388 million Christians currently face severe persecutions and discrimination because of their faith in Jesus Christ. That is about one in every 21 people. One example is Syria. The situation for Christians in Syria has deteriorated significantly since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. Christians have received threats, several attacks have taken place and several Christian schools had to be closed. The unstable political situation under the HCS-led government creates space for extremists to target Christians. Syrian Christians feel increasingly unsafe in their own country. Between one and one and a half million Christians have fled Syria since 2011. Another example is Nigeria, where the highest number of Christians are killed because of their faith year after year. In no other country is the violence against Christians as severe. Churches are attacked, church leaders are kidnapped, and women and girls are raped. Christian Council International believes that everyone should be free to profess and practice their faith. Violence and discrimination against Christians must stop. We call on everyone to stand against the persecution of Christians, whether through diplomatic efforts or in another role. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Association of Iranian Short Statured Adults, intervention by video.

Mr. President, war does not only produce casualties, it also produces disability. A strike lasting seconds can cause amputation, a spinal injury, blindness, severe burns, or permanent brain damage. For many victims, the effects will last for decades or for life. This raises an important question: should civilian harm be measured only by the number of people killed or injured? The word "injured" covers very different realities. A temporary wound is not the same as a permanent disability. The severity and duration of harm must also matter. This is also a question of responsibility and reparation. The real cost of permanent disability includes long-term medical care, rehabilitation, assistive devices, loss of employment, changes to housing, personal support, and the impact on families. Compensation cannot stop with initial treatment. The danger also continues after hostilities end. Unexploded weapons and other dangers left by war can cause injuries and new disabilities for years. We therefore call on the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities to give particular attention to the military attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran over the past year, and to reflect the severity, permanence and long-term costs of disability in civilian harm assessments and reparation. I thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of AESD, intervention by video.

The ICCPR and ICSCR affirms that all peoples have the right to self-determination and freely determine their political status. The Eelam Tamils, a distinct people with their own language, history and homeland in the northeast of Sri Lanka, have been denied this right for over seven decades. The Vattakota Resolution of 1976 gave expression to the Tamil people's aspiration for self-determination, which they reaffirmed democratically, yet discrimination, communal violence Sri Lanka's genocidal war against Eelam Tamils have left Tamils without genuine political participation. Militarization and state-sponsored land colonization continue in their homeland. Survivors and families of the disappeared still wait for truth, justice and guarantees of non-recurrence. We therefore urge the following actions: that the Human Rights Council nominate a country-specific Special Rapporteur on Sri Lanka to monitor and report on the situation of the Eelam Tamils; that that the Security Council refer the situation in Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court, that the General Assembly establish an international impartial and independent mechanism to collect and preserve evidence for future prosecutions, that the Special Committee on Decolonization recognize the right of the Eelam Tamils to self-determination and declare Tamil Eelam a non-self-governing territory. Thank you.

I give the floor to the representative of International Educational Development, Incorporated.

Thank you, Vice-President. The IED and the Kurdistan Human Rights Association, Geneva, would like to draw the attention of the Human Rights Council to the dramatic surge in executions and transnational repression cases targeting Kurdish people and high-level athletes in the Islamic Republic of Iran. As an international sportsperson, I know what sport represents: freedom, dignity and hope. However, athletes are often targeted by the authorities. Rather than allowing its athletes to mount onto the podiums, the Islamic Republic of Iran sends them to the gallows. This is true for Saleh Mohammadi, a young Kurdish wrestler executed in March of last year, of this year rather, Mohammed Mehdi Karimi, a Kurdish karate champion executed in 2023, and we still have boxing champion Mohammad Javad Vahseni who's on death row. And that's not an exhaustive list. Many other athletes have also been arrested, tortured, convicted or executed for having exercised their rights or expressed their views. All of this experience demonstrates how the death penalty and arbitrary arrests, unfair trials and torture are used as tools by the Islamic Republic of Iran as an instrument of repression and intimidation, including targeting young people who should be the future of the country, not have their lives snuffed out. International sporting federations, Olympic committees, lead bodies need to act. And we call upon this Council to exhort the Islamic Republic of Iran to put an end to executions, to the persecutions of minorities and of the Iranian people writ large, and to put an end to transnational repression. Thank you very much.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of ARC, intervention by video.

Dear President, dear delegates, the Council's attention is drawn to the severe repression targeting Azerbaijani activists and Azerbaijani individuals in Iran, as well as to the alarming increase in executions in recent months. In 2025 and '26, ARCDH documented prison sentences totaling more than 225 years imposed on activists, journalists, human rights defenders, and lawyers for peaceful activities. Minors have also been arrested and prosecuted. Messrs. Sani, Kari, Khairjou, and Dashti were sentenced to a total of 40 years in prison for peaceful acts of solidarity with arbitrarily imprisoned activists outside Evin Prison. 13 Azerbaijani civil society activists and defenders were collectively sentenced in Tabriz for more than 85 years, including Yurush Mehrali-Beyli. Detention conditions and the use of the death penalty in Ardabil, Tabriz, Urmia, Zanjan and Qazvin are particularly concerning. Detainees are suffering from serious medical conditions without receiving adequate care, including Asja Akbasada. Several executions have also reportedly followed proceedings marred by allegations of torture. ACTH urges the Council to address new laws aiming to criminalize contacts with human rights organizations and obstructing cooperation with the United Nations human rights system. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of African Development Association.

I thank you, Mr. President. Our organization urgently draws the Council's attention to the grave deterioration of human rights in Pakistani-administered Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Since 5 June 2026, repressions have intensified. Peaceful political demands have been met with arrests, violence, restrictions on communications, and the increasing militarization of civilian life. Reports of death, injuries, arbitrary detentions and disappearances demand an immediate, independent and impartial investigation. Mr. President, peaceful dissent is not terrorism and demands Demanding rights is not a crime. We call upon Pakistan to immediately end the use of forces against peaceful protesters, release all persons arbitrarily detained, establish the fate and whereabouts of missing persons, and restore unrestricted internet and mobile communication in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. In Gilgit-Baltistan, unresolved questions of political representation, land rights, and control over natural resources require genuine democratic dialogue, development projects must never proceed without transparency, consultations, and respect for local communities. The Council must not remain silent, should act now to save lives of millions of Kashmiris. We urge the Council to establish independent monitoring and demand accountability, protection of civic space. Thank you.

I thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Action de la Jeunesse pour le Développement

Mr. Vice-President, human rights bodies have extensively documented how arbitrary detention and torture are intentionally being used to suppress Sikh dissidents in Punjab. India's counter-terrorism framework under the UAPA facilitates prolonged detention through extended police remand and restrictive bail processes. This creates a system in which individuals are subject to torture and remain imprisoned for years without conviction. A report by human rights defender Jaspal Singh Manchpur examined UAPA cases over eight years and identified 104 Sikh dissidents incarcerated under the legislation, resulting in one single conviction, which is pending appeal today. Recognized as a distinguished lawyer, Jaspal Singh has himself been subject to threats and arbitrary detention in the past. Along similar lines, this Council's Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that British national Jagtar Singh Jaggi Jaul has been "deprived of his liberty on discriminatory grounds owing to his status as a human rights defender and based on his political activism, religious faith, and opinions." Jaggi has spent 3,243 days in arbitrary detention without ever having been convicted of any crime. I urge members of the Council to closely examine the systematic persecution of pro-Khalistan Sikh activists in Punjab and join international calls for Jaggi to be allowed to return home to Scotland immediately. Thank you.

I give the floor to the representative of Fundacion Vida, intervention by video.

We thank the fact-finding mission for its rigorous reports. external support is fuelling both parties. The mission documented a transnational network sustaining the Rapid Support Forces in El Fasher and Zamzam, where war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed. On the Sudanese Armed Forces, the mission's findings on external support remain preliminary, yet it has already verified Turkish-designed Akinci drones and U3 loitering munitions in strikes on civilian objects. Credible reporting also points to financial and logistical facilitation involving Saudi Arabia and Egypt. We encourage Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt to cooperate fully with the mission. We also note, without prejudicing, the unresolved allegations of chemical weapons use in 2024, which the SAF deny, and we would welcome unhindered access for the technical secretariat of the OPCW. Accountability must reach all those who commit, order, finance, supply or facilitate international crimes on all sides and without selectivity. We therefore ask the mission what concrete steps should states take now to trace, halt and sanction these networks. I thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Advocates for Human Rights, intervention by video.

Mr. President, the Advocates for Human Rights and Iran Human Rights both members of the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, are gravely concerned by Iran's escalating use of the death penalty against political prisoners and protesters. Since 18 March, Iranian authorities have executed at least 56 people on political or national security charges, including at least 29 linked to the nationwide protests that began on 28 December 2025. These executions follow grossly unfair proceedings, often based on torture-tainted confessions and vague charges such as "muharabe" or "waging war against God" for conduct that does not meet the threshold of the most serious crimes under international law. At least 100 protesters are already sentenced to death and remain at imminent risk of execution. We call on this Council and all Member States to demand an immediate halt to executions, a moratorium on the death penalty, and fair trials for all detained protesters. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Association Hatzor. Sorry if I mispronounce.

