With the conclusion of 62nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), held from 15 June − 7 July 2026, the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) reflects on the key discussions and outcomes of the session, the side events held and the resolutions passed.
Under the spotlight
Independence of judges and lawyers at top of the UNHRC agenda
The IBAHRI welcomes the adoption of the resolution on the independence and impartiality of the judiciary, jurors and assessors, and the independence of lawyers, which renews the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers. The IBAHRI actively participated in the negotiations of the resolution. In this respect, the IBAHRI particularly welcomes the inclusion of strengthened language condemning the increasingly frequent attacks on the independence of judges, lawyers, prosecutors and court officials, including those serving in international courts. The resolution also makes important advances by addressing Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) and cross-border attacks against legal professionals, reaffirming the need to protect lawyer-client confidentiality from undue interference, including surveillance, and recognising attacks targeting lawyers beyond their national borders. The IBAHRI further welcomes the reference to the adoption of the Council of Europe (CoE) Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer , as well as the dedicated paragraph underscoring the importance of ensuring that judicial appointments and selection processes comply with international standards and are based on objective, transparent and merit-based criteria.
Women in Law: Overcoming Gender-Based Barriers and Advancing Access to Justice
During the UNHRC session traditionally dedicated to discrimination against women, the IBAHRI convened a side event co-organised with Lawyers for Lawyers (L4L) and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) titled 'Women in Law: Overcoming Gender-Based Barriers and Advancing Access to Justice', focused on the role of women in legal professions. The discussion provided an opportunity to reflect on persistent challenges and emerging opportunities to advance gender equality within the legal profession.
The panel was moderated by Francesca Restifo, Senior Human Rights Lawyer and UN Representative at the IBAHRI, and featured Margaret Satterthwaite, UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers; Ivana Krstic, Member of the UN Working Group on Discrimination against Women and Girls; Sara Carnegie, Legal Projects Director at the IBA; Judge Radmila Dragicevic-Dicic, a commissioner at the ICJ; Sandrine Giroud, immediate past President of the Geneva Bar Association and Vice-President of the Women Bar Leaders Association (Association des Bâtonnières du Monde); and Shabnam Moinipour, Iranian legal expert.
Despite the progress made in advancing women's representation across legal professions globally, participants highlighted that systemic barriers remain pervasive. Women continue to face unequal pay, are underrepresented in senior leadership positions and remain victims of gender bias in recruitment and promotion, as well as harassment and discrimination in the workplace. These barriers not only impede women's professional advancement but also undermine the inclusiveness, integrity and impartiality of justice systems.
The high-level experts explored how many barriers initially appear neutral but continue to disadvantage women in practice in a historically male-dominated profession, while gender stereotypes continue to influence judicial decision-making, the interpretation of evidence, assessments of credibility and approaches to gender-based violence. The discussion highlighted that increasing representation and leadership of women across legal professions strengthens judicial independence, enhances public confidence in justice systems and contributes to a more gender-responsive decision-making. Female legal professionals play a central role in advancing gender equality jurisprudence, improving access to justice for women and girls, addressing gender-based violence and promoting accountability for human rights violations.
States and inter-governmental organisations which co-sponsored include: the International Development Law Organisation (IDLO); the Council of Europe (CoE); The Commonwealth Secretariat; Austria; Belgium; Colombia; Estonia; France; Germany; Hungary; Italy; Latvia; Lithuania; the Marshall Islands; Mexico; the Netherlands; Slovenia; Spain; and the United Kingdom (UK).
The event was also co-sponsored by legal organisations including: Ordre des Avocats de Genève; Lawyers' Rights Watch Canada (LRWC); Judges for Judges; the Law Council of Australia; The Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe; The International Association of Judges; The International Observatory of Endangered Lawyer; The Pan-African Legal Union; Bâtonnières du Monde; and Union Internationale des Avocats.
Judicial Selection and Appointment Processes that Can Drive Success and Build Trust
The IBAHRI co-sponsored and participated in a side event organised by the IDLO titled 'Judicial Selection and Appointment Processes that Can Drive Success and Build Trust'. The discussion examined how transparent and merit-based judicial appointment systems can strengthen judicial independence, reinforce public confidence in the administration of justice and contribute to the protection of human rights. The panel featured:
- Margaret Satterthwaite, UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers;
- Kate Fox Principi, Lead on the Administration of Justice, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR);
- Francesca Restifo, Senior Human Rights Lawyer and UN Representative for the IBAHRI; and
- Roman Toder, Deputy Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN in Geneva.
Drawing on its longstanding work to promote judicial independence, the IBAHRI's remarks emphasised that judicial appointments are far more than technical institutional processes. The procedures governing the selection of judges directly affect the ability of courts to operate independently and impartially, protect the right to a fair trial and uphold the rule of law. In this event, the IBAHRI underscored that weak or politicised appointment systems can foster impunity, undermine accountability and enable the misuse of judicial institutions against political opponents, journalists, lawyers and human rights defenders.
