Center for Global Law and Justice | Resource Hub

UPR, Civil Society Submissions Due
2026-04-10
Written submissions from civil society due regarding the October 2026 Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Suriname, Greece, Samoa, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Hungary, Papua New Guinea, Tajikistan, United Republic of Tanzania, Antigua and Barbuda, Eswatini, Trinidad and Tobago, Thailand, Ireland, and United States of America.*
*(from the civil society participation webpage) “IMPORTANT NOTICE: Regarding the review of the United States of America . . . only those organizations that contributed to the 2025 pre-session UPR reports of the USA will be invited to submit an update . . . .”

Call for Input, UN SR on violence against women and girls
2026-04-10
The UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls has issued a call for input on violence against older women to inform their report and recommendations to the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Call for Input, UN SR on contemporary forms of racism
2026-04-10
The UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism has issued a call for input on contemporary forms of racism in sports.

Call for Input, UN SR on contemporary forms of racism
2026-04-10
The UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism has issued a call for input on report on combating glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to fueling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

Deadline, statements & panel requests - ACHPR 87
2026-04-11 | Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre, Banjul, Gambia
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) will hold its 87th Ordinary Session in May.
Those who wish to make a statement during the session must register to do so by April 11. Registration for panel interventions is also due April 11.
Stakeholders who wish to participate in the session must register by April 25.

Call for Input, OHCHR (national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities)
2026-04-13
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has issued a call for input to inform the 2026 report of the Secretary-General on the Rights of Persons belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, to be presented at the 81st session of the General Assembly. The High Commissioner is seeking relevant information to ensure the realization of the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities.

Call for Input, OHCHR (People of African Descent and excessive force)
2026-04-13
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has issued a call for input to inform the preparation of their 2026 report on “Promotion and protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Africans and of people of African descent against excessive use of force and other human rights violations by law enforcement officers through transformative change for racial justice and equality.”

Session, UN WG on the use of mercenaries
2026-04-13 - 2026-04-17 | Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland
The UN Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the rights of peoples to self-determination is scheduled to hold its 56th session in Geneva, Switzerland.

Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) 188
2026-04-13 - 2026-04-24
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) is scheduled to hold its 188th session.

Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) 117
2026-04-13 - 2026-05-01 | Palais Wilson, Geneva, Switzerland
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) is scheduled to hold its 117th session from April 13 to May 1. During this session, the CERD will consider State reports from Burkina Faso, Cuba, Cyprus, Serbia, Slovenia, Uzbekistan, and Tonga; and follow-up reports from Albania, Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Qatar, and Turkmenistan. A provisional agenda and a program of work are available on the session page. Guidance for civil society, NGOs, and NHRIs is available on the Committee’s webpage. Registration is open for all in-person attendees. All public meetings of the Committee are also generally webcast live on UN WebTV.

Committee Against Torture (CAT) 84
2026-04-13 - 2026-05-01 | Palais Wilson, Geneva, Switzerland
The Committee Against Torture (CAT) is scheduled to hold its 84th session from April 13 to May 1. During this session the CAT will consider State reports from Gabon, Italy, Pakistan, and Tajikistan; and lists of issues prior to reporting for Brazil, Colombia, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, and Switzerland. A Program of Work and an information note for civil society actors are available on the session page. Registration for in-person attendance is open via the UN’s Indico platform. All public meetings of the Committee are also generally webcast live on UN WebTV.

United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (PFPAD) 5
2026-04-14 - 2026-04-17 | Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland
The 5th session of the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (PFPAD) will take place in Geneva, Switzerland.
Applications for financial support must be submitted by February 20, 2026.
All interested participants must register through the UN’s Indico system by 11:59PM (Central European Time) on Wednesday, April 8.
The session will also be broadcasted via UN Web TV to follow the discussions in real-time with interpretation.
If you have any questions, please contact the PFPAD Secretariat at pfpad@un.org.

Call for Input, OHCHR (intimidation and reprisals for UN cooperation)
2026-04-15
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has issued a call for input to inform the 2026 report of the Secretary-General on intimidation and reprisals for cooperation with the UN.

Call for Input, UN SR on the right to development
2026-04-17
The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to development has issued a call for input to inform the 2026 thematic report on the right to development in the following themes: to the Human Rights Council “Participation in development” and to the United Nations General Assembly “Peace for development.”

Call for Input, OHCHR (Second International Decade for People of African Descent)
2026-04-17
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has issued a call for input for the 2026 report of the United Nations Secretary-General on the implementation of the program of activities under the Second International Decade for People of African Descent.