Vice President, Ceuta is Spain, and Ceuta is not alone. It's not a colony. the invasion organized since out of Morocco and allowed by the government of Pedro Sanchez. Thousands of people moved to a small city and days after the government has not clarified the situation, how many returned and how many have stayed. Those who attack, since Ceuta attacked Spain and those who are protecting Pedro Sanchez, what does Morocco know about this? What is happening here? It's a situation of treason to all of us. we are listening to the desperate situation of our co-citizens and we cannot stay unmoved by this. We will be raising our voice in all institutions where we will be heard. Today it's Ceuta, tomorrow it's going to be Melilla and then the Canaries. Who organized this invasion? This must be investigated and we have to be reaffirm that the king of Morocco cannot use the citizens as a weapon Ceuta is not alone Ceuta is Spain and Spain defends itself thank you

thank you I give the floor to the representative of civicus intervention by video

Mr. President Salam for democracy and human rights and civicus are alarmed at the deteriorating human rights situation in Bahrain in July civicus added the country to its watch list Since the outbreak of the regional conflict, we have recorded the Bahraini security forces' arrest of nearly 300 people, some held incommunicado and charged under vague provisions such as spreading false news, glorifying terrorism, and undermining public order. The authorities have arbitrarily detained human rights activists, political critics, and children, religious scholars, and migrant workers for expressing opinion online or participating in peaceful demonstrations. Concerns have also mounted over reports of enforced disappearances, secret detentions, and abuse in custody, reports of torture of some, direct recommendation made in December 2025 by the Committee Against Torture, while the authority single conviction in relation to the death in custody of Mohammed Al-Mousawi concealed systematically abusive conduct. Bahrain arbitrary denationalization of an expulsion of 69 people, including children, increased statelessness without an effective avenue of appeal while violating the children's rights and other human rights convention. Salam and Sifakas are the human rights council to ensure full accountability and independent scrutiny of all these allegations. We urge Bahrain also to release all prisoners of conscience, put an end to the unprecedented wave of arbitrary mass arrests and crackdown, guarantee the right of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, release all those arbitrarily detained and restored arbitrarily revoked citizenships. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Humanists International, intervention by video.

Mr. President, In a statement last year, Humanist International and Humanist Malaysia urged Malaysia to acknowledge that the right to freedom of religion or belief is a fundamental right shared by everyone, those who hold beliefs, those who change them, and those who choose not to believe at all. How long can Malaysia uphold constitutional freedom while failing to extend its full protection to those who need it the most? Malaysia has yet to ratify the ICCPR. The covenant does not impose foreign values, but rather articulates a fundamental principle of human dignity. No government should control a person's conscience. Doubt should not be treated as a crime. Yet in Malaysia, the assurance that every person can profess and practice their religion is compromised when individuals are denied a genuine right to change their faith, when apostasy is punished or subjected to coercive measures under state laws, and when non-believers lack an effective protection against discrimination, hostility, persecution. Religious harmony and social cohesion cannot be achieved by silencing dissent, policing identities, or punishing personal beliefs. We therefore call on Malaysia to ratify the ICCPR without any reservations that would undermine its purpose, to reform all laws and practices that criminalize, penalize, or restrict apostasy or conversion, including compulsory rehabilitation, align Article 11 of the Federal Constitution with a universal right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion, or belief, and safeguard non-religious individuals, including humanists, atheists, from discrimination and violence. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Al Salam Foundation for a joint statement intervention by video.

Mr. President, we draw the Council's attention to Bahrain's continued targeting of political prisoners released under the 2024 Royal Amnesty by renewing demands for fines waived under the amnesty and threatening them with re-imprisonment. Six former prisoners convicted in connection with the Jau prison events in 2015 have recently been imprisoned over fines. Others risk detention if unpaid. Human rights defender Nahji Fattil, whose previous detention was deemed arbitrary by the Working Group, was released under the 2024 royal pardon after 11 years of arbitrary detention and torture, but continues to face employment and housing restrictions, summonses, and a travel ban. On 18 August 2026, at dawn, police officers forcibly raided his home and re-arrested him without presenting a warrant, over a liability of around $23,700 that he cannot afford to pay, with non-payment carrying six months' imprisonment. We call on the Council to urge Bahrain to end persecution of political prisoners during and after detention, provide reparations, fully implement the 2024 Royal Pardon, release those rearrested, and guarantee non-recurrence. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Christian Solidarity Worldwide. Intervention by video.

CSW is deeply concerned by the reintroduction of the Foreign Contribution Amendment Bill in India and its potential implications for the right to freedom of religion or belief. The proposed amendments would significantly expand state powers over assets acquired through foreign contributions. Under the bill, if an organization's FCRA registration expires, is cancelled, surrendered, or not renewed, a government-appointed authority could automatically take over, manage, or dispose of an NGO's assets. These powers can be carried out without prior independent judicial scrutiny. The bill also fails to differentiate what constitutes a foreign-funded asset. effectively treating entire domestic assets and their appreciated value as regulated foreign property. The absence of a clear definition regarding provisions prohibiting the use of foreign contributions for so-called proselytization also creates scope for arbitrary interpretation and application, raising serious concerns for religious organizations, humanitarian actors, and civil society groups engaged in legitimate faith-based activities. Across India, faith-based organisations provide essential services, including education, healthcare, disaster relief, and support for vulnerable communities. The prospect of losing control of these institutions because of administrative decisions relating to the FCRA registration has created considerable uncertainty and fear. We urge the Government of India and Members of Parliament to ensure that any legislation fully complies with India's international human rights obligations. protects civic space, and safeguards the fundamental rights to freedom of religion or belief for all. Thank you.

I give the floor to the representative of Peace Brigades International.

Mr. Vice President, I would like to share with you the situation of human rights defenders in Mexico, specifically in the Yucatan. where we see large industry working in the extracting sphere. This leads to high violence against those who defend forests in our lands. We've seen disappearances of some of our activists or the criminalization of Maria Luz Paz, a defender that has been detained by state. Impunity and access to justice doesn't exist. The crisis related to assassinations of human rights defenders and disappearances related to criminal networks that work due to the control of territory by organized criminal groups using drones with explosive devices. But violence cannot justify the closing of civic space. We demand that our security is guaranteed and to ensure the effective implementation of laws that are designed to do just that, for example, the law to protect human rights defenders and journalists. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of International Federation for the Protection of the Rights of Ethnic, Religious, Linguistic and Other Minorities for a joint statement.

Thank you, Mr. Lewis. Thank you very much, Vice-President. We're taking the floor under agenda item 4 to draw the attention of the Council on the situation of human rights that is related to humanitarian crisis that is worsening in occupied Western Sahara. Human rights defenders continue to face restrictions and repression in the exercise of their fundamental rights. At the same time, the Office of the High Commissioner does not have access to the territory with a need for independent monitoring of the human rights situation. We're also concerned by the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Sahrawi refugee camps. After a situation of prolonged displacement, humanitarian assistance is crucial to respond to the needs, but the lack of necessary funding continues to affect the situation of nutrition, water, and other vital services. The reduction of assistance has a particular impact on refugee families that largely depend on international support. This prolonged crisis cannot be ignored, even though it has been with us for decades. We need to provide adequate...

I give the floor to the representative of Disabled Women's Association.

Distinguished Vice-President, protecting cultural and ethnic diversity is a human rights responsibility. History provides many examples of people being denied their identity, language, and historical memory. Today, I would like to draw attention to the Circassian, Adyghe people. In 1864, the Russian Empire forced more than a million Circassians from their ancestral homeland in the Caucasus. Its consequences remain visible today. As the Circassian communities live across many countries and continue their efforts preserve their language, identity, and historical memory. Recently, the Center for Cultural and Ethnic Diversity held an international conference in Shusha, Azerbaijan, dedicated to this tragedy. Its final declaration called for recognition of historical injustice, access to relevant archives, an end of the glorification of those responsible for mass violence, and the rejection of chauvinism, xenophobia, and attack against non-Russian people. Historical memory should not be suppressed. Mother tongue should not be threatened. Cultural identity should not be treated as a danger. Historical justice is not an attempt to change the past. It's a responsibility to prevent future tragedies. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Association of Women Against Poverty. I understand they're absent. And World Association for Justice and Human Rights of Victims. Absent. I give the floor to the representative of Citizen Aid and Development, intervention by video.

Thank you, Chair. I wish to raise the urgent humanitarian situation of Tamil refugees and asylum seekers who remain stranded in transit countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and elsewhere. Many fled Sri Lanka following serious human rights violations, including arbitrary arrest, torture, sexual violence and enforced disappearances. Many continue to fear that returning to Sri Lanka could expose them to further risk. The discovery and excavation of human remains from suspected mass graves have also deepened the concern of victims and families about accountability for past abuses. Most concerning is the situation of children born and raised in these transit countries. Many lack secure legal status or citizenship and face serious barriers to education, employment, and a dignified future. Some refugees have also faced prolonged delays in resettlement because of past allegations or perceived links to the LTTE. As a result, some families have remained in uncertainty for 15 or even 20 years. Despite changes in governments and political leadership, refugees and victims continue to call for meaningful legal and institutional reforms addressing the conditions that contributed to their insecurity. These people cannot be left indefinitely without a future. We urge this Council and concerned governments to take urgent and concrete action to provide durable solutions, including safe and appropriate resettlement, so that the refugees and their children can live in safety, access education, work, and rebuild their lives with dignity and hope. Thank you.

I give the floor to the representative of Human Rights Now. Intervention by video.

Human Rights Now strongly condemns U.S. sanctions on ICC personnel, most recently against President Tomoko Akane and Abdoulaye Sey from the Office of the Prosecutor. The U.S. has sanctioned over a dozen court personnel in all, including nine judges, two deputy prosecutors, and the former prosecutor. U.S. officials have been explicit that their goal is to systematically disable the ICC's ability to operate, and they have pressured other states to also reject it. The most recent sanctions form part of this campaign to destroy the court. The sanctions have severely impacted the recipients and their families' daily lives by seizing, canceling, or disabling their access to bank accounts, credit cards, financial services, and e-mail and social media accounts, among other restrictions. Many extraterritorial institutions overcomply with the sanctions from fear of penalty without legal requirement. These sanctions undermine the rule of law and the international legal order, flagrantly attack the court's judicial independence, and hinder it meeting its legal mandate and impede justice for victims. We call on ICC member states to urgently take effective and coordinated action to protect the Court, including through domestic and regional blocking legislation. We also call on member states to take action to protect other actors cooperating with the Court who have also been sanctioned, including the Special Rapporteur for Palestine and Palestinian NGOs. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Center for Inquiry, intervention by video.

