Credit:UN Web TV
In September 2023, various regional and universal human rights bodies will hold sessions or hearings to continue their oversight and adjudication of human rights issues. For more information on each of the bodies mentioned, visit the Courts & Monitoring Bodies section of the IJRC Online Resource Hub.
At the regional level, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, European Committee of Social Rights, and Inter-American Court of Human Rights will be in session. The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) will hold a hearing on September 27 in the case of Duarte Agostinho and Others v. Portugal and Others.
At the United Nations, the human rights treaty bodies in session are those focused on the rights of persons with disabilities; children; enforced disappearances; and, on economic, social and cultural rights.
The UN special procedure mandate holders scheduled to carry out country visits in September include the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls, to Mauritania; the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, to Montenegro; the Special Rapporteur on freedom of assembly and association, to Algeria; the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, to Georgia; and, the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty, to Ecuador.
Finally, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and special procedures have issued many calls for input with deadlines in September 2023, including for submissions related to: resettlement, law enforcement and peaceful protest, unilateral coercive measures, business and human rights, discrimination against women and girls, decriminalization of homelessness, and youth-led organizations and the future of human rights. Several mandate holders are also seeking inputs for upcoming visits to Brazil, Canada, Côte d’Ivoire, Finland, Honduras, Mauritania, Moldova, Montenegro, and Tajikistan.
African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights
The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR) will hold its 70th Ordinary Session from September 4 to 29. In recent sessions, the AfCHPR has been convening in person at its seat in Arusha, Tanzania. The Court livestreams delivery of newly-adopted judgments at the end of its sessions. Session details will be posted to the AfCHPR’s website.
European Committee of Social Rights
The European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) will hold its 336th Session from September 11 to 15, at its headquarters in Strasbourg, France. The session agenda and synopsis will subsequently be available on the sessions webpage.
Inter-American Court of Human Rights
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) will hold its 160th Regular Session from August 21 to September 8, in a hybrid format, and its 161st Regular Session from September 18 to 29. During its 160th Regular Session, the Court will deliberate privately in order to adopt its judgments in eight cases, which are summarized in the Court’s press release (Spanish only). In August, the Court held a public hearing concerning the case of Yangali Iparraguirre v. Peru, and held private hearings on implementation and provisional measures in other cases. The agenda for the 161st Regular Session is not yet available.
Human Rights Council
The UN Human Rights Council is holding its 54th session from September 11 to October 13, in person in Geneva, Switzerland. Among other activities, the draft programme of work and agenda indicate the Council will elect members of its Advisory Committee and appoint 12 special procedure mandate holders. The Council President’s list of proposed candidates and the applications of all candidates are available online.
The Council will also hold annual or biennial discussions related to integration of a gender perspective, the rights of Indigenous peoples, unilateral coercive measures, and youth and human rights, in addition to many interactive dialogues with mandate holders.
The Council is scheduled to adopt the outcome reports from the latest Universal Periodic Review cycle for Bahamas, Barbados, Botswana, Burundi, France, Israel, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Mali, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Tonga, and the United Arab Emirates.
The Council will also consider various reports from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and numerous special procedure mandate holders. The documentation for the session is available online, and the public portions of the session will be webcast on UN Web TV.
UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies
Various UN treaty bodies will convene this month. The full schedule can be viewed on the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ Teamup Calendar. Treaty bodies’ public activities, including constructive dialogues held as part of State party reviews, will be webcast on UN Web TV.
Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is holding its 29th Session, in person in Geneva, from August 14 to September 8. The Committee’s programme of work includes constructive dialogues with Andorra, Austria, Germany, Israel, Malawi, Mauritania, Mongolia, and Paraguay.
Committee on the Rights of the Child
The Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) will hold its 94th Session, in person in Geneva, from September 4 to 22. The Committee’s programme of work includes constructive dialogues with Albania, Andorra, Dominican Republic, Kyrgyzstan, Liechtenstein, and Togo, concerning their implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The CRC will additionally discuss Liechtenstein’s implementation of the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, and Togo’s implementation of the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict.
Committee on Enforced Disappearances
The Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED) will hold its 25th Session, in person in Geneva, from September 11 to 29. The Committee’s programme of work includes constructive dialogues with Mauritania and Nigeria. The CED will adopt lists of issues for Samoa, Central African Republic, and Sri Lanka.
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) will hold its 74th Session, in person in Geneva, from September 25 to October 13. The Committee’s programme of work includes constructive dialogues with Armenia, Brazil, Chad, France, Qatar, and Palestine. The CESCR will consider the implementation of prior recommendations by Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, and Latvia under its follow-up procedure.
Additional Information
To view human rights bodies’ past and future activities, visit the IJRC Hearings & Sessions Calendar. For more information on the various human rights monitoring bodies, visit IJRC’s Online Resource Hub. To stay up-to-date on international human rights law news, visit IJRC’s News Room.