Geneva, Switzerland. June 13, 2016– The UN Human Rights Council started its 32nd regular session today at Palais de Nations in Geneva, and will go on until July, 1  2016.

This year marks the 10^th anniversary of the formation of the UN Human Rights Council, and it presents an opportunity to weight challenges and achievements, talk about ongoing initiatives and also make the relevant and pressing changes to improve human rights promotion and protection across the globe.

Resolutions for this Session

More than 25 resolutions will be presented during this session, several of them concern our mandate and we will be attentive of the outcome, those are the following:

1. Resolution on the protection of civil society space (Ireland, Chile, Japan, Sierra Leone and Tunisia)
2. Resolution on accelerating efforts to eliminate all violence against women, with a focus on preventing and responding violence against Indigenous women (Canada)
3. Resolution on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity (Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, Argentina and Brazil)
4. Resolution on freedom of peaceful assembly and association (Maldives, Czech Republic, Indonesia, Lithuania, USA, Mexico, Nigeria)
5. Resolution on Racism and Women (Brazil)
6. Resolution on the fight against discrimination against women in law and practices with a focus on the working group’s report on health and safety (Colombia and Mexico)
7. Resolution on Discrimination against women and children in nationality laws (USA, Australia, Botswana, Colombia, Mexico, Slovakia, Turkey)

Panel Discussions

There are 6 panel discussions scheduled for this session, two of them concern us directly:

• The High-level panel discussion on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Human Rights Council: achievements and challenges. This discussion will take place on Monday 13 June 2016 at 15:00 in Room XX. The discussion will be focused on the achievements and challenges faced by the Council. Former and current presidents of the HRC will share their experiences.
• The annual full-day discussion on the human rights of women will take place on Thursday 16 June 2016 at 09:00. Violence against indigenous women and girls and its root causes will be the first theme for the first half of the day. The second discussion will take place starting at 15:00 and will focus on Women’s rights and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: delivering on the promise to leave no one behind. The panel will aim to link the rights of women to the other Sustainable Development Goals, especially discrimination against women and gender equality.

Other Relevant Events

• Event on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Council, Monday 13 June, organized by Switzerland and the State of Geneva. This event is scheduled for 18:15, outside of Room XX.
• Side Event on preventing and accounting violence against women, Tuesday 14 June, organized by Netherlands and Muslim for Progressive Values. This event is scheduled for 8:30 in room XXIII.
• Side Event for the 10th anniversary of the HRC on challenges and achievements of Human Rights, Tuesday 14 June, organized by Uruguay and the Francophonie. This event is scheduled for 13:00, in Room IX.
• Side Event on Violence against indigenous women, Wednesday 15 June, organized by Canada. This event is scheduled for 13:00, in Room XXV.

The International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights works to enhance the visibility of afro-descendants, women and LGBTI groups in the universal system and also to facilitate interactions within national and regional NGOs and the United Nations. The International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights advocates against racial, ethnic and gender discrimination and fights against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. 

For more information on the Human Rights Council, please contact our Legal Adviser in Geneva, Laia Evia, at Evia@oldrace.wp or follow @raceandequality on Twitter.