Mr. President, 30 months behind bars for a t-shirt. This is the sentence handed down in Morocco to feminist activist Ibtissam Lajjar for wearing a t-shirt bearing a slogan deemed offensive. She was arrested, prosecuted and imprisoned under laws against offending Islam for peacefully expressing her views, while those who threatened her online with death and rape remain free. Also in Morocco, clerics have called for the killing of Dr. Mohammed Al-Faied over remarks that some considered insulting to Prophet Muhammad. In Algeria, novelist Kamel Daoud became the target of a campaign calling for his death after an imam accused him of apostasy. This is a glaring double standard, Mr. President. The law is wielded as a weapon against those who express peaceful opinions, while those who incite violence are tolerated. Freedom of belief is not complete unless it includes the freedom to be an atheist, and freedom of expression is not complete unless it includes the freedom to criticize the sacred. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of European Center for Law and Justice, intervention by video.

Thank you, Mr. President. With over 3,000 Christians massacred in just eight months this year, the ongoing ethno-religious cleansing in Nigeria is a catastrophe. Fulani armed militias in the Middle Belt have become the deadliest perpetrators, even though media attention remains focused on Boko Haram. Christians are being systematically slaughtered and plundered across Kaduna, Benue and Plateau states, including Mangu, Dengdeng, Dorking, Nobi, Kum and Ryom, where two-year-old children are being mutilated by gunfire. Over 19,000 churches have been torched nationwide in 16 years. These terrorists are growing more complex in their threat, multiplying mass abductions and targeting schools. Their actions have forced closures across 11 states as they used children as human shields. Local dioceses are currently being asphyxiated by the financial targeting of the clergy through exorbitant ransoms. The inertia of the Nigerian government persists despite the proclaimed state of emergency. Therefore, the ECFJ calls on this Council To demand that the Nigerian government immediately deploy neutral security forces to protect churches, schools, and defenseless Christian villages, and to secure plundered agricultural lands. To appoint an independent investigation mechanism to break the systematic impunity enjoyed by these Islamist militias. Thank you.

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

Excellencies, The situation in East Asia continues to demand the collective attention of the international community, not only in the global north, but also above all, the global south, which represents the majority of humanity. We are deeply concerned that Japan's current administration is engaging in war propaganda in violation of the commitment to Article 20 of the ICCPR by fearmongering and invoking Taiwan as a casus belli for war in the region. Efforts to hollow out Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, together with the intensified militarization of the Ryukyu Islands, point to preparations for precisely such a conflict. These actions not only threaten the very stability of the entire East Asian region, but also risk repeating history by turning the island chain into a battleground, where a third of the indigenous Ryukyu population were sacrificed to buy time for the Imperial Japanese Army in 1945. We must not allow that tragedy to recur. Civil society organizations in the Republic of Korea, the Republic of Philippines, Hong Kong SAR, and elsewhere, once occupied and colonized by the Imperial Japanese forces, have voiced the same alarm. So too have anti-war protesters across Japan. War benefits none other than military-industrial complex and powers of the old order. If we fail to halt this military buildup, we risk triggering a conflict that could escalate into global war and create an existential crisis for the institution itself. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Franciscans International for a joint statement, intervention by video.

Mr. President, we express our ongoing concern regarding the deteriorating human rights situations of the indigenous populations of West Papua, Indonesia. Heavy military presence and ongoing security operations in Yahukimo, in Tanjayam, Maybrat, and Paniai are causing ongoing displacement. There is limited or no humanitarian access for IDP sheltering in forest or host communities. In July 2026, the Indonesian government acknowledged that around 122,000 civilians have been displaced due to conflicts in West Papua. Most IDPs are from Puncak, Intan Jaya, Nduga, and Maybrat, and live scattered across West Papua in the towns of Jayapura, Mimika, Nabire, Wamena, and Sorong. Their rights to life, security, work, health, education, housing, and food are being violated. Therefore, we call upon the Indonesian government to address the IDP situation with urgency and allow humanitarian aid without delay. We are also increasingly alarmed by the food and energy related national strategy project in South Papua, particularly in Merauke Regency. Over 40,000 indigenous Papuans are affected by the clearing of more than 2 million hectares of rainforest and swampland critical to their lives. We urge the Guinean government to immediately re-evaluate the national strategic project, pending a comprehensive environmental and social impact assessment, and conduct a free, prior and informed consent consultation process with indigenous communities. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Global Institute for Water, Environment and Health, intervention by video.

As then, climate change disproportionately affects developing countries where poverty, energy insecurity and climate vulnerability are closely interconnected. The transition to renewable energy must therefore be understood not only as a climate imperative, but also as an opportunity to advance human rights and the right to development. India's experience demonstrated how renewable energy expansion can contribute to rural electrification, reduce energy poverty, create a green employment, and strengthen sustainable livelihoods. By 2025, India had reached approximately 50% of installed power capacity from non-fossil fuel sources and is advancing toward 500 gigawatts by 2030. We encourage the Council and the international community to strengthen climate finance, facilitate non-discriminatory technology transfer, support just transitions, and expand cooperation on clean energy infrastructure. Climate action must be equitable, inclusive, and development-oriented. Renewable energy should become a pathway to realizing the rights to health, adequate living standards, livelihood, and sustainable development. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Kiam Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture.

Mr. President, there are grave violations of international law committed by Israel in southern Lebanon. First, those are detained and missing persons. Since October 2023, the ICRC was not able to visit any Lebanese citizen held by Israel, including fighters and civilians and many Lebanese families do not know the whereabouts of their children or loved ones or to know about their living conditions and despite the release of a number of civilians others were abducted there are reports that indicate that 35 people who were detained in 2023 continue to exist in Israel there are also dozens who continue to be unaccounted for and they are deprived of the right to visit in accordance to article 49 of Geneva Fourth Convention. Israel also has killed 370 children, and this is a disregard of the distinction between military and civilian objects. Israel also has razed dozens of villages in the border area and also destroyed olive farms and it disregards the principle of the prohibition of collective punishment. We call on the Council to request Israel to allow the ICRC to visit Lebanese detainees and to stop its attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure in Lebanon, and also to condemn Israel for its treatment of prisoners. Thank you.

I give the floor to the representative of International Carrier Support Association.

Mr. Vice President, we are deeply concerned about the prolonged detention of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. President Duterte, now 81 years old, was arrested on 11 March 2025 and surrendered to the ICC custody in Hague. He has now spent 560 days in detention while his trial is scheduled only 30 November 2026. Article 9 of ICCPR protects individuals from arbitrary detention and requires the pre-trial detention not becomes indefinite. Article 14 guarantees the presumption of innocence and the rights to trial without undue delay. We are also concerned about the principle of complementarity under Article 17 of the Rome Statute. The Philippines has a functioning judicial system with multiple levels. The ICC should intervene only when the national authorities are genuinely unwilling or unable to investigate or prosecute. The circumstances surrounding President Duterte's arrest and surrender appears deeply entangled with the domestic political conflicts between the Marcos and Duterte political camps. International justice must never become an instrument in a domestic political struggle. We urge this Council to examine the legality and human rights implications of the President's prolonged detention, including the age and health, and to call for a full respect for due process, judicial independence, and the presumption of innocence. Justice must be independent from politics. Thank you, Vice-President.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project.

Mr. Vice President, we are concerned about the dangerous narrative fed by a cynical use of the UN financial crisis and a selective reading of the HRC's mandate, whereby mechanisms that do not enjoy the consent of the country concerned are illegitimate. Yet, UNGA resolution 62/51 is clear. Alongside dialogue, engagement and technical support, the Council has a responsibility to address human rights violations, including gross and systematic violations. Item 4 is one of the ways the Council discharges its mandate. Where violations are politically motivated and states lack the will to improve their record, the Council's role is to help generate political will by ensuring scrutiny, condemning violations, and increasing the political cost of abuses. Vice President, we are deeply concerned by events in the Sahel, Burkina Faso, and Mali and Niger. The Human Rights Council have a role to play in the documentation of these violations and the protection of the civilian population. Turning now to the DRC, we urge the High Commissioner to do his utmost to ensure the implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions. The Commission of Inquiry in Kivu needs to be fully operationalized as soon as possible so that it can discharge on its mandate. We urge the international community to pay close attention to South Sudan as the country is preparing for its first ever national elections without key prerequisites being met. risks of relapse into large-scale conflict are increasing. Thank you.

I give the floor to the representative of Gulf Center for Human Rights Limited.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. The Gulf Center for Human Rights and Al-Qusd for Human Rights wish to draw attention to recent developments in Yemen and the execution crisis in Saudi Arabia. The recent escalation of hostilities in Yemen has led to significant advances by the Houthis, which impact the conflict locally as well as the wider hostilities in the region. Initial reports indicate that significant violations have occurred as territory changes hands. This conflict, since 2014, has seen widespread human violations by all parties to the conflict. Clear international pressure for accountability has shown to be effective pressure to reduce abuses. The response of the Human Rights Council has moved from an effective group of eminent experts started in 2017, but not renewed in 2021, to the current item 10 resolution, which currently barely implies a need for accountability and does not call for an interactive dialogue, thereby leaving this context essentially unaddressed. There is an urgent need for this Council to do better. In Saudi Arabia, the use of the death penalty is a growing crisis with an international component, with foreign nationals bearing the brunt. Since the beginning of 2024, Saudi authorities have carried out at least 860 executions, with non-lethal drug-related executions making up over half and disproportionately affecting foreign nationals from Asian and African countries, notably Somalia, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Egypt, and Nigeria. Testimonies have confirmed a pattern of abuse suffered in the course of their arrest, detention, and trial, including a lack of access to consular support, legal representation, and adequate interpretation in court documents. The use of the death penalty in violation of international human rights law heightens fears. Thank you.

