Today, on 24 February 2025, the 58th Session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC58) began in Geneva. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened the session, deploring the ways in which human rights are being ‘suffocated’ from all angles – from autocrats, from wars and violence, from the patriarchy and growing discrimination, from climate change, and from Artificial Intelligence and new technologies.
Over the next six weeks, States will now debate and act on major human rights concerns, with significant implications for the protection of the right to freedom of expression and related rights across the globe. ARTICLE 19 will be advocating for progressive international standards relevant for the right to freedom of expression, including in a new resolution on human rights defenders, as well as in discussions on tackling religious intolerance. At the same time, we will be speaking out on the human rights situation in many countries, including in Belarus, Brazil, Iran, Thailand, and Myanmar.
This blog outlines our advocacy priorities for the session. During HRC58, follow @article19 for live updates and use #HRC58 to join the discussion. You can also check out our full coverage of the session here.
Human rights defenders
Norway will lead a new substantive resolution on human rights defenders at the session. This resolution will have a broad thematic focus on new and emerging technologies, with calls on governments and other stakeholders to protect human rights defenders in the digital age. It has been three years since the previous iteration of this resolution, which importantly focused on the contribution of human rights defenders, including women human rights defenders, in conflict and post-conflict situations. We will be advocating for this resolution to progress international standards, including by meeting with delegations and taking part in negotiations throughout the session.
We will push for the resolution to introduce red lines and call for governments to completely cease and refrain from the use of any technology, including Artificial Intelligence applications, that are incompatible with human rights and the vital work of human rights defenders. In this vein, we will also advocate for stronger language on spyware, not only on governments using these technologies, but on those companies that are selling, exporting, and transferring them and enabling human rights violations.
Aside from this, we will work to ensure the new resolution contains language recognising how universal and meaningful connectivity is essential for the enjoyment of human rights and the work of human rights defenders. It should build on progress made in recent resolutions and include concrete, human rights-based measures to ensure connectivity, including ensuring an enabling environment for small, community, and non-profit providers. At the same time, it should move beyond calling on governments to refrain from shutdowns and urge them to cease blocking, throttling, and filtering measures.
Freedom of religion or belief
At the March session, we usually see the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation presenting an annual resolution on combating religious intolerance, seen as a renewal of Resolution 16/18, a universally agreed-upon framework to address the root causes of hate based on religion or belief in law, policy, and practice. The European Union also present an essential parallel resolution on freedom of religion or belief.
Since 2011, these dual resolutions have been renewed each March, representing a consensual and universal framework to address the root causes of hate based on religion or belief in law, policy, and practice. Together, these resolutions promote open debate over censorship as fundamental to challenge deep-seated prejudices that drive hate against religious groups and individuals. However, last March, the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation delayed and ultimately decided to not table their resolution at the session, amid ongoing discussions to open the resolution and include language related to blasphemy or the so-called ‘defamation of religions’.
We call on the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation and the European Union to get us back on track and renew both parallel resolutions at this session, ensuring no substantive changes are made to this consensual framework. We also urge all States to reaffirm their commitment to Resolution 16/18 and related documents, like the Rabat Plan of Action, and adopt comprehensive and evidence-based national implementation plans, with the full and effective participation of diverse stakeholders.
Country situations
Aside from advocacy on thematic resolutions, we will also raise awareness and maintain scrutiny of several human rights situations at the session, including calling for accountability where governments are failing to live up to their obligations and commitments.
We will make a statement on Brazil, where we will take part in the interactive dialogue on the Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders’ report on the country. We accompanied the Special Rapporteur on the visit to Brazil together with other civil society organisations and networks. As the country report shows, Brazil faces many challenges with regards the protection of those who raise their voices to defend human rights, and will we urge the government to fully implement its recommendations.
We will also make a statement on Thailand, a new member of the Human Rights Council, outlining widespread violations of the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and call on the government to undertake comprehensive constitutional reform, ensuring that the drafting process of a new constitution is fully aligned with international human rights law and standards.
At the same time, we will also make statements in interactive dialogues on Belarus, Iran, and Myanmar to highlight the increasing human rights crises unfolding in these countries.