African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) 47
2026-04-17 - 2026-04-25 | Maseru, Maseru, Lesotho
According to the Communiqué on its 46th Ordinary Session, the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) is scheduled to hold its 47th Ordinary Session from April 17 to 25, 2026. The process for requesting accreditation to participate is now open on the Committee’s webpage. Alternatively, participants may also register to attend the session via Zoom.

Call for Input, OHCHR (combating intolerance against persons based on religion or belief)
2026-04-20
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has issued a call for input to inform the 2026 report of the Secretary-General on combating intolerance, negative stereotyping, stigmatization, discrimination, incitement to violence and violence against persons, based on religion or belief.

United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) 25
2026-04-20 - 2026-05-01
The 25th annual session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) will take place at UN Headquarters in New York. This year’s theme will be “Ensuring Indigenous Peoples’ health, including in the context of conflict.” A proposed agenda is available on the session webpage. Participation in the UNPFII is open to Member States, the UN and other intergovernmental organizations, Indigenous Peoples’ Organizations (IPOs), accredited academia, and Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) in consultative status with ECOSOC. Indigenous parliamentarians and National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) may also be invited to attend.
All who wish to participate in the forum must obtain accreditation and register by the following deadlines:

Accreditation must be requested via the UN’s iCSO system by January 30, 2026.
Accredited participants must register via the UN’s Indico system by February 27, 2026.

International Mother Earth Day
2026-04-22
International Mother Earth Day is observed on April 22.

Eradicating Poverty Beyond Growth: A Global Roadmap for a New Economy
2026-04-22 | International Labour Organization (ILO), Geneva, Switzerland
The UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights is holding a conference on April 22 to mark the launch of the Roadmap for Eradicating Poverty Beyond Growth, an effort from UN agencies and civil society focused on achieving social progress and wellbeing without relying on perpetual economic growth. Registration to attend is open for both in person and virtual attendance, the event will take place at the International Labour Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.

Call for Input, intergovernmental working group on older persons (IGWG)
2026-04-22
The UN Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) has issued a call for inputs to inform deliberations on the general framework, architecture, and guiding principles of a legally binding instrument on the human rights of older persons, in preparation for the IGWG’s first session in July 2026.

Registration Deadline, Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of Complementary Standards to ICERD 16
2026-04-24 | Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland
The first part of the 16th session of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of Complementary Standards to International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination will take place from 27 April to 1 May 2026, in Palais des Nations, Tempus Building. It will open on Monday 27 April 2026 at 10.00 a.m.
The draft programme of work for part I of the 16th session of the Ad Hoc Committee will be circulated and posted in due course on the OHCHR – Ad Hoc Committee on the elaboration of complementary standards | OHCHR.
NGOs with consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) wishing to participate in the first part of the sixteenth session of the Ad Hoc Committee, are invited to register at: https://indico.un.org/event/1015673, before 24 April 2026.

IACHR, Deadline for requesting public hearings - 196th Period of Sessions
2026-04-24
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) is holding its 196th Period of Sessions in Washington, DC in August 2026.
Requests for public hearings may be filed from April 3 to April 24. Requests for hearings are to be filed through the electronic system available in the four languages of the Organization of American States (English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French).

African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) 87
2026-04-24 - 2026-05-20 | Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre, Banjul, Gambia
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) will hold its 87th Ordinary Session from April 24 to May 20 in Banjul, Gambia. The public portion of the session will be from May 11 to 20. The agenda and other session documents are available on the session page. The Ordinary Session will also be live-streamed on the Commission’s YouTube channel.

Deadline, registration to participate - ACHPR 87
2026-04-25 | Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre, Banjul, Gambia

Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of Complementary Standards to ICERD 16
2026-04-27 - 2026-05-01 | Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland

World Day for Work Safety
2026-04-28
World Day for Safety and Health at Work is observed on April 28.

Chemical Warfare Victims' Day
2026-04-29
Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare is observed on April 29.

Call for Input, UN SR on truth, justice and reparation
2026-04-30
The UN Special Rapporteur on truth, justice and reparation has issued a call for input to prepare for its country visit to Nepal to address the human rights violations committed during the 1996-2006 civil war.

Call for Input, UN SR on the rights of persons with disabilities
2026-04-30
The UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities has issued a call for input on the implementation of inclusive humanitarian assistance and safeguards for the rights of persons with disabilities on the context of current humanitarian reform processes.