I give the floor to the representative of Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain, Incorporated. Intervention by video.

Mr. President, we draw the Council's attention to Bahrain's escalating use of nationality revocation to suppress dissent, particularly amid the recent war with Iran and continuing a pattern since 2012. On the 27th of April 2026, Bahrain's Ministry of Interior revoked the nationality of 69 people, including some family members, over alleged sympathy for Iranian attacks or collusion with foreign entities, all without judicial proceedings to establish these allegations. A decree was also issued removing judicial oversight of nationality revocation decisions and denying those affected the right to challenge or appeal them. Three MPs were also excluded from Parliament after opposing the decree. Bahrain's use of nationality to punish expression or dissent and its denial of judicial safeguards raises serious concerns about discrimination, statelessness, and the denial of effective remedies. We call on the Council to pressure Bahrain to stop arbitrary nationality revocations, ensure affected individuals can challenge them and seek judicial review, restore the nationality of those stripped of it, and reinstate the three MPs to their seats. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Beijing and Jiu Association for International Exchanges.

Mr. Vice President, Hong Kong is a society underpinned by the rule of law and has always adhered to the principle that laws must be obeyed and lawbreakers held accountable. The rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong residents are well protected under the Basic Law, the National Security Law, and Hong Kong Bills of Rights Ordinance, which ensures that the provisions of the ICCPR and ICESCR as applied to Hong Kong are upheld in accordance with the law. Furthermore, the National Security Law and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance clearly stipulates that the principle of the rule of law shall be adhered to in preventing, suppressing, and imposing punishments for offenses endangering national security. Any suggestions that certain persons should be immune from legal consequences for their illegal act is no different from advocating a special privilege to break the law, and this totally runs against the spirit of the rule of law. The defendants of national security cases were put on trial, not because of their political views or beliefs. All defendants received a fair trial in accordance with the laws of Hong Kong, free from any interference. Organizations should not interfere in ongoing legal proceedings in Hong Kong courts, nor should they interfere with Hong Kong's judicial independence in accordance with the rule of law. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Organization for Defending Victims of Violence, intervention by video.

Mr. President, we urge the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms to strengthen scrutiny and accountability regarding the United States' compliance with international human rights obligations, including its actions beyond borders. First, we call on the High Commissioner and relevant special procedures to strengthen monitoring and reporting on human rights impacts of US policies and actions, including unilateral coercive measures, military operations, and external interventions. Second, we urge States to use the UPR to raise specific and measurable questions concerning US compliance with international human rights obligations, including the extraterritorial and humanitarian consequences of its policies. Third, continued non-cooperation with UPR or other UN human rights mechanisms should not result in reduced scrutiny. We therefore support a dedicated Council debate on persistent non-cooperation. Fourth, we call on the greater attention to state responsibility for violations beyond national borders, including where violations are facilitated through military actions, arms transfers, political support, or coercive economic measures. Finally, we urge the Council to apply human rights scrutiny consistently to all the states, regardless of their political, economic, or military power. No state should avoid meaningful scrutiny or accountability through political influence or non-cooperation. I thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Amnesty International.

Mr. Vice President, as detailed in a major report issued last week, we have exposed how the Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity to crush the Women, Life, Freedom uprising, unlawfully killing hundreds of protesters and bystanders, persecuting their families, and subjecting thousands to arbitrary detention and forced disappearance or torture. These crimes were carried out as part of a widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population pursuant to a state policy. We urge the establishment of an international criminal justice mechanism and referral to the International Criminal Court. Egypt continues to face an arbitrary detention crisis, with thousands behind bars solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly. We urge their immediate release, including the release of human rights lawyer Ibrahim Metwally, who has been arbitrarily detained for eight years solely for his human rights activism and for engaging with this Council. Security forces arrested him at Cairo airport while he was on his way to Geneva to discuss enforced disappearances in Egypt. He is now facing three separate trials on unfounded charges, some of which carry the death penalty as a possible sentence. We are alarmed by a presidential directive issued in Algeria to amend the penal code and broaden the use of the death penalty in the aftermath of devastating wildfires. We urge the Algerian authorities to immediately abandon any plans to expand the scope of the death penalty or to resume executions. On Ethiopia, we remain deeply concerned by rising violence in Tigray amid ongoing conflicts in the Amhara and Oromia regions, with grave risk of continued serious and widespread human rights violations. We urge this Council's continued monitoring and reporting. Thank you.

I give the floor to the representative of Women Human Rights International Association.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. To conceal its past crimes, the Islamic Republic of Iran and its judiciary have demolished prisons, built parking lots over victims' burial sites, and constructed roads and highways over mass grave. Through these actions, they have sought to destroy evidence and erase the crimes from Iran's collective memory. Gohardasht Prison is a symbol of execution and torture in Iran's prison during the 1980s, particularly the 1988 massacres of political prisoners. In July 2024, former UN Special Rapporteur Javed Rehman characterized the massacre as the crime against humanity and genocide. Yet this effort has failed. Despite the passage of decades and the increasing use of execution to suppress opponents and terrorize society, true and justice remain central demands of the Iranian people. Preserving Gohar Dasht prison and the mass graves means defending families' right to know the truth and obtain justice. We call on the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran and the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran to act urgently to halt this destruction, preserve evidence, conduct independent investigation, and hold those who ordered and carry out these crimes accountable. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of China Ethnic Minorities Association for External Exchanges.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. We've long focused on human rights, especially the human rights of ethnic minorities. We believe the right to substance and the right to development are inalienable fundamental human rights. Our visit to Xinjiang showed us this firsthand. Last year was the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Over 70 years of development, the region's GDP grew from 1.2 billion to 2.1 trillion yuan. Life expectancy rose from around 30 to 77 years. More than 3 million rural poor people were lifted out of poverty. The Tian Shan Shengli Tunnel, the world's longest expressway tunnel, cut travel time across the Tian Shan Mountains from over three hours to about 20 minutes. People of all ethnic groups are sharing in the benefits of development. That's human rights in the truest sense. But in many parts of the world, these rights are still being violated. The United States, for its own selfish interests, has imposed sanctions and stopped conflict in the Middle East, killing tens of thousands of civilians. Putting hegemony above people's right to life is a cancer on the international human rights horse, and we must firmly resist it. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Medical Support Association for Underprivileged Iranian Patients, intervention by video.

Mr. President, when we talk about war, we picture rubble, soldiers, bombs, but there's another kind of victim we hardly see, the invisible victims of war. These are patients nowhere near the battlefield. Their harm comes from the collapse around them. No medicine, no blood, no ambulance, no electricity. A system fails and a life quietly slips away. So here's the question. Does protecting the right to life and health stop at keeping hospitals standing? Or does it have to cover the whole chain of treatment? The pills, the blood banks, the ambulances, the power lines, the phone signals, the doctors and nurses who never make it to work. Because for some patients, time is treatment. Delay isn't just inconvenient, it's fatal physical harm. And the law should address it. When we judge an attack, we can't ignore its ripple effects on health. A condition that could be managed must never be allowed to spiral into a life or death emergency. Mr. President, we call on the Special Rapporteur on the right to health to document impact of US and Israeli aggression on Iranians lives and health the direct casualties as well as the deaths and injuries resulting from disruptions to medical care thank you

thank you I give the floor to the representative of JESOR youth organization

Mr. President, I wish to make an urgent appeal on behalf of Dr. Sabiha Baloch, as I stay with the Baloch Yakeety Committee. Dr. Sabiha said in a court, "I fear that I may be arrested, forcibly disappeared, or even killed for speaking about the suffering of my people. Five of my colleagues are already in prison for peacefully speaking about human rights violation. I've been part of the same peaceful struggle, and I fear I could be next. Before I become another victim, I ask the international community, please look to what Barashistan now, not after another life is lost. The Barash Yekiti Committee is a peaceful grassroots movement. Its leader, including Dr. Marang Barash and Sibir Chaji, are serving life sentences following proceedings that have raised serious concerns about the process. According to PYC documentation, 1,223 enforced disappearances and 188 extrajudicial killings were recorded in 2025. Civilians, including children, have also reportedly lost their lives during military operation. I urgently appeal to the United Nations to investigate the human rights situation in Balochistan and urge Pakistan to address enforced disappearances and protect civilians and human rights defenders and ensure justice and accountability. Please, act before another voice is silenced. End of quote. Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Centre Europe.

President, my name is Jaime Guantacudo and I'm the spokesperson of the Mapuche Collective and I'd like to draw the attention of the Human Rights Council to the human rights situation in Chile, more specifically to the systematic violation of the collective rights of the Mapuche people, a violation carried out by the Chilean state. We denounce the militarization of the Mapuche territory, a process that's been going on for more than 4.5 years. We also use this, uh, august body to denounce the seizure of the historic leader of Temecuiqui, Jorge Juan Chulum, by the… Chilean exercise in a violent repressive operation of war, denominated Operation Trident, which demonstrates in Chile there is political persecution of ancestral Mapuche leaders and authorities. We call for the release of all Mapuche political prisoners. We also call upon the government of Chile to cease the reform projects that are currently going through Congress. Uh, as part of which they are seeking first to modify the indigenous law, allowing indigenous land to be sold, leased, mortgaged, which would lead to the social, cultural, political, and land breakdown of the Mapuche people. They're also using the national posters to try and put forward a constitutional reform project on public safety, which would affect not just the fundamental rights of the Mapuche people, but the entire Chilean civilian population. To conclude, we urge this Council to request the Chilean State to effectively comply with all those international instruments that it has ratified, as well as to ensure the respect and protection of the collective rights of the Mapuche people. Thank you very much.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Al-Bashir Foundation for Development.

