Human Rights Council Advisory Committee holds its 33rd session from 17 to 21 February 2025

GENEVA - The United Nations Human Rights Council Advisory Committee will hold its 33rd session from 17 to 21 February 2025 in the Human Rights and Alliance of Civilizations Chamber (Room XX) at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

During the one-week session, the Committee’s 18 independent experts — serving as the Council’s think tank — will continue its work on the following mandates and hold discussions on the following topics:

• Human rights implications of new and emerging technologies in the military domain (HRC resolution 51/12)
• Impact of disinformation on the enjoyment and realization of human rights (HRC resolution 55/10)
• Technology-facilitated gender-based violence and its impact on women and girls (HRC resolution 56/19)
• Implications of plastic pollution for the full enjoyment of human rights (HRC decision 56/117)
• Impact of artificial intelligence systems on good governance (HRC resolution 57/5)

The Committee will also discuss a revised draft study on the human rights implications of new and emerging technologies in the military domain (HRC resolution 51/12). The resulting report is scheduled to be submitted to the Human Rights Council during its 60th session, taking place in September-October 2025. 

In addition, the Committee will consider outlines of its studies on disinformation and human rights, and on technology-facilitated gender-based violence. It will engage in panel discussions with expert panellists on the topics of artificial intelligence systems and good governance, the implications of plastic pollution for the full enjoyment of human rights, and technology-facilitated gender-based violence and its impact on women and girls.

During the session, the Committee will also hold discussions on its methods of work and discuss research proposals that could be submitted to the Human Rights Council, as well as on reflection papers.

The Committee’s plenary meetings are open to the media and will conclude with a round-up press release. The agenda and programme of work are available on the Advisory Committee’s session webpage.

Background 

The Advisory Committee is a body of 18 independent experts serving as a “think tank” to the Human Rights Council. It was established in 2008, pursuant to resolution 5/1 to provide studies and research-based advice, as requested by the Council, and meets twice a year. The Committee’s work is implementation-oriented and follows thematic issues linked to the mandate of the Council, namely, the promotion and protection of all human rights. It interacts with States, national human rights institutions, non-governmental organisations, and other civil society representatives. 

The composition of the Advisory Committee and term of membership of each expert are as follows:  

Noor Al-Jehani (Qatar, 2025); Miznah Omair Alomair (Saudi Arabia, 2027); Joseph Gérard Angoh (Mauritius, 2026); Buhm-Suk Baek (Republic of Korea, 2026*); Nadia Amal Bernoussi (Morocco, 2026*); Rabah Boudache (Algeria, 2025); Milena Costas Trascasas (Spain, 2025*); Riva Ganguly Das (India, 2026); Alessandra Devulsky (Brazil, 2027); Sebastião da Silva Isata (Angola, 2025); Jewel Major (Bahamas, 2026*); Javier Palummo (Uruguay, 2025*); Vasilka Sancin (Slovenia, 2025); Patrycja Sasnal (Poland, 2026*); Vassilis Tzevelekos (Greece, 2027*); Catherine Van de Heyning (Belgium, 2026*); Frans Viljoen (South Africa, 2027*); and Yue Zhang (China, 2025).

*Member serving second term 

For more information and media requests, please contact Pascal Sim, Media Officer, at [email protected] or Matthew Brown, Publi Information Officer at [email protected] or David Díaz Martín, Public Information Officer at [email protected] 

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