The event was moderated by Mark Cassayre, IDLO Permanent Observer to the UN in Geneva. The event was co-sponsored by the Permanent Missions of Austria, The Gambia and the UK, the CoE, the IBAHRI and the OHCHR.
Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on independence of judges and lawyers on judicial appointments
The IBAHRI joined the Law Council of Australia on an oral statement on judicial appointments. The statement underscored the importance of a judiciary that reflects the diversity of the society that it serves in order to strengthen public confidence and institutional legitimacy. They emphasised the need for appointments processes based on merit, integrity and diversity, supported by transparent data collection and public reporting to monitor representation and assess the effectiveness of judicial appointment systems. The statement also called for continued international cooperation among states, judiciaries and legal professional associations to uphold these principles and reinforce judicial independence and the rule of law.
The IBAHRI delivered an oral statement co-sponsored by the ICJ during the Interactive Dialogue (ID) with the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers. The statement highlighted its particular relevance to Guatemala in light of the 2026 judicial selection processes, which have long been affected by political interference, limited transparency and the absence of objective selection criteria. It also stressed that the Special Rapporteur's recommendations on judicial appointments should also inform judicial elections to the International Criminal Court (ICC), urging States Parties to ensure that nomination and election processes are upheld to the highest standards of integrity, independence, impartiality and professional excellence in order to preserve the Court's legitimacy, effectiveness and credibility.
Thematic key takeaways
20 years of the UNHRC: strengthening the human rights system
The UN liquidity crisis and budget cuts continue to undermine the UNHRC's ability to implement mandates, including its significant contributions to developing international law, as well as its work to prevent and promote accountability for atrocity crimes and other grave violations. In this respect, we welcome the UN General Assembly's decision to suspend the return of unspent funds as a temporary measure, while urging all Member States-including major contributors-to pay their assessed contributions in full and on time to ensure sustainable financing for the UN human rights system.
Marking the 20th anniversary of the UNHRC, the IBAHRI co-sponsored a side event called 'The Human Rights Council at 20: A Lifeline for Defenders', which explored why human rights defenders continue to rely on the UNHRC, examining its continued relevance for human rights defenders in advancing accountability and promoting human rights at the national level. The discussion brought together defenders from different regions to share practical experiences of engaging with the UNHRC, the Universal Periodic Review, special procedures and investigative mechanisms, highlighting their impact on domestic advocacy, accountability efforts, standard-setting and the protection of victims and affected communities.
Digital surveillance and its impact on human rights defenders - Iran, Afghanistan, Russia and Occupied Palestinian Territories
The IBAHRI joined the LRWC and other civil society organisations in a joint oral statement during the ID on the report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association.
The organisations raised concern over the growing use of digital surveillance to identify, monitor and target individuals exercising their fundamental rights, with disproportionate impacts on female human rights defenders, including in Iran and Afghanistan. The statement also highlighted the misuse of legislation and digital tools in the Russian Federation, including restrictions imposed on organisations such as Memorial and OVD-Info. It also raised concerns regarding surveillance linked to sanctions imposed by the United States against Palestinian organisations, ICC judges and prosecutors and the UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The statement called for the adoption of robust international and domestic legal frameworks to protect human rights defenders and for the negotiation of a binding international instrument regulating digital surveillance technologies.
Country-specific takeaways - in alphabetical order
Belarus - attacks against lawyers and transnational repression
The IBAHRI and ICJ condemned the continued repression of civil society in Belarus, including the systematic persecution and judicial harassment of lawyers defending human rights, the rule of law and dissenting voices. The IBAHRI and ICJ deplored the lack of judicial independence, the Ministry of Justice's interference in the legal profession and the Belarusian Republican Bar Association's failure to protect its members. Since 2020, nearly 600 lawyers have been arbitrarily disbarred, prosecuted, imprisoned or forced into exile, with no effective remedies available. The organisations also condemn the transnational repression of Belarusians abroad, including trials in absentia and the denial of consular services, and call on host states to protect exiled lawyers, including by facilitating access to legal employment.
Persecution of lawyers in Iran
The IBAHRI joined the LRWC on a joint oral statement during the ID with the Special Rapporteur on independence of judges and lawyers. The statement focused on the situation in Iran, highlighting the systematic persecution of lawyers as a means of obstructing the defence of human rights. The statement drew attention to the severe restrictions on access to independent legal counsel since the nationwide protests in December 2025, the detention and sentencing of human rights lawyers and the misuse of legal provisions and court-appointed lawyers to undermine fair trial rights and facilitate arbitrary convictions and death sentences.
