{"id":7997,"date":"2026-09-08T16:06:15","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T13:06:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/achrs.org\/english\/?p=7997"},"modified":"2026-09-08T16:06:15","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T13:06:15","slug":"policy-briefing-our-priorities-ahead-of-the-63rd-session-of-the-human-rights-council","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/achrs.org\/english\/2026\/09\/08\/policy-briefing-our-priorities-ahead-of-the-63rd-session-of-the-human-rights-council\/","title":{"rendered":"Policy Briefing: Our priorities ahead of the 63rd Session of the Human Rights Council"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Amman Center for Human Rights Studies (ACHRS) is an independent non-governmental Think Tank center advocating for the enhancement of democracy and human rights in Jordan and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The Center\u2019s seven priorities are: The Center advances its objectives through strategic lobbying and advocacy, with the United Nations serving as its principal forum for engagement. ACHRS has special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC), allowing it to meaningfully participate in international debates and discussions. Ahead of our engagement at the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council, we have prepared this briefing to inform our community of the topics that we will be focusing on and discussions we will be partaking in.<\/p>\n

THE QUESTION OF THE DEATH PENALTY<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

In resolution 1745 (LIV), the Economic and Social Council requested that the Secretary-General submit<\/span>
\nquinquennial reports on the status of capital punishment worldwide. Human Rights Council decision 18\/117<\/span>
\nsubsequently requested that the Secretary-General submit an annual supplement to this report. While the<\/span>
\nsupplement has yet to be published, it is expected to be available for the Council\u2019s consideration during the<\/span>
\ngeneral debate under Item 3, scheduled to take place from 15 to 16 September.<\/span>
\nAs a long-standing advocate for the right to life, ACHRS takes a particular interest in this agenda item. The<\/span>
\npast year has witnessed a marked increase in executions worldwide, particularly in the Arab region. Of<\/span>
\nparticular concern is the Israeli occupation\u2019s recently adopted death penalty legislation, which provides for<\/span>
\nthe discriminatory application of capital punishment against Palestinians. In light of the Secretary-General\u2019s<\/span>
\n2025 annual supplement, which examined the discriminatory impact of the death penalty, ACHRS hopes to<\/span>
\nsee this issue addressed during the general debate.<\/span><\/p>\n

ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Pursuant to Human Rights Council Resolution 54\/14, the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary<\/span>
\nDisappearances (WGEID) submitted a report outlining the activities conducted between 3 May 2025 and 8<\/span>
\nMay 2026, and highlighting any notable developments or areas of particular concern. The published report<\/span>
\n(A\/HRC\/63\/28) will be discussed in an Interactive Dialogue (ID) between the Working Group and the Council<\/span>
\non 14 September.<\/span><\/p>\n

Given the troubling relationship between enforced disappearances and executions, ACHRS also takes a<\/span>
\nparticular interest in this agenda item. It notes that the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary<\/span>
\nDisappearances has identified several Arab States as areas of particular concern, including Algeria, Egypt,<\/span>
\nSudan and Syria. The report also highlights troubling developments in occupied Palestine, where Israeli<\/span>
\nauthorities have been repeatedly accused of disappearing civilians seeking aid, including children. As<\/span>
\nhighlighted by the report, these cases are particularly concerning in the context of the occupation\u2019s<\/span>
\naforementioned death penalty legislation. ACHRS hopes to see this issue addressed in the upcoming<\/span>
\nInteractive Dialogue (ID).<\/span><\/p>\n

ARBITRARY DETENTION<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Pursuant to Human Rights Council Resolution 60\/8, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention submitted a<\/span>
\nreport outlining its activities in the year 2025, and examining the thematic issue of arbitrary detention and<\/span>
\ntransnational repression. The published report (A\/HRC\/63\/33) will be discussed in an Interactive Dialogue (ID)<\/span>
\nbetween the Working Group and the Council on 15 September.<\/span>
\nThe troubling relationship between arbitrary detention and executions makes this agenda item of particular<\/span>
\ninterest to ACHRS. As outlined in the report, a significant number of the opinions adopted by the Working<\/span>
\nGroup concerned Arab States, underscoring the prevalence of arbitrary detention in the region. The majority<\/span>
\nof these cases concerned Egypt and Saudi Arabia, while other Gulf States were also the subject of the<\/span>
\nWorking Group\u2019s consideration. ACHRS looks forward to the insights and conclusions arising from the<\/span>
\nforthcoming Interactive Dialogue on the topic.<\/span><\/p>\n

FREEDOM OF OPINION AND EXPRESSION<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