We are determined to uphold the right to self-determination. It's vital that the right to self-determination be exercised and that there be space to exercise same, and that an end be put to the aggression and attacks on activists and defenders who are claiming such rights, particularly for the Sarawak people. President, we feel compelled to take the floor because the areas of Western Sahara under occupation live these violations of the rights on a daily basis, and the international human rights protection architecture mechanisms is unable to exercise its functions in a territory which under the control of another power. We're deprived of our rights, including, for example, the right to electricity and power, which is a fundamental right. The Maghreb occupying forces deprive of this right and many others as well. Up until very recently, the Sahrawi had been deprived of the right to exercise various other rights. One of our lawyers and representatives and many other Sahrawi defenders are imprisoned when championing and advocating for our range of rights. We are talking here about a territory under occupation and that needs to be recognized. We cannot turn our back on what's happening there. The international community should not demonstrate indifference to what's happening in this occupied territory. And so we call upon you, President, and this Human Rights Council to pay more attention to this region of the world. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of British Humanist Association, intervention by video.

We are deeply concerned by the implications of the Kishinev Declaration adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, not only for the human rights protections of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, but for the principle of universality. Weakening the rights of some risks undermining the rights of everyone. As a non-binding political declaration, it reflects a broader climate that is increasingly hostile to migrants. Countries such as Denmark and the UK have recently introduced legislation that purports to limit the application of convention rights amid misrepresentations in reporting that the European Court of Human Rights obstructs the deportation of foreign national offenders. This is despite the court already having an extremely limited impact on national migration and asylum decisions. Over the last 10 years, just 2% of the just under half a million applications submitted to the court concerned immigration. Of those, the Court ruled against states in just 6% of cases. We are unclear about the purpose of the declaration. The Court already provides a mechanism for dialogue. Protocol 16 allows high courts of state parties to obtain advisory opinions from the Court. Yet, despite the Kishinev Declaration itself encouraging states to consider ratifying Protocol 16, some countries that supported the process leading to the declaration, such as the UK and Denmark, have not done so. We call on European states to ratify Protocol 16 and to utilize its advisory function as a means of engaging in open, informed, and constructive dialogue that the Kishinau Declaration calls for. Thank you.

I give the floor to the representative of JAMI, Hiyagaran, Teb, Sonati, Vasalamat, Iranian intervention by video.

infrastructure is not limited to hospital buildings. The health and well-being of civilians also depend on a safe environment, clean water, safe soil, and access to safe food and medicinal resources. The bombings of oil storage facilities in Tehran and Karaj does not end with the destruction of physical infrastructure. Such attacks can contaminate air, soil, and water, seriously disrupting the environmental foundations of public health, with potentially lasting consequences. We must distinguish between visible destruction and invisible contamination. An environment may appear intact while its soil or water has been contaminated, rendering plants and natural resources unsafe for food or medicinal use. Moreover, the end of an attack does not necessarily mean the end of its harm. Certain environmental impacts and health consequences may emerge months or even years later, potentially affecting future generations. We therefore call on the Special Rapporteur on the Implications of Human Rights of the Environmentally Sound Management and and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes, and the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food to assess the impacts of the military operations conducted by the US and Israel, including their foreseeable and long-term environmental consequences. Where harm is established, remedy must, where necessary, include environmental cleanup, restoration, and ecological rehabilitation. I thank you.

Thank you. Women, I give the floor to the representative of Women and Sea Committee for CSW, Sida.

Dear Chair, for more than four decades, the authorities in Islamic Republic of Iran have violated the fundamental rights of women through gender apartheid, compulsory hijab, and institutionalized misogyny. We must not forget that thousands of women political prisoners were executed in 1980s. According to human rights organizations, more than 1,000 people have executed in Iran in 2026 alone, including at least 22 women. The authorities increasingly use the death penalty to silence dissent and spread fear. Eight women, including Zahra Tabari and 24 years old, are currently under death sentence for political reason and face imminent execution. This issue is deeply personal to me. My cousin, Fatemeh Khamaleh, was executed in Karaj in August 2026. Her case highlights serious concern regarding due process, access to justice, and discrimination against women in Iran's judicial system. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Alliance Defending Freedom.

Mr. Vice-President, The human right to freedom of expression sits at the very heart of any free and democratic society. It is therefore extremely concerning that the United Kingdom, a vocal proponent of this right in international fora, has seen that very freedom rapidly undermined for its own populace through the imposition of vague and overbroad laws enabling widespread state censorship and surveillance. National Civil Society reports that over 62,000 people have been arrested for alleged communications offenses over the past five years, to say nothing of the many thousands more subjected to questioning and investigation for actions as simple as viewing a social media post. Laws such as the Online Safety Act grant authorities sweeping powers to monitor and crack down on digital content deemed harmful according to arbitrary and subjective standards. So-called buffer zone legislation is being used to criminalise offers of consensual conversation and even silent prayer in public places. Just last year, a 75-year-old grandmother was arrested and criminally charged in Scotland merely for standing outside a hospital in a buffer zone, peacefully holding a sign that read, "Coercion is a crime. Here to talk, only if you want." Mr. Vice President, the existential impact of such laws restricting freedom of expression, including their chilling effect on society, cannot be overstated. We call on the UK government to urgently change course and take action to restore the fundamental freedoms of its people. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Union of Disabled People Organization of Azerbaijan. I understand they're absent. I'll give the floor to the representative of Human Rights Watch.

Mr. President, 10 years since abuses escalated against Uyghurs in Xinjiang, the Chinese government crackdown remains severe. This Council should convene a dedicated discussion to follow up on the recommendations of the OHCHR assessment report, which concluded that grave abuses in Xinjiang may constitute crimes against humanity, and should also address repression across China, including in Tibet and Hong Kong, and persecution of religious minorities. We share the concern of the fact-finding mission on Venezuela that the repressive machinery that has sustained political persecution and facilitated grave human rights violations remains operational. Impunity continues while some of those the fact-finding mission found reasonable grounds to believe responsible for crimes against humanity and other serious violations remain in key positions of power. Notwithstanding the release of some political prisoners and decrease in certain forms of repression, hundreds of people are still arbitrarily detained while abusive laws that have enabled repression remain in place. Our position remains unequivocal. Sustained international engagement based on objective, independent human rights investigations is essential in this fragile moment. We therefore call on States to support the two-year renewal of the FFM, whose work can guide and support such engagement. We regret the closure of the confidential complaint against Tajikistan under the Council's complaint procedure, as the government continues its severe and wide-ranging crackdown on political opponents, dissidents, journalists and human rights defenders inside the country and beyond its borders, and as systematic repression of ethnic minorities continues. We appeal to this Council to convene an open meeting with the participation of victims. Thank you.

I give the floor to the representative of Focus Asia Foundation.

Mr. Vice President, we remain deeply alarmed by the persistent and widespread practice of enforced disappearances in Pakistan. Families continue to wait, sometimes for years, for any news of loved ones taken by the state forces. The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances has failed to deliver accountability or even reliable information. Pakistan must criminalize enforced disappearances in domestic law, ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances, and allow the Working Group on Enforced unhindered access. We are equally troubled by the systematic curtailment of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly. Peaceful protesters face mass arrests and sweeping charges under anti-terrorism and cyber crimes. We condemn the arbitrary detention of Dr. Mehran Baloch and other Baloch activists who have been targeted for peacefully demanding truth and justice, further disappeared. We call for her immediate and unconditional release and for the dropping of all charges arising from peaceful advocacy. We further urge Pakistan to impose an immediate moratorium on the death penalty. We call on the Council to maintain dedicated monitoring of Pakistan for concrete, time-bound reforms. The victims deserve more than statements. They deserve action. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Chinese Association for International Understanding, intervention by video.

Thank you, Mr. President. We appreciate the expert mechanism for its study on artificial intelligence, cultural rights, and the right to development. We share the study's central insight Existing international human rights law already provides a solid foundation for governing AI, and the right to development offers a people-centered framework to guide it. What is needed now is to translate these forms into coherent international standards, so that innovation helps close global divides rather than creating new ones. The Chinese Association for International Understanding has long fostered dialogue among legal scholars from different countries, and grounding the common values of humanity in the rule of law. Through South-South cooperation, we are also sharing experience and building capacity in digital technologies and artificial intelligence with partners across the developing world, working together to bridge the digital divide. We therefore call on all stakeholders to advance an international legal framework for AI that is firmly anchored in human rights and the right to development, ensuring that technology serves the shared development for all peoples. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Society for Threatened Peoples. understand they're absent. I give the floor to the representative of Conseil National des Droits de l'Homme, intervention by video.

Thank you, Chair. Britain ruled Ceylon as a single colony, merging the distinct Tamil and Sinhalese nations in 1833, and transferred power in 1948 without safeguards for the Tamil people. This failed decolonisation denied Eelam Tamils their right to self-determination and enabled decades of discrimination, pogroms and atrocities. Successive constitutions entrenched majority rule and excluded Tamils from meaningful power-sharing. Since independence, state-sponsored single settlement policies have altered the demographics of the Tamil homeland in the northeast. Military occupation, settlement schemes, and state agencies have contributed to Tamil land dispossession. while Buddhist structures have been established on Hindu and Christian sites, and Tamil place names replaced, threatening cultural heritage. We therefore recommend: appointing a country-specific Special Rapporteur on Sri Lanka; referring the situation to the International Criminal Court; establishing an IIIM; urging the Special Committee on Decolonization to recognize the right of Eelam Tamils to self-determination and consider Tamil Eelam as a non-self-governing territory country. Tamil deserves equality, dignity, and political future determined by their own will. Thank you.

