The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) is scheduled to hold its 116th session in Geneva, Switzerland from November 17 to December 5. According to the NGO Information Note, any civil society organizations wanting to attend the Session must register by November 3. During this session, the Committee will consider reports from Burundi, Guatemala, Maldives, New Zealand, Sweden and Tunisia; lists of issues prior to reporting for Laos, Japan, Panama and Tonga; and the need for urgent action procedures or early warning measures. An annotated provisional agenda is available on the session page.

The Committee will also hold informal meetings and lunchtime briefings with NGO representatives who have submitted written contributions. NGO representatives must register for these separately via email to the Secretariat at ohchr-cerd@un.org.

The Committee against Torture (CAT) is scheduled to hold its 83rd session in Geneva, Switzerland from November 10 to 28. During this session, the Committee will consider reports from Albania, Argentina, Bahrain and Israel; and lists of issues prior to reporting for Australia, Chad, El Salvador, Malawi, Nigeria, Somalia, and Uganda. The registration link for in-person attendance and an annotated provisional agenda are now available on the session page. Further information on civil society engagement is available on the Committee’s webpage.

Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture

The Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is scheduled to hold its 102nd Pre-sessional Working Group from November 17 to 19. During this time the Committee will begin reviewing State reports from Denmark, Italy, Morocco, Republic of Moldova, and Uruguay.

The Working Group of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) will hold its 50th session from November 3 to 14, 2025 to conduct the fourth cycle reviews for Belarus, Liberia, Malawi, Mongolia, Panama, Maldives, Andorra, Bulgaria, Honduras, United States of America, Marshall Islands, Croatia, Jamaica and Libya. The Human Rights Council holds three two-week UPR Sessions per year. Fourteen countries are reviewed per each session, which amounts to a total of 42 countries per year. See UPR Sessions. The review of each of the fourteen States under review is facilitated by groups of three peer States called “troikas,” which are selected prior to the beginning of the UPR session. The documentation for each State’s review and information on how to obtain accreditation to attend in person are available on the UPR section of the Human Rights Council’s website.

Three of the UN Human Rights Council’s special procedures have country visits scheduled for November. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights provides a list of country visits that are forthcoming, including those scheduled beyond the month of November.

• The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to development is scheduled to visit Germany from November 10 to 19.
• The UN Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights is scheduled to visit Cuba from November 11 to 21.
• The UN Independent Expert on the rights of persons with albinism is scheduled to visit Portugal from November 17 to 26.

Please note that some of the UN special procedures have postponed country visits “due to the ongoing liquidity crisis.” [For example, the visit of the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls to Saudi Arabia and the visit of the UN Working Group on peasants to Ecuador.]

Two of the UN Human Rights Council’s special procedures will be holding sessions in November:

• The UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent is scheduled to hold its 37th session in Geneva from November 10 to 13.
• The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention is scheduled to hold its 104th session in Geneva, Switzerland from November 10 to 14.

• The annual UN Forum on Business and Human Rights will take place in Geneva, Switzerland from November 24 to 26. This year’s theme is focused on accelerating action on business and human rights amidst crises and transformations. Participants are required to register ahead of time through the UN’s Indico System.
• The UN Forum on Minority Issues will take place in Geneva, Switzerland from November 27 to 28. This year’s theme is the contribution of minorities to diverse, resilient, and peaceful societies. The forum will include panels on (a.) building trust and cohesion; (b.) recognizing the full contribution of minorities to the economic, social, cultural, political, and institutional fabric of the societies they are part of; and (c.) ensuring meaningful inclusion of minorities in peacebuilding, accountability and transitional justice processes. Participants are required to register ahead of time through the UN’s Indico System.

The African Court on Human & Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR) will convene for its 79th Ordinary Session at its Seat in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania from November 10 to December 5.

The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) is scheduled to hold its 46th Ordinary Session from November 26 to December 6 in Maseru, Kingdom of Lesotho. This session will bring together experts, stakeholders, and representatives from across the continent to discuss the state of child rights in Africa, review reports from member states, and engage in dialogue on enhancing the welfare and protection of children. Those interested in participating may register on the Committee’s webpage.

The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) will hold a hearing in the case of Grande Oriente d’Italia v. Italy (no. 29550/17) on November 19 at 9:15 am at the Human Rights Building in Strasbourg, France. Court hearings are public and may be viewed via webcast or in person. Pre-registration is required for in-person attendance.

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) is scheduled to hold its 183rd Ordinary Session from November 5 to 6, and its 184th Ordinary Session from November 17 to December 5.

Inter-American Commission on Human Rights

The Human Rights Committee is the body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) by its States parties. In preparation for its 145th session, this Committee is accepting written contributions from NGOs and other civil society actors to inform the Committee’s assessment of reports following up on the most recent concluding observations issued to Botswana, Cambodia, and Ukraine. Deadline December 1.

The Human Rights Committee has also issued a call for input to inform its drafting of a General Comment on Freedom of Association. Deadline December 19.

In preparation for its 79th session, this Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) is accepting written contributions from NGOs and other civil society actors to inform the Committee’s adoption of a list of issues for Burkina Faso, Ecuador, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Paraguay, Slovakia, and Zambia. Deadline November 28.

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) is seeking “feedback on its first draft of a General Recommendation on reparations for the transatlantic trade in Africans for chattel slavery and the ensuing and continuing harms inflicted on people of African descent,” and has issued a call for input for all interested parties to submit written comments. Deadline November 7.

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) is currently finalizing an Addendum to General Recommendation No. 30 (2013) on women in conflict prevention, conflict and post conflict situations in relation to the Women Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, and has issued a call for input for all interested parties to submit written comments through the CEDAW online submission system. Deadline December 9.

