The Human Rights Council Advisory Committee will hold its twenty-seventh session from 21 to 25 February 2022 when the Committee’s 18 independent experts* – who serve as the Council’s think tank – will work on two new mandates:
- the impact of new technologies for climate protection on the enjoyment of human rights (HRC resolution 48/14)
- the advancement of racial justice and equality (HRC resolution 48/18)
The Committee will hold discussions on these topics and establish two drafting groups to prepare reports to be submitted to the Human Rights Council at its fifty-fourth session in September-October 2023, pursuant to Council resolutions 48/14 and 48/18.
During the week-long session, the Committee will also hold discussions on its methods of work and continue to discuss research proposals that could be submitted to the Human Rights Council, as well as on reflection papers.
On Thursday, 24 February, Committee members will hold a private meeting with the Human Rights Council Bureau and regional coordinators.
Given the current epidemiological conditions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the session will take place in a hybrid format – with Advisory Committee members at the Palais des Nations in Geneva in Room XX and State and other representatives participating virtually on Zoom.
The Committee’s plenary meetings are open to the media and will conclude with a round-up press release.
Documentation relating to the twenty-seventh session, including the agenda and programme of work, is 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 United Nations Human Rights Council. It was established in 2008, pursuant to Human Rights Council 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 organizations and other civil society representatives.
* The current composition of the Advisory Committee and the term of membership of each expert are as follows: Nurah Alamro (Saudi Arabia, 2024); Buhm-Suk Baek (Republic of Korea, 2023); Nadia Amal Bernoussi (Morocco, 2023); Lazhari Bouzid (Algeria, 2022); Milena Costas Trascasas (Spain, 2022); Iurii Alexandrovich Kolesnikov (Russian Federation, 2022); José Augusto Lindgren Alves (Brazil, 2024); Xinsheng Liu (China, 2022); Ajai Malhotra (India, 2023); Itsuko Nakai (Japan, 2022); Javier Palummo (Uruguay, 2022); Elizabeth Salmón (Peru, 2023); Patrycja Sasnal (Poland, 2023); Dheerujlall Seetulsingh (Mauritius, 2023); Vassilis Tzevelekos (Greece, 2024); Catherine Van de Heyning (Belgium, 2023); and Frans Jacobus Viljoen (South Africa, 2024).