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

Mister vice president, Edmund Rice International and the Edmund Rice Ministries Philippines wish to highlight concerns raised through consultation with the Samar Bajao community in Dolho, Bato, Late, concerns reflecting broader challenges faced by indigenous peoples across the Philippines. First, the right to ancestral domain. For indigenous peoples, territory is not simply land. It sustains livelihoods, culture, identity, and the continuity of generations. We urge the government to strengthen recognition and protection of ancestral territories, including traditional, coastal, and natural resources, and to ensure meaningful protection beyond the issuance of titles. Second, the right to meaningful participation and representation. Indigenous peoples must have a genuine voice in decisions affecting their communities, territories and development. We call for effective implementation of indigenous peoples' mandatory representation and greater opportunities for qualified indigenous persons to participate in local governance. Third, the right to culture and inclusion. Government services and development programs must respect indigenous identities, customary practices, traditional knowledge, and ways of life free from discrimination. We urge the government to act decisively, protect ancestral territories, guarantee meaningful indigenous participation, and ensure indigenous people's voices shape policies and decisions determining their future. Salamat. Thank you.

I give the floor to the representative of Al-Barim Association for Charitable Work.

Mr. President, human rights in present era create inclusive development of individual and society and nation as a whole, brings in more democratic values and of protection of basic necessities of life. I wish to highlight the contrast between Pakistan and Kashmir, POJK, and Jammu and Kashmir in India has become increasingly pronounced. Pakistan and Kashmir has recently witnessed a sustained peaceful protest led by Joint Army Action Committee and other civil society groups over governance and economic issues. The brutal crackdown by the Pakistan government that followed resulted in the arrest of hundreds of activists and supporters. detention of key leaders, internet shutdown, and violent clashes that claim dozens of lives, underscoring continuing political instability and public discontent. There is a lack of civic space in PoJK besides cases of large-scale reprisals, which require to be addressed. The ongoing killing of innocent civilians by Pakistani security forces in PoJK needs to be stopped at once with immediate protective measures. Restoration of the civic space and communication needs to be done with immediate intervention through UNHRC. There should be independent inquiries into each killing with free and fair access to information related to all cases. In contrast, Jammu and Kashmir in India has advanced through skill development since 2020, generating employment and boosting local business. Smart city initiatives, rural infrastructure have further strengthened development. I thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Lawyers Rights Watch Canada for a joint statement.

Lawyers Rights Watch Canada, the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute, and the Law Society of England and Wales, with endorsement by Judges for Judges, draw the Council's attention to a recent communication to the United States from the Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers and the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights of Migrants. The US has not replied to the Special Rapporteur's communication. Since February 2025, the US has fired over 100 immigration judges mandated to conduct individualized reviews of immigration cases according to law. The US administration has framed immigration courts and judges as obstacles to its deportation objectives, issued directives to judges as to its preferred outcomes, and replaced terminated judges with so-called deportation judges. Immigration courts now have a large backlog of cases, putting migrants, including children, at risk of indefinite detention, deportation without due process, and potential refoulement. We urge the Council to call on the United States to comply with their international law obligations to ensure protection of rights of migrants, including freedom from arbitrary detention and fair and timely hearings before impartial tribunals. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of International Network for Human Rights and Rule of Law.

Thank you, President. Tamil women in the northeast of Sri Lanka continue to bear the consequences of mass atrocities and enforced disappearances. Thousands now head house calls after losing husbands, sons, daughters, and fathers. Militarization, land occupation, and lack of livelihood support deepen economic insecurity. Tamil women, including mothers of disappeared, who have protested for years, report harassment, surveillance and intimidation. 17 years on, domestic mechanisms have delivered neither truth nor effective accountability, while mothers continue to die with knowing the fate of their children. We therefore urge the Council and Member States to first establish a country-specific Special Reporter on Sri with the gender sensitive mandate. Second, pursue international accountability for serious violations, including gender-based crimes. Third, establish an independent international mechanism to collect and preserve evidence. And fourth, ensure that Tamil women meaningfully participate in decisions concerning land, development, and political process. Finally, we urge CEDAW and relevant special procedures to address the situation of Tamil women and female-headed households. Accountability...

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of PRATIEC for a joint statement, intervention by video.

Pratiyog, Edmond Rice International and young advocates from India applauds the Government of India for its flagship Swachh Bharat Mission under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Union Budget 2026-2027 has reduced the allocation for Swachh Bharat Mission by 26%, while the allocation for Swachh Bharat Mission remains unchanged at Rs 7,192 crore. This reduction is likely to impact solid waste management projects, clean-up of old waste dumps, sanitation facilities, and cleanliness efforts in urban local bodies. Poor sanitation can also have a ripple effect on national development as workers suffer from illness and live shorter lives, produce and earn less, and are unable to afford education and a stable future for their children. Contaminated water and poor sanitation are linked to transmission of diseases. Inadequate water and sanitation and hygiene, was so vicious in India's health facilities contribute to high neonatal mortality rate, which is currently 24 deaths per 1000 live births. We urge the government of India to Launch widespread awareness campaigns to educate communities, particularly those with children, to improve their overall health and well-being. Develop sustainable infrastructure to provide safe, clean, and affordable drinking water to every household, with a focus on reaching children in marginalized communities. Involve children, young people, and local communities in planning programs that affect their lives. Increase the state and union budget dedicated to WASH. Thank you.

I give the floor to the representative of RADO. Intervention by video.

Mr. Vice President, since the CRD seized power in '21, despite Kenya's commitment and subsequent alerts from civil and international society, the human rights situation continues to deteriorate. The case of the disappearance of Omar Osiila and Mohamed Biluba, journalist Habib Camara, I mean, emblematic. And also there are other cases of Elie Camara and Ousou Diallo, political activist and father of journalist Babilo Keita, 75 years old. To date, no one is safe. The recent discovery of six bodies tied up and blindfolded in a mass grave in N'Furi Ka requires international response that is commensurate. Convictions in principle are no longer enough. Radhu calls on the Council to support the establishment of independent international investigation and fact-finding missions, and also a mechanism that will strengthen the protection and accompaniment of human rights defenders. Having myself been a victim of kidnapping and torture, I know how silence and impunity expose those who defend rights and alert public opinion. Mr. President, it is no longer time for concerns. It's time for action. Without truth, there's no justice. Without justice, there's no lasting stability. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Instituto Brasileiro de Direitos Humanos, joint statement.

Mr. President, for the Institute And the Brazilian Institute of Human Rights called the Consul's attention to a serious human rights and racial justice situation in Brazil. The Brazilian Congress is considering proposals to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 18 to 16. This measure cannot be separated from Brazil's history of structural racism. Official government data shows that almost 75% of adolescents currently restricted in their liberty within Brazil's juvenile system are of African descent. Racial inequality persists in the adult prisons, where young Afro-Brazilians are also disproportionately represented. Reducing the age of criminal responsibility would therefore expose Brazilian adolescents of African descent at an even earlier age to a criminal justice system already marked by profound racial disparities. CERD has already called on Brazil to address the root causes of the disproportionate incarceration of Afro-Brazilians and to take all necessary steps to drastically reduce their overrepresentation in prisons. Brazil cannot claim international leadership on racial equality while expanding the reach of its racially unequal criminal system to children. We urge Brazil to reject this racist measure and uphold its international human rights obligations by protecting the lives of children and youth of African descent. Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Imam Ali's Popular Students Relief Society. Intervention by V.

Thank you. We regret that opportunities for interactive dialogue between NGOs and the special procedures remain disproportionately limited. Since the death of Jina Mahsa Amini in custody in Iran, more people have been subjected to enforced disappearance. One of these victims is Mr. Osman Mame. He disappeared while returning home from his brother's house on the night of November 18, 2022, following a stay in Bukan in northwest Iran. He ignored his son's advice to stay with his brother, believing that no one would harm an elderly man. Subsequent efforts by his wife, who herself had been shot six weeks earlier and still had pellets lodged in her head, resulted in threats against her. His son's efforts to clarify his father's status led to his being summoned, interrogated, severely beaten, and to threats of forced disappearance. They never received any official information from the local authorities. Despite being in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq now, they continue to receive threats by phone. They also lost their home in Iran as a result of the war in March 2026. Although the case is known to the WGEID and the FFM Iran and is being followed by both, Mr. Mameh's fate and whereabouts remain unknown. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of ERESKA Relief Foundation.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. LESKA hold deep concern regarding the official entry of force of European Union pact on immigration and asylum on June 12, 2026, which allows for the establishment of return centers in third countries. The prospect of transferring individuals who arrive in Europe seeking protection and whose asylum claims have been rejected to third countries conflicts with international refugee law. ALDE has also said that transferring responsibility for asylum to third countries does not absolve EU states of international obligations. Furthermore, ALDE is deeply concerned about the grave violations committed against the Sahrawi refugees in Tindaf by the terrorist police front among the recent documented violation is the killing of a refugee on the 13th of August 2026 by an arm by an arm member of the front using life ammunition the victim was killed after a vision force label in a gold mine near T consequently a call upon European Union member state to consider and abandon the proposal the proposal for return centers and we also call on International Community to condemn the grave violations committed by the proposal front in Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Broad National Movement Limited.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Helsinki Organization speaks on the human rights situation in Afghanistan. The report reveals a national tragedy. Nine million children face crisis-level hunger, with 3.7 million under five acutely malnourished. while restrictions on women's education threaten to eliminate 20,000 teachers and 5,400 health workers by 2030. Yet the southern border region represents the epicenter of this emergency. Up to 800,000 returnees forcibly expelled from Pakistan and Iran are overwhelming fragile districts like Helmand and Kandahar. Here, severe roads and unsafe water fuel deadly diarrheal diseases. The mahram barrier prevents countless mothers from reaching clinics, and returnee children arrive without vaccination records, compounding disease risks. We urgently call for mobile health teams to overcome geographic and cultural barriers, catch-up vaccination campaigns, and community engagement via imams and elders to dismantle harmful practices like early marriage. We echo the Special Rapporteur. halt deportation, ensure non-deformant, and sustain funding for mental health and protection. Crucially, Afghan women, youth, and marginalized groups must be meaningfully included in every decision shaping their future. Lastly, humanitarian aid shouldn't be politicized. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of International Council for Human Rights. I understand they are absent. And then I give the floor to the representative of International Commission of Jurists.