In its Resolution 56\/7, the Human Rights Council requested that the Office of the United Nations High<\/span>
\nCommissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) conduct a study on the impact of strategic lawsuits on freedom of<\/span>
\nopinion and expression, and to convene a workshop on the topic.<\/span>
\nACHRS is saddened to learn that, due to the liquidity crisis affecting the organisation, OHCHR was unable to<\/span>
\ncomplete the requested study. Instead, the Council will have before it a summary of the workshop convened<\/span>
\non 28 May 2025 (A\/HRC\/63\/47) when considering the issue of freedom of opinion and expression during the<\/span>
\ngeneral debate under Item 3, scheduled to take place from 15 to 16 September.<\/span>
\nAs one of its seven priorities, ACHRS attaches particular importance to the protection of freedom of opinion<\/span>
\nand expression. It considers that, since the OHCHR-led workshop was convened in early 2025, several<\/span>
\nconcerning developments have emerged, particularly with regard to the use of strategic lawsuits to restrict<\/span>
\nthe exercise of these freedoms. At the global level, ACHRS, together with the Arab Society for Academic<\/span>
\nFreedom (ASAF), expresses deep concern over the use of such lawsuits against pro-Palestinian students and<\/span>
\norganisations, particularly on university campuses. More broadly, across the Arab world, freedom of<\/span>
\nexpression has come under increasing restriction under the pretext of national security concerns following<\/span>
\nthe US and Israeli attacks against Iran. ACHRS looks forward to bringing these developments to the Council\u2019s<\/span>
\nattention during its consideration of the issue from 15 to 16 September.<\/span><\/p>\n

EQUAL PARTICIPATION IN POLITICAL AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2018, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) developed draft<\/span>
\nguidelines on the effective implementation of the right to participate in public affairs, which were<\/span>
\nsubsequently presented in Human Rights Council Resolution 39\/11 as a set of orientations for States to follow.<\/span>
\nPursuant to Human Rights Council Resolution 57\/17, the OHCHR has prepared a follow-up report<\/span>
\n(A\/HRC\/63\/50) on good practices and challenges that States face when implementing the guidelines. The<\/span>
\nCouncil will consider this report during the general debate under Item 3, scheduled to take place from 15 to 16<\/span>
\nSeptember.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a long-standing advocate for democracy in the Arab world, ACHRS takes particular interest in this agenda<\/span>
\nitem. Despite initial gains made in the wake of the 2011 Arab Uprising, progress towards democracy has<\/span>
\nstalled in the region, with many States backsliding on their commitments. ACHRS therefore welcomes the<\/span>
\nreport\u2019s emphasis on the need for sustained, long-term political commitment to promoting electoral<\/span>
\nparticipation, including through the constitutional entrenchment of voting rights. Together with the Election<\/span>
\nNetwork in the Arab Region (ENAR), ACHRS also expresses concern over persistently low levels of electoral<\/span>
\nparticipation across the region, with declining numbers of citizens\u2013 particularly young people\u2013 expressing an<\/span>
\ninterest in participating in elections. ACHRS looks forward to bringing this concern to the Council\u2019s attention<\/span>
\nduring its consideration of the report from 15 to 16 September.<\/span><\/p>\n

HUMAN RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN CONFLICT SITUATIONS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

In its Resolution 60\/19, the Human Rights Council requested that the United Nations Commissioner for<\/span>
\nHuman Rights prepare a report on best practices and main challenges in the promotion and protection of<\/span>
\nthe human rights of women and children in conflict and post-conflict situations. Although not yet published,<\/span>
\nthe Council is expected to discuss the findings of the report through an Interactive Dialogue (ID) with the<\/span>
\nHigh Commissioner on 16 September.<\/span>
\nGiven that women\u2019s rights is one of its seven priority areas, ACHRS takes special interest in this topic. In<\/span>
\nanticipation of the forthcoming report, which is expected to focus on ending impunity and ensuring<\/span>
\naccountability for gross violations of human rights, ACHRS expresses particular concern over the systematic<\/span>
\nuse of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) as a tactic of war by Israeli forces, as documented in the<\/span>
\nSecretary-General\u2019s follow-up report on Security Council resolution 1820 (2008). In light of Israel\u2019s ongoing<\/span>
\nillegal invasion of Lebanon, ACHRS expects the Council to pay particular attention to this issue.<\/span><\/p>\n

