United Nations Human Rights Council concludes 62nd session with successful adoption of the resolution “Twentieth anniversary of the Human Rights Council”

SLOVENIA, July 8 - The session featured multiple successful annual discussions and led to the adoption of several resolutions on the human rights of women and girls. It also included an urgent discussion on the human rights situation in Sudan.

The HRC unanimously adopted the resolution “Twentieth anniversary of the Human Rights Council”, submitted by Slovenia, Mexico, Morocco, Cabo Verde, Thailand, Estonia and Spain. The resolution politically affirms the importance of the HRC and its positive contribution to the development of international human rights law, normative standards and institutional mechanisms for the protection of human rights.

In line with the annual focus of the June session, the HRC held its yearly discussions on the situation of women and girls and adopted multiple resolutions, including on the human rights of women and girls and on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and girls in care and support systems, which is of particular importance for societies with an ageing population. After six years, the HRC returned to the resolution “Promoting, protecting and respecting women’s and girls’ full enjoyment of human rights in humanitarian situations”, examined the issue of child, early and forced marriage and called for more effective measures to eradicate such practices.

In addition to proposals related to this topic, the countries discussed human rights challenges associated with extreme poverty, freedom of opinion and expression, the independence and impartiality of the judiciary, jurors and assessors, the denial of humanitarian access and threats to the safety of humanitarian personnel in armed conflict, the protection of healthcare in armed conflict, climate change and the role of countries in addressing the negative effects of disinformation on the enjoyment and realisation of human rights. The HRC extended the mandates of the special rapporteurs on the right to education, on the rights of persons with disabilities and on extreme poverty, as well as the mandate of the Working Group on Business and Human Rights. At the proposal of the EU, the HRC also extended the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea.

During the sessions, there were numerous exchanges on the most pressing crisis situations and the state of human rights in certain countries. Slovenia participated actively, especially in dialogues concerning Ukraine, Belarus, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Slovenia also took part in an urgent HRC debate on the human rights situation in and around El Obeid in North Kordofan, where it underlined the importance of preventive action by the HRC and the protection of civilians, and called on all parties involved in the conflict to de-escalate and ensure safe, sustainable and unobstructed access to humanitarian aid.

Furthermore, Slovenia shared its perspective during the annual panel discussion on the rights of women and girls in dialogue with the Working Group on Discrimination Against Women and Girls and with the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, as well as on the panel discussion on human rights in the context of climate change. On behalf of the trilateral partnership of Slovenia, Austria and Croatia, Slovenia participated in an exchange on the effects of anti-personnel mines on the enjoyment of all human rights, with particular emphasis on economic, social and cultural rights.

Slovenia’s statements on this year’s session

On the margins of the session, Slovenia co-organised and actively participated in numerous side events that shed further light on the priority areas of its activity within the HRC. These included discussions on the situation of reporters and political prisoners in Belarus, sexual violence in Ukraine during the Russian aggression, the protection of human rights through the prevention of corruption, women’s representation in law, the universal periodic review and the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.

Together with Argentina, it held an event on the promotion and protection of the human rights of older persons, with the aim of raising awareness ahead of the first session of the Open-ended Intergovernmental Working Group to prepare a legally binding instrument. Dr Zvezdan Pirtošek, the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, also participated in the event. Participants emphasised that the new instrument should be ambitious, compatible with existing standards and shaped on the basis of the life experiences of older persons.

The United Nations Human Rights Council is the UN’s central body in the field of human rights. Slovenia became a member of the Council for the third time on 1 January 2026.

Information on Slovenia’s priorities and activity in the HRC.