Vice-President, the ICJ considers that the widespread and systematic human rights violations and abuses that persist across Libya demand the Council's urgent attention. In Western Libya, there is a widespread practice of torture and other ill-treatment by armed groups and security forces, including those affiliated with the Ministries of Interior and Defence of the Government of National Unity. with at least four documented custodial deaths in the past six months. To date, there have been no effective investigations into these deaths. In eastern Libya, more than 30 people were executed in August and September 2026, following the wrongful use of military trials under the authority of the military prosecutor general, in proceedings lacking fair trial guarantees and transparency. These deaths constitute an unlawful resumption of executions after years without recorded executions in Libya and violate the rights to life and to a fair trial. Three years after the Council terminated the Independent Fact-Finding Mission, almost complete impunity persists at the domestic level. Despite having accepted the International Criminal Court's jurisdiction, the Libyan authorities have failed to arrest and surrender suspects wanted by the Court, and the recent conviction and sentencing of one of them, El Masrim Jim, followed proceedings that lacked any semblance of transparency or victim participation. The ICJ calls on the Council to move expeditiously to re-establish, at a minimum, an effective human rights monitoring and reporting mechanism. I thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of CFDH, intervention by video.

Thank you, Mr. President. Seventeen years after the war, Tamil children in the north and east of Sri Lanka still live under militarization. Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, they are entitled to education, psychological care, protection, and participation. Instead, they face harassment, surveillance, and intimidation by Sri Lankan security forces, including at schools and memorials. Children born after 2009 still inherit the trauma of mass atrocities. Psychological support is scarce, poverty is deepening, and enforced disappearances leave families without breadwinners and children without answers. Impunity is the root cause. 12-year-old Balachandra Prabhakaran was reportedly executed after the capture in 2009, shot at close range. No one has been kept accountable. His case represents countless Tamil children killed by Sri Lankan security forces without consequences. Domestic mechanisms have failed for decades. We, therefore, urge this Council and Member States to: Appoint country specific special reporter on Sri Lanka, refer the situations to the International Criminal Court, establish an international impartial and independent mechanism, request the special committee on declination to recognize Elam Tamil's rights to self-determination and declare Tamil Elam and non-self governing territory and finally, urge relevant treaty bodies and special procedures to issue a joint statement on militarization, genders impact on Tamil women and girls. Tamil children deserve truth, justice, reputation guarantees of non-resumption. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of FEDH, intervention by video.

Mr. President, on behalf of the Tamils of Eelam, we alert the Council on the continuing military occupation of civilian land in Sri Lanka more than 15 years after the end of the facts. The army still owns thousands of hectares belonging to Tamil families. Displaced persons no longer have the right to return back to their homes. And the acquisition of the land by the army, the archaeological department, the forestry services, changing the demography of these regions. This militarization stifles civilian governance. Security forces interfere in local administration, monitor families, journalists, and human rights defenders, and restrict freedom of assembly and expression. The Prevention of Terrorism Acts continues to be used to intimidate. Impunity is systematic. In the face of the failure of international mechanisms or national mechanism, we recommend the Council appoint a special rapporteur to investigate Sri Lanka on land of disappearances. Secondly, recommend that the Security Council refer the situation in Sri Lanka to the ICC to establish an IIM for Sri Lanka to collect and preserve evidence related to international crimes. Invite Special Committee on Decolonization to recognize the right of self-determination of the Tamil people. Only a political situation that is based on self-determination will guarantee the restitution of return of lands and lasting peace. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of International Council Supporting Fair Trial and Human Rights.

Mr. President, I wish to draw the Council's attention to the continuing situation of Sahrawi refugees whose displacement has now lasted more than five decades. This is not simply a protracted humanitarian crisis. It is the human consequence of a political question that remains unresolved. Western Sahara remains a United Nations non-self-governing territory, and the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination remains at the core of the issue. In this context, we are concerned by any approach that seeks to reduce the number of refugees or the cost of the humanitarian response without addressing the circumstance that have sustained their displacement. Humanitarian assistance must remain guided by assessed needs and humanitarian principles. Funding decisions should not become a means of advancing political considerations, nor should declining humanitarian resources be allowed to determine who receives protection and assistance. After more than 50 years, humanitarian fatigue must not lead to the acceptance of the status quo. The international community should continue to ensure adequate, predictable, and needs-based humanitarian assistance to Sahrawi refugees. At the same time, humanitarian action cannot substitute for a political solution. We further urge the Council to support efforts towards addressing the root causes of this prolonged displacement, including through a just, lasting, and rights-based solution that respects the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination. Thank you.

Thank you. Sorry. I give the floor to the representative of ECOFO. understand they're absent. I give the floor to the representative of InternationalLawyers.org.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. It was not too long ago that Iraq possessed one of the region's strongest education and healthcare systems. The state's substantial oil wealth and capacity significantly propelled its socioeconomic development, including major advances in women's education and participation in public life. Foreign intervention and instability in the past two decades completely obliterated these achievements. The 2003 invasion and occupation transformed state consolidation efforts into a nation poisoned by institutional collapse, corruption, sectarian violence, and a weakened rule of law. While the collapse of the state left no Iraqi without scars, women bore the heaviest, most disproportionate burden. Today, women comprise only a small fraction of Iraq's labor force, while discriminatory laws and practices undermine their equality and protection. Displacement itself remains unsolved. In Deir al-Zar, although ISIL was driven out in 2014, 130,000 residents remain unable to return home more than a decade later due to the unlawful militia presence. This will persist until we have a clear international action to dismantle the militia. Thus, we call on the international community to help the Iraqi people regain their normal livelihoods. Stability in Iraq depends on accountability and remedy, and remedy depends on the belief that no one is above the law. Serious violations must be independently investigated, regardless of the perpetrator. I thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of RFTP. Understand they're absent. I give the floor to the representative of India Tawhid Jamaat Trust. I understand they're absent. I give the floor to the representative of CAPAC.

Mr. Vice President, we express our grave concern about the expanding use of trafficking laws against spiritual and religious communities in the United States of America and elsewhere. In the US, one test case, Nicole Deidun and Rachel Chavez were sentenced to long prison terms despite no physical coercion with conviction based solely on psychological influence. confirming that broad definitions of coercion risk, criminalizing ordinary forms of spiritual training in the one test case testimonies, denying harm were excluded and discredited theories of brainwashing shaped the proceedings. This precedent threatened all spiritual, therapeutic and religious communities, enabling civil or criminal actions based on subjective reinterpretations of belief and belonging. We urge the Second Circuit to restore constitutional limits on appeal and Congress to ensure that trafficking law remains focused on genuine exploitation. Humanitarian considerations also call for reviewing the disproportionate sentences imposed. Protecting freedom of thought, conscience, and belief requires rejecting the misuse of trafficking legislation against peaceful communities. I thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of PDES.

We welcome the continued efforts by the United Nations in the attempt of camps. The response plan 2026-2027 and the new strategy for education 2026-2030 retrace that education and protection continues to be essential priorities. However, the protracted nature of this situation requires us to look beyond the response to immediate needs. UNHCR reports indicate that the gap in the formal registration of refugees in the Tinduf camps persists, while residents continue to hold personal documents issued by an identification center in the camps. From a protection perspective, the issue is not simply the position of a document, but ensuring a reliable system that enables people and their needs to be identified, strengthens their access to rights and services, supports their protection against risks of violations. Therefore, we call for promotion of coordination of host country with the Office of the High Commissioner in the area of registration and documentation, continue humanitarian assistance with courses that reduces reliance on assistance and also promote sustainable solutions as long as the situation permits. Thank you.

Thank you. Now I give the floor to the representative of IRADA, Organization Against Torture and Enforced Disappearance, intervention by video.

Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, amidst the perils and harsh conditions of the war in Yemen, we carry the voices of thousands of victims and their families. The Houthi militia continues to commit grave violations, including arbitrary detention and forced disappearances and systematic torture. Indeed, they account for approximately 92 percent of violations committed this year. The Houthis also continue to recruit children and subject children to exploitation and ill treatment. During the first half of September, Houthi escalation against safe cities, unsuspecting cities and villages in Al-Hodeidah and Taiz, driven by the aim to seize control of Bab al-Mandab, 154 civilians were killed and hundreds more were injured. Approximately 10,667 families in Taiz and Hodeidah, government rates, were forcibly displaced. And furthermore, the displaced persons in of Hodeidah and Ma'rib, was subjected to repeated Houthi attacks. We call on the HRC to prioritize the situation in Yemen, and we demand an immediate halt to Houthi violations and overturning death sentences against accused persons, and also to reveal the whereabouts of those forcibly disappearing and to release Mr. Madawi without any conditions. Securing justice for victims is not merely a political demand. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of International Institute of Human Rights and Development.

President, the genocide in Gaza cannot be declared over because the rate of killing has decreased. It does not make the deprivation and killing any less criminal. Every human life deserves the world's attention. As reflected in the shared Islamic and Jewish belief, whoever kills a human being is as though they had killed all of humanity. Days ago, a Saada tower collapsed in Gaza, killing at least 21 Palestinians. Rescuers dug through the rubble with their bare hands, machinery being blocked by the siege. A witness reported, "I saw women and children alive. If the civil defense had had the necessary equipment, they would have saved them." This catastrophe reflects the scale of destruction, but mostly Gaza's deprivation, bringing Ali Al-Jafarawi to ask, "What kind of life is this? death becomes a risk we accept because the alternative is even crueler. Israel continues to obstruct humanitarian aid and even insecticides, deliberately enabling disease and preventable death. It also blocks patients from leaving Gaza. Six-month-old Fares Abu Kamel died before even knowing life. Baby Ahmad Sahloub may share his fate without transfer abroad. Israel has taken every measure to make Gaza unlivable. It's a systemic pattern. Distinguished delegates, if none of the measures provided to help these grave crimes have been taken so far, it's because you have failed your responsibilities. But you can still act and honor them. Thank you.

