61st UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva 24 2 2026

Overview

This video is a live-streamed segment of the 61st UN Human Rights Council (Geneva, 24 Feb 2026). It focuses on member states’ opening/high-level remarks and how they view the Council’s role amid escalating global crises.

Key Themes and Arguments Raised

1) Human rights under severe global pressure (conflict, inequality, climate, digital risks)

Multiple speakers framed the session as occurring during “particularly testing” conditions, including:

• Escalating armed conflict and terrorism, leading to displacement and widespread violations—especially against women and children.
• Deepening social inequalities and worsening living conditions.
• Accelerating climate impacts, presented not only as environmental threats, but as direct threats to rights such as life, housing, food, health, and development.
• New digital technologies, including calls for:
  • human-centered governance and protections (e.g., privacy),
  • prevention of algorithmic profiling,
  • equal access,
  • warnings that rights can be harmed without strong ethical/legal safeguards.

2) Universalism, dialogue, and multilateral cooperation vs. politicization

A recurring message is that human rights must be:

• universal, indivisible, interdependent, and interrelated
• integrated into public policy, development, peace, and security

Speakers emphasized advancing rights through:

• multilateralism
• dialogue
• cooperation

Several delegations criticized—or warned against—politicization and double standards in Council work, including arguments that:

• human rights should not be selectively applied, including during crises;
• the Council must maintain credibility and independence;
• international human rights mechanisms should operate consistently for all countries.

3) Rights-based climate action and climate justice

Small island states and others emphasized that:

• climate change endangers multiple civil, social, and development rights
• climate action must be human-rights-based and aligned with:
  • climate justice
  • international solidarity
  • adequate funding for adaptation and resilience

4) Women’s rights, children’s rights, inclusion, and disability protections

Speakers highlighted:

• eradication of gender-based violence and harmful practices
• strengthening prevention, protection, and accountability mechanisms
• support for women’s education and economic empowerment
• child protection in contexts including armed conflict, with concerns about accountability/impunity
• inclusion as a state obligation, including in relation to digital technology and equal access

5) Mental health and the right not to lose access to human rights

Portugal called for Council decision-making that recognizes people with mental health issues, stressing they must not be stripped of human rights and that mental health should be addressed internationally.

6) Accountability, humanitarian access, and protection of civilians

Many interventions linked human rights work to practical enforcement goals:

• protect civilians and humanitarian corridors
• support accountability for violations (including independent monitoring)
• ensure humanitarian access remains neutral, impartial, and urgent

Speakers also referenced specific humanitarian crises, including Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, and other ongoing conflicts—arguing for ceasefires, protection, and lawful access.