In preparation for its Pre-Sessional Working Group for the 102nd session, the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is accepting written contributions from NGOs and other civil society actors to inform its adoption of a list of issues for Suriname. The Committee requests that written contributions be submitted through the Child Rights Connect website. Deadline November 1.

In preparation for its 41st session, the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers (CMW) is accepting written contributions from NGOs and other civil society actors to inform the Committee’s assessment of State reports received from Honduras, Indonesia, and Mauritania, as well as to inform the adoption of lists of issues for Colombia, Albania, and Uganda. Deadline November 3.

The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) has issued a call for responses to a survey that will inform its drafting of guidelines “to support the prevention, eradication, punishment, and reparation of violence based on disability.” Deadline November 30.

• The UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues has issued a call for input to inform his upcoming visit to the European Union in January 2026. Deadline for submissions is November 3.
• The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has issued a call for input to inform her upcoming report on the progress in implementation of recommendations made to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea during the third and fourth cycle of the universal periodic review of the Human Rights Council. Deadline November 7.
• The UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and of association has issued a call for input to inform a report on the impact of digital and AI-assisted surveillance on assembly and association rights, including chilling effects. Deadline November 7.
• The UN Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights has issued a call for input to inform her upcoming visit to Cuba, from 11 to 21 November 2025. The deadline for submissions is November 7.
• The UN Working Group of experts on people of African descent has issued a call for input to inform its preparation of a report titled “Crossings and journeys: people of African descent in global migration and the enduring architecture of racialization.” Deadline November 10.
• The UN Independent Expert on the rights of persons with albinism has issued a call for input to inform her upcoming visit to Portugal, from 17 to 26 November 2025. The deadline for submissions is November 10.
• The UN Working Group on discrimination against women and girls has issued a call for input to inform a thematic report on the digital space and artificial intelligence’s existing and potential impact on substantive gender equality. Deadline November 14.
• The UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights has issued a call for input to inform a report on the intersections between nature conservation and cultural rights. Deadline November 15.
• The UN Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity has issued a call for input to inform her upcoming report on peace, considering both its negative (absence of violence or war) and positive (active pursuit of a culture of peace and solidarity) dimensions. Deadline November 21.
• The UN Independent Expert on foreign debt and human rights has issued a call for input to inform her upcoming report on international assistance and cooperation. The call for input delineates some of the key questions that the independent expert is looking to address. Deadline November 21.
• The UN Expert Mechanism on the right to development (EMRTD) has issued a call for input to inform an upcoming study on “Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cultural Rights, and the Right to Development.” Deadline November 30.
• The UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights has issued a call for input to inform a report on agri-business, food security and human rights. The call for input delineates the key questions and types of input/comments that the working group is seeking. Deadline December 1.
• The UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights has also issued a call for input to inform a thematic study on issues related to Indigenous Peoples’ free, prior and informed consent (FPIC), business, and human rights. This study will be presented as an addendum report to the Human Rights Council in its 62th session in June 2026. Inputs can be country-specific or of a general nature. Deadline December 1.
• The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran has issued a call for input to inform an upcoming report that will provide “an overall update on the human rights situation in Iran,” as well as a more focused examination of “how Iran’s drug policies impact the full spectrum of human rights.” Deadline December 1.
• The UN Special Rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights has issued a call for input to inform an upcoming thematic report on the definitions of “terrorism”, “terrorist organisation” and “violent extremism.” Deadline December 1.
• The UN Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights has issued a call for input to inform his upcoming visit to Mexico in March 2026. Deadline for submissions is December 5.
• The UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to a healthy environment has issued a call for input to inform her upcoming visit to Ireland in February 2026. Deadline for submissions is December 10.
• The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar has issued a call for input to inform a forthcoming conference room paper on accountability for grave human rights violations in Myanmar. While the Special Rapporteur welcomes information on other topics, in the call for input he has provided a list of topics that he is particularly interested in receiving information on. Submissions need not summarize public information already available to the Special Rapporteur. Deadline December 15.

• The UN Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFMI) has issued a call for submissions of information on human rights violations relating to a variety of topics, including events in 2025. The call for submissions provides further guidance on possible topics and steps to follow when submitting information to the FFMI. Deadline November 15.
• The UN Group of Independent Experts on the Human Rights Situation in Belarus has issued a call for submissions of information and documentation relevant to its investigation of human rights violations and abuses committed in Belarus since May 1, 2020. Deadline November 30.
• The UN Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic invites submissions of information and documentation to inform the report that it must submit to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2026. The type of information the Commission of Inquiry is particularly interested in, as well as instructions on how to submit information, are detailed in the Commission’s Call for Submissions. Deadline December 1.
• The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel has issued a broad call for submissions of information concerning acts of killing and causing serious bodily or mental harm committed by any State or non-State actor. No deadline is specified, but this information will be used for a report that will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2026.
• The UN Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar has issued a press release calling for all those who witnessed or have direct information about an airstrike on a boarding school complex in Thayat Tabin village, Kyauktaw Township in Rakhine State, on September 12, 2025 to please share their evidence. The press release also contains instructions on how to share information with the Mechanism. No deadline specified.
• The Fact-Finding Mission on the situation in North and South Kivu provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (OFFMK) has issued a call for submissions of information related to all alleged human rights violations and abuses committed in the context of the latest and ongoing escalation of hostilities in January 2025 in the provinces of North and South Kivu. No deadline specified.

The African Court on Human & Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR) has issued a call for contributions to a survey that will inform its development of a Strategic Plan for 2026-2028. No deadline specified.

The Republic of Guatemala has presented to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) a request for an advisory opinion on Democracy and its protection under the Inter-American System of Human Rights. The Court has issued a call for submissions of written observations. New deadline November 17.