I give the floor to the representative of Association for Women's Rights in Development for a joint statement.

I make this statement on behalf of AWID, IS, ISR, and Solidaritas Perempuan. In Indonesia, the current economic and development model increase women's structural poverty through land grabbing, environmental degradation, displacement, and loss of livelihood. Now, Indonesia's job creation law is sold as an economic driver, but in reality has gender human rights impact. Solidaritas Perempuan is challenging this in the Constitutional Court. Women are disproportionately affected because they rely on land and natural resources for food, water, livelihood, and care work, yet are often excluded from land ownership and decision making. This is evident in the MNP project in Makassar. power projects, land grabbing in Poso, and the geothermal project in Pocoleo. Women human rights defenders from our organization face violence and criminalization. This is reflect a broader severe crisis across agrarian conflict nation with in 2023 alone, 114 women human rights defenders experienced sexual assault, 19 were criminalized, and 2 were sought by the police. We call the council to urge the government of Indonesia to withdraw the military and police from land dispute and environmental conflict, protect human rights defenders, and ensure development is guided by gender ecological justice concept of redistribution. The Commission. Thank you.

I give the floor to the representative of World Evangelical Alliance.

Mr. Vice President, the World Evangelical Alliance, speaking on behalf of its evangelical members in the Middle East, expresses grave concern over escalating Israeli settler violence and military operations in the occupied West Bank, which are contributing to dispossession and displacement of Palestinians, including Christians. We're particularly concerned about Taibeh, the West Bank's last predominantly Christian village. Residents have reported repeated settlers incursions, intimidation, property damage, fires, and attempts to take control of privately owned land. In May, settlers reportedly established a new outpost near the village. In August, residents continued to report attacks on homes and property and obstruction of access to their land. Settlers have intensified efforts to seize land, first by establishing tents, then by constructing houses, and ultimately by expanding settlements. Credible reports that Israeli authorities and military forces provide vehicles, drones, and weapons to settlers are deeply troubling. These annexation plans are detrimental for Israelis and Palestinians alike. Mr. President, as Christians, we believe that every person has equal dignity and the right to live safely in peace on their land. We urge Israel to uphold its obligations under international law, protect Palestinian civilians, prevent settler violence, and ensure accountability for abuses and halt settlement expansion and the appropriation of Palestinian land. Thank you.

I give the floor to the representative of United Villages. Intervention by video.

Thank you, Chair. The right to peaceful assembly is fundamental to public participation and to building trust between people and institutions. In Jammu and Kashmir, the enjoyment of this right continues to be unhampered. It has been observed that authorities for public gatherings are applied selectively. Groups expressing views in support of the right to self-determination encounter significant restrictions, while events organized by government-affiliated entities are facilitated with full administrative and security arrangements. This differential approach narrows civic space. A matter of concern related to 15th of August 2026 Under the government-sponsored "Har Ghar Teranga" campaign, residents were reportedly directed to hoist the national flag at their homes. For many who have expressed opposition to the current political arrangement, this directive was perceived as coercion. Rather than fostering unity, it was viewed as an effort to project normalcy where meaningful political participation remains constrained. We are also concerned by the reports that divided families living on both sides of Kashmir are unable to maintain contact. When communication becomes known to authorities on the Indian side, recipients of the phone calls have reportedly been detained under the situation laws suspending connectivity between families. I thank you, sir.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of United for Human Rights.

Mr. Vice President, religious minorities comprising just 3.5% of Pakistan's population remain subject to relentless aggression. The incorporation of religious rhetoric into official discourse disproportionately affects non-Muslim communities such as Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, and Kalash. In 2023, Jaranvala attacks two Christian, Rocky Masi and Raja Masi, were accused of distorting Islamic scripture. At least 1,200 Muslim men were part of a mob which partially or fully damaged many Christian infrastructure. 34 loudspeakers at the Mehtab Mosque near the Christian settlement in Jaranwala were used to incite rioting, as per a report of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. There are documented mob attacks in 2021 on the Ganesh Hindu temple in Punjab after a local court granted a Hindu boy bail in a blasphemy case. In March 2025, 76 gravestones in Kotli and Kashmir were desecrated by unidentified individuals. On June 2026, an old aged Sikh couple was shot dead. We therefore urge this Council to ask Pakistan to immediately end the systematic discrimination of religious minority under ICCPR Article 2, 18, 26, 27. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Africa Culture International.

Mr. Vice President, today I present the case of human rights. My main concern, the case of Shahid Mir Muzaffar Bhutto and his six companions. They were killed on 20th of September 1996 exactly 30 years before but case is still in pending and High Court sent Mr. President the case of P kumari is still in pending she was kidnapped 7 years before when she was only 7 years and Now, Dr. Shahnawaz Kumbhar, he was killed in Tharparkar. Still, the case is under trial. But Iman Mazari, who was a human rights advocate, she was sentenced within seven days. Within seven days in High Court, judge sentenced her because she was fighting for the Maring brooch. She was fighting for the human rights. Mr. President, we need justice. Without justice, there's no peace. No peace, no peace. Thank you.

I give the floor to the representative of RSKS, intervention by video.

Thank you, Mr. President. I address this Council today with clear evidence of Jammu and Kashmir, India's digital transformation into numbers. In 2014, India had around 25.15 crore internet subscribers and users. Today, India has over 109 crore internet users. More than 55 crore Jan Dhan accounts have brought previously unbanked citizens into formal finance with women accounting for 55.7% of account holders. Through direct benefit transfer, over Rs. 53 lakh crore has been directly transferred to beneficiaries, effectively eliminating leakages and intermediaries to ensure transparent welfare delivery. India now processes over 20 billion UPI transactions every month, making UPI the world's largest real-time digital payment. More than 5.6 lakh Common Service Centers are taking digital service to rural communities. And women are central to this transformation. Over 10 crore rural women are part of self-help groups, creating one of the world's largest platforms for women-led financial inclusion. Aadhaar has enrolled more than 1.44 billion residents. DigiLocker has crossed 724.3 million users. With privacy, consent, cybersecurity, and data protection, the measurable digital transformation proves that India's digital public infrastructure is designed to reach the last mile, making its model both scalable and inclusive. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Human Rights Research League. Intervention by video.

Thank you, Mr. President. Human Rights Research League is deeply concerned by the rapidly increasing number of displaced persons following the escalating conflict in Yemen and the region as a whole. Even before the most recent eruption of armed violence, millions of people face dire living conditions due to protracted crisis situations, recurring conflict and climate-related displacement, and serious lack of humanitarian funding. According to UN OCHA, of a total population of just over 35 million, more than 22 million were projected to be in need of humanitarian assistance in 2026, but only 12 million were covered by assistance due to severe funding shortage. The International Organization for Migration reports that in the course of the recent attacks by the Houthis on Yemen's coastal area of Bab el-Mandab, more than 100,000 people have been forced to flee in a hurry. often in the middle of the night, with virtually no chance to bring even the most basic items with them. Human Rights Research League underlines that civilians must be protected at all times in our conflict and urges this Council and Member States to hold those responsible for attacks on civilians to account and significantly increase support for the direly needed humanitarian response to this long-neglected crisis. I thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of World Muslim Congress.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. World Muslim Congress is concerned on the human rights crisis in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. India has crossed every limit, waging a slow-motion genocide and systematically erasing Kashmiris' identity, history, and memory. The evidence is overwhelming. Over 100,000 Kashmiris have been martyred. 10,000 more of all ages have disappeared in custody. More than 8,000 extrajudicial executions stand recorded. Torture is an instrument of state policy. Humiliation, brutality, touches nearly every Kashmiri life. Most evidently, rape has been weaponized, all with total impunity. Having failed to break Kashmiris by force, India has turned it to constitutional terrorism. The state has been dismantled to enable demographic engineering, land grab, settler colonialism, deceptively branded development. and altering the region's very fabric. Development imposed without consent is not progress, it is coercion. This is the Hindutva agenda in action. Textbooks rewritten, history falsified, memory erased. A deliberate project to transform a Muslim majority land and render Kashmiri strangers in their own homeland. The judiciary, once a guardian of law, now serves the BJP government's agenda. Kashmiri leaders face death sentences and politically motivated trials. Mr. President, why is this Council silent? Silence is not neutrality, it is complicity. Thank you.

I give the floor to the representative of Stichting Global Human Rights Defence.

Mr. Vice President, over the past two decades, we have documented more than 400 cases of refoulement affecting Uyghur refugees and asylum seekers, including from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Pakistan, and the Central Asia countries. Most of these cases, governments have effectively collaborated with People's Republic of China to return human rights defenders who were clearly feeling persecution. The whereabouts of most of these individuals remain unknown to this day. We have also documented that many of these detainees abroad were forced to sign confessions and were then deported. Uyghur refugees are thus forced to not only seek asylum, but also protect themselves from transnational repression. There are currently Uyghur detained who are at serious risk of deportation from Thailand to China. This is especially alarming after 40 Uyghur were deported last year, and their whereabouts still remain unknown. We ask member states to uphold their obligation under the non-refoulement principle. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Community Human Rights and Advocacy Center.

Thank you. While the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat freely moved through London, New York, and Toronto, the RSS's political and ideological offspring, the BJP and Narendra Modi, continue to imprison Kashmiris for exercising fundamental rights enshrined in law and by the UN. I speak for those this council cannot hear. Masarat Alam has spent in his jail most of his life, half of his life at least. Qasim Fakhdu has spent more than three decades in Indian prisons. Play all songs of the Kapil Sharma Show.

the technology has failed. We have a technical break. How many minutes?

It takes as long as it takes for it to fix. Yeah, I'll sit just in case they start. Where else can I go? Just two. So it's cancelled. OK.