Notable Country-Specific Points

• Angola: Emphasized constitutional/legal commitments to life, strengthened human rights treaties, a national human rights strategy, progress with implementation, and reiterated opposition to the death penalty.
• Portugal: Stressed keeping human rights out of politicization; highlighted Council credibility/independence; called for focus including mental health and human rights, plus preventive diplomacy/mediation and international humanitarian law.
• Mozambique: Discussed post-election violence resolution via national dialogue; addressed terrorism/violent extremism in Cabo Delgado; reported climate disaster impacts; highlighted torture prevention steps (including strengthening a national preventive mechanism) and updates on treaty reporting and business/human rights initiatives.
• Andorra (video/statement): Focused on UPR progress, child protection in armed conflict, women’s rights policies, and multilingualism—arguing for maintaining translation/interpreting services and linguistic access.
• Egypt (video): Emphasized that human rights systems must not apply selectively; addressed Gaza (ending aggression, humanitarian access, recovery projects); stressed the right to development and links between human rights and development challenges such as debt and financing.
• Greece: Argued the Council needs resources, not only resolutions; criticized liquidity/budget constraints; addressed multiple crises (Ukraine, Syria, Gaza, Sudan, Iran, Afghanistan); advocated education to build a global human rights culture.
• Rwanda: Strongly condemned alleged hate speech and persecution targeting Tutsi/Tutsi-linked communities in eastern DRC; urged unequivocal Council action against hate speech, accountability for incitement, and neutral humanitarian access.
• Denmark (video): Listed priority crises (Ukraine, Iran, Gaza, West Bank, Sudan) and emphasized independent monitoring, accountability, and defense of international law.
• Romania (video): Highlighted preventive approaches, education as resilience-building, humanitarian actions (including child evacuations from Gaza), and gender equality efforts.
• Tanzania: Outlined development-oriented human rights policy (health insurance, water/electricity access, fee-free education, justice reforms and legal aid, women/gender initiatives, youth empowerment).
• Canada (video): Stressed UN reform and protecting the human rights “pillar” from underfunding; called for judicial independence, ending impunity, and protection of civil society/human rights defenders; highlighted transnational repression and underscored gender equality commitments.
• Netherlands (video): Argued human rights are foundational for stable societies; emphasized UN reform, underfunding of the human rights pillar, support for OHCHR and investigative mechanisms, and continued pressure for accountability.
• Nigeria (video): Framed human rights alongside security and development; highlighted safe schools, religious freedom, poverty/food security and youth empowerment, and climate action as a human rights issue.
• San Marino: Emphasized multilateralism, protection of civilians, humanitarian solidarity (refugee hosting for Palestinians), AI governance concerns (innovation with rights protection), and institutional steps including an independent ombudsman plan.
• Russia (video): Criticized “double standards,” unilateral coercive measures/sanctions, and accused politicization of human rights mechanisms; defended international law consistency and equal-state dialogue.
• Ireland (video): Focused on civil society/human rights defenders and non-discrimination; emphasized Afghanistan women’s rights, the right to food, disabilities affected by conflict, and crises including Ukraine and Gaza; called for a well-resourced OHCHR and special procedures.
• Belarus (video): Argued the Council is failing and selective; criticized sanction-related issues and expensive mandates; demanded respect for sovereignty and equal application of rules via UPR.
• Thailand (former HR Council president, remarks): Argued Council effectiveness should be measured by outcomes, not resolutions; described transnational online scams as a human rights crisis; criticized allegations from Cambodia and defended Thailand’s position on sovereignty and the ceasefire context.

Overall Takeaway

Across the session, speakers broadly converged on:

• the Council’s central role in protecting civilians, ensuring accountability, and upholding international law
• the need to integrate human rights into development, peace, climate action, and governance

They also showed deep divisions around:

• Council credibility, independence, and freedom from politicization/double standards
• how to fund and reform the UN human rights system amid liquidity/structural constraints

Presenters / Contributors (listed)

• H.E. Vice President of São Tomé and Príncipe (opening statement on behalf of São Tomé and Príncipe)
• Mr. Téte António, Minister of External Relations — Angola
• H.E. Foreign Minister and International Cooperation of Portugal (name not provided in subtitles)
• Mr. Matthews Phineas Cacais, Minister of Justice, Constitutional and Religious Affairs — Mozambique
• Madame Immaat to FA, Minister of Foreign Affairs — Andorra (name partially garbled in subtitles)
• Mr. Badr Ahmed Muhammad Abdulati, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Egyptian Expatriates — Egypt (via video)
• Mr. George Gera Petritis, Minister of Foreign Affairs — Greece
• Mr. Olivia and Dun Guier, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation — Rwanda (name appears garbled in subtitles)
• Mr. Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Minister of Foreign Affairs — Denmark (via video)
• Mrs. Oana Sylvia Tocu, Minister of Foreign Affairs — Romania (via video)
• Mr. Juma Zuberi Homera, Minister for Constitutional and Legal Affairs — Tanzania
• Mr. Robert Olifant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs — Canada (via video)
• Mr. Marcel Devink, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Asylum and Migration — Netherlands (via video)
• Mr. Yufu Maitama Tugar, Minister of Foreign Affairs — Nigeria (via video)
• Mr. Luca Beccari, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Political Affairs, International Economic Cooperation and Digital Transition — San Marino
• Mr. Dmitry Lubinsky, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs — Russia
• Mr. Neil Richmond, Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora — Ireland (via opening remarks)
• Mr. Ego Secreta, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs — Belarus (name appears garbled in subtitles)
• Mr. Sihasak Puang, Minister of Foreign Affairs — Thailand (former HR Council president)
• Mr. (speaker at start of transmission): host/announcer(s) for the live stream (names not provided; subtitles refer to “Thank you, excellency…” and “Welcome back…”)
• His Excellency Mr. Volkan Turk is referenced as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (not a presenter in the segment).