HRC 58

The 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council took place from 24 February to 04 April 2025. The ongoing liquidity crisis experienced by the United Nations, which deeply affects the Council’s functioning, has once again put civil society organisations under an additional and significant burden - especially when it comes to accessing hybrid modalities and organising side events. The United Nations Office at Geneva is now charging civil society for the use of interpretation booths at side events as well as for the use of any type of hybrid modality, such as Webex.

International Women’s Day emerged from the struggles of working-class women advocating for fair wages, better working conditions, and voting rights. Yet today, corporate power and abuse have expanded, with a few corporations and ultra-wealthy men wielding unchecked influence that impacts the lives of billions without accountability.

Human Rights do not happen in a void. Currently, a total of 3.3 billion people live in countries that spend more on interest payments than on education, health or climate investment. How can we expect that the standards that we negotiate and push for in this Council are implemented without even the possibility of adequate resourcing, which is forced by the international financial architecture?

While progress has been made, significant gaps remain in ensuring equitable access to youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information and services. Many adolescents and young people, especially in rural and hard-to-reach areas, continue to face barriers such as inadequate health infrastructure, shortages of trained healthcare providers, and financial constraints that prevent them from accessing essential services.

We call on the international community to support the DRC's efforts to build institutional capacity, raise community awareness and ensure access to affordable and quality reproductive health services. These measures will help to reduce maternal mortality, promote gender equality and respect women's rights.

Despite policy advancements in Albania, significant gaps remain in the protection and support of workers, particularly women in rural areas. Labour rights violations persist, especially for women who face systemic barriers to employment and economic security. Whilst the government adopted the National Strategy for Employment and Skills (2023–2030), rural women remain disproportionately excluded from the workforce​. Limited access to childcare, a lack of vocational training, and deep-rooted gender norms restrict their participation, leaving them vulnerable to poverty and economic dependence.

The liquidity crisis has led to cuts in Special Procedures’ activities and limited engagement opportunities for rights holders. States cannot continue defunding the Special Procedures system, which they have created, thereby preventing them from fulfilling their essential mandates. States must pay their dues in full and on time. We ask the Coordination Committee and the Secretariat to regularly update and consult with civil society on the impact of the liquidity crisis and other challenges and developments affecting Special Procedures and OHCHR, and to make that information public and easily accessible.

We welcome the Independent Expert’s report. As it remarks, Global South countries are most affected by a climate crisis they did not cause and by an inequitable global financial system. They are struggling with increasing debt levels, forced to borrow more money, often just to repay existing debts, with IMF- and World Bank-imposed austerity measures, including cuts to public spending and privatization of essential services affecting disproportionately women, children, elderly, racialized and marginalized communities.

More action is needed to address the intersectional challenges of women with disabilities living in rural areas, including young and indigenous women and other structurally excluded communities. Investment in developing the leadership of such women is key. We call for urgent implementation measures to combat violence based on gender and disability, including femicides. Even when legal frameworks exist, implementation, access to justice and to crisis centers are extremely limited for women with disabilities.

Housing is more than shelter. It is a fundamental determinant of health, safety, and well-being. Migrants, particularly those with irregular status, face systemic barriers to securing safe housing, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation, ill health, displacement, gender-based violence, and human rights violations. In Canada, many migrant workers, especially in agricultural and caregiving sectors, and international students endure overcrowded and unsafe conditions with little recourse when facing exploitation, violence, or eviction.

Why is a human rights-based approach necessary to prevent and eliminate maternal mortality and morbidity? How do we deal with structural and systemic discrimination in policy and programming? Join this discussion that will highlight why strengthening health systems, removing barriers to accessing health care and ensuring sexual and reproductive health and rights is necessary to improve women and girls’ health.

The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action have long been heralded as a pivotal moment in the recognition of women’s rights. While feminists fought fearlessly for a declaration many also noted its shortcomings. Those concerns remain relevant today.

The 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from 24 February to 4 April 2025. Once again, the session will not be hybrid because of the absence of a mandate from the General Assembly to retain remote participation. This will not affect pre-recorded statements at all debates, panels and discussions as well as the webcasting on UN Web TV of the public meetings scheduled in the Programme of Work.