YOUTH AND HUMAN RIGHTS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

In its Resolution 57\/30, the Human Rights Council requested that the Office of the United Nations High<\/span>
\nCommissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) conduct a study on the impact of mental health challenges on the<\/span>
\nenjoyment of human rights by young people. While the report is yet to be published, it is expected to be<\/span>
\npresented to the Council to be considered during the general debate under Item 3, scheduled to take place<\/span>
\nfrom 15 to 16 September.<\/span>
\nWith youth rights being a key priority area, ACHRS takes particular interest in this topic. It notes that youth in<\/span>
\nthe Arab world are deeply affected by poor standards in higher education institutions, high unemployment<\/span>
\nrates, and a lack of political representation needed to address these issues. ACHRS hopes to see these issues<\/span>
\naddressed in the forthcoming report, as well as during the general debate scheduled from 15 to 16<\/span>
\nSeptember.<\/span><\/p>\n

HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN PALESTINE<\/span> AND OTHER OCCUPIED ARAB TERRITORIES<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

ACHRS welcomes the continued inclusion of Item 7, concerning the human rights situation in Palestine and<\/span>
\nother Arab territories, on the Human Rights Council\u2019s agenda, underscoring the continued importance of<\/span>
\nmaintaining this stand-alone agenda item. While no reports have been submitted under Item 7 for the<\/span>
\nupcoming session, there are several issues that ACHRS hopes the Council will continue to monitor and<\/span>
\naddress.<\/span>
\nACHRS expresses deep concern over the continued expansion of Israeli settlements and the resulting<\/span>
\ndisplacement of Palestinians from their homes and communities. In the first three months of 2026 alone, the<\/span>
\nnumber of Palestinians displaced from the West Bank reportedly surpassed the total recorded throughout<\/span>
\n2025. This escalation has taken place against a backdrop of increasing settler violence, including incidents of<\/span>
\nsexual violence, to which women and girls are particularly vulnerable. ACHRS is further concerned that similar<\/span>
\npatterns of displacement and territorial encroachment are emerging in Lebanon, where Israeli forces have<\/span>
\nestablished a military presence across significant parts of the south, resulting in the displacement of<\/span>
\nhundreds of thousands of civilians. ACHRS urges the Council to consider these developments together,<\/span>
\nparticularly in light of the broader patterns of occupation, settlement expansion, displacement and violence<\/span>
\naffecting Palestinian and Lebanese civilians. It hopes that these concerns will receive sustained attention<\/span>
\nduring the Council\u2019s consideration of Item 7 on 28 and 29 September.<\/span>
\nACHRS further calls on the Council to address Israel\u2019s recently adopted death penalty legislation and its<\/span>
\ndiscriminatory application to Palestinians. This development should, in ACHRS\u2019s view, be considered within<\/span>
\nthe broader context of the systemic discrimination and institutionalised domination associated with the<\/span>
\nIsraeli occupation. ACHRS looks forward to drawing the Council\u2019s attention to these concerns and to the<\/span>
\nimplications of the legislation for the protection of the right to life and the principle of non-discrimination.<\/span><\/p>\n

RACISM, RACIAL DISCRIMINATION,<\/span> XENOPHOBIA AND RELATED FORMS OF<\/span> INTOLERANCE<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

As an organisation committed to the principles of equality and justice, ACHRS likewise welcomes the<\/span>
\ninclusion of Item 8 on Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Forms of Intolerance.<\/span>
\nNumerous topics are expected to be debated under this item, including a report prepared by the<\/span>
\nInternational Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement.<\/span>
\nPursuant to Human Rights Council Resolutions 47\/21 and 56\/13, the Mechanism prepared an annual report<\/span>
\n(A\/HRC\/63\/72) outlining its activities and exploring the topic of racial discrimination in drug policy, to be<\/span>
\ndiscussed during an Interactive Dialogue (ID) on 29 September. Given the report\u2019s troubling findings on the<\/span>
\nracial underpinnings of national drug policies, ACHRS is eager to hear how the Council will continue its work<\/span>
\nin promoting equitable and fair drug legislations. ACHRS is also deeply concerned by the High<\/span>
\nCommissioner\u2019s parallel report (A\/HRC\/63\/69), which notes increased levels of violence being used against<\/span>
\nindividuals and communities of African descent by law enforcement. It looks forward to hearing this issue<\/span>
\naddressed during the Interactive Dialogue (ID) on 29 September.<\/span>
\nACHRS is also interested in the report (A\/HRC\/63\/75) by the Group of Independent Eminent Experts on the<\/span>
\nImplementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, requested by Human Rights Council<\/span>
\nResolution 54\/27. Adopted in 2001, the Durban Declaration is a framework intended to eliminate global<\/span>
\nracism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance. ACHRS is concerned by the findings of the<\/span>
\nreport, which note the challenges posed by the continuing far-right growth. It looks forward to hearing this<\/span>
\nissue addressed during the general debate under Item 9 on 30 September and 1 October.<\/span><\/p>\n

COUNTRY PRIORITIES<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n