Myanmar: Addressing the Rohingya Crisis and the collapse of the Rule of Law
The IBAHRI welcomes that the Council reaffirmed international attention to the worsening situation of the Rohingya through a renewed resolution on Myanmar, with an emphasis on accountability and recognition of those responsible for violations, however the absence of a call for an arms embargo is regrettable.
During the ID on the High Commissioner's Annual Report, the ICJ and IBAHRI delivered a joint oral statement highlighting the absence of the rule of law in Myanmar. They emphasised that the military authorities are increasingly weaponising the legal system to suppress freedom of expression and shield perpetrators of atrocity crimes from accountability. Violations of fair trial rights have become entrenched throughout the justice system. Lawyers representing political prisoners continue to face intimidation, surveillance, arbitrary restrictions on access to their clients, and reprisals for carrying out their professional duties. The organisations also condemned the widespread use of incommunicado detention, noting that families and legal representatives are routinely denied information about detainees' whereabouts and are prevented from accessing individuals held in deplorable conditions.
Responding to the crisis in El Obaid, Sudan
The Council's urgent debate and resolution on the situation in El Obeid, Sudan, as recommended by civil society, was a timely and compelling response to the escalating atrocity risks. However, it has been stressed that the response fell short by failing to explicitly identify and condemn external actors enabling abuses. Stronger international action is needed, including expanding the ICC's jurisdiction beyond Darfur, holding perpetrators and their external supporters accountable and ensuring Sudan remains a priority across international decision-making forums.
The IBAHRI delivered an oral statement during the urgent debate on Sudan, recalling that, as confirmed by the International Court of Justice in its 2007 judgment, States Parties must act once they know, or should know, of a serious risk of genocide and use all means reasonably available to prevent it. With such a risk existing in Sudan since at least 2023, the IBAHRI urged UNHRC members to formally recognise the risk of genocide, support the implementation of the UN Fact-Finding Mission's recommendations and advance accountability, including through a referral of the situation across Sudan to the ICC.
Tunisia: The impact of the escalating judicial independence crisis on human rights
The IBAHRI co-sponsored a side event organised by the ICJ focusing on the dismantling of judicial independence in Tunisia over the past five years and its severe impact on the fair administration of justice and the protection of human rights. The discussion highlighted how the authorities have increasingly instrumentalised the prosecution service and the courts to target dissent and restrict civic space. The panel featured the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Tunisian lawyers and human rights defenders, and representatives of civil society organisations.
Venezuela
The IBAHRI, together with L4L and Judges for Judges, delivered a joint oral statement during the ID on the situation of human rights in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, condemning the continued absence of genuine transitional justice and accountability for past state crimes. The statement welcomed the Amnesty Law and prisoner releases but highlighted the lack of transparency in its application. It called for structural judicial reform, compliance with international standards in the filling of new judicial vacancies for the Supreme Tribunal, the release of all arbitrarily detained persons and full OHCHR access to the country.
During the same ID, the L4L, the IBAHRI and the LRWC delivered another oral statement on the harsh situation faced by lawyers in Venezuela. The organisations addressed serious challenges that continue to undermine the ability of lawyers to carry out their professional duties. They are frequently denied access to clients, confidential communication is routinely obstructed and access to case files is restricted. Many lawyers are also arbitrarily blocked from accessing judicial case management systems and often prevented from being formally recognised as counsel in proceedings. Habeas corpus petitions are also arbitrarily rejected and due process guarantees are routinely violated.
Other relevant takeaways
Advancing the rights of women and girls
The IBAHRI welcomes that the 62nd session of the UNHRC saw significant progress on gender equality and protection from violence. A landmark resolution on women and girls in humanitarian settings became the first UN resolution to explicitly recognise reproductive violence, including its potential to constitute genocidal acts. Another resolution on discrimination against women and girls strengthened commitments to addressing structural inequalities, recognising the disproportionate burden of unpaid care work and calling for reforms to transform care systems.
Protecting children
The IBAHRI welcomes that the Council adopted a resolution on child, early and forced marriage that focuses on implementing recent UN human rights guidance, reinforcing the importance of translating international commitments into tangible improvements in the lives of girls at risk.
Defending freedom of expression
The IBAHRI welcomes the strengthened resolution on freedom of opinion and expression, which expands protections against transnational repression and mandates a comprehensive study on cross-border threats to free expression. The resolution also advances international standards on SLAPPs, surveillance, artificial intelligence, internet shutdowns, defamation and technology-facilitated gender-based violence.
Maintaining scrutiny in Eritrea
The renewal of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Eritrea is as an essential step in maintaining international scrutiny of persistent human rights violations. However, civil society expressed regret that the resolution did not include stronger measures to advance accountability for crimes against humanity identified by the UN Commission of Inquiry a decade ago.
