Acknowledgements

This report presents a synthesis of the findings on the role of NGOs within the Human Rights Council following the 60ᵗʰ session held in Geneva.

It was developed by the Transformative Resilient Group (TRG), in particular by the authors Gabrielle Bois-Wingertsmann and Manon Roux-Dessarps, as part of a consultancy mission for the NGO Justice Pour Tous Internationale.

The report is the result of a collaborative effort that benefited from the contributions of Sharof Azizov, Executive Director of Justice Pour Tous Internationale, P. M. Sonko, Human Rights Officer at the United Nations Human Rights Council, as well as several NGO representatives and ambassadors who took part in the Council’s work, including Mr. M. Singh, representative of the Sikh Federation Canada, and Mr. Alessandro Cortese, political and geopolitical analyst.

Abstract

Created in 2006, the HRC is an intergovernmental body composed of 47 member states elected for three-year terms. Its mandate is to promote and protect human rights, address violations, and develop new international norms.

Alongside states, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play an essential role: holding ECOSOC consultative status, they actively participate in the Council’s public sessions and in its associated mechanisms such as the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and the Special Procedures.

As emphasized by Mr Pape Moustapha K. Sonko, Human Rights Officer at the

Office of the President of the HRC:

“Without NGOs, the Council would be severely handicapped: These organizations are making an open and participatory dialogue possible.”

Objectives

This study examines the role and impact of NGOs within the HRC through an analysis of the institutional mechanisms that structure their participation, as well as the structural limitations they face. The analysis draws on extensive desk research and a qualitative inquiry conducted among accredited NGO representatives and members of the HRC Secretariat, through semi-structured interviews held during the 60th session of the Council in Geneva.

Two case studies illustrate this contribution:

– The mobilization of the Special Procedures by Justice for All International (JPTi) to denounce political repression in Uzbekistan.

– The use of the Complaint Procedure by the Sikh Federation (UK) to expose transnational repression following the assassination of activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.

These examples demonstrate how NGOs can transform institutional participation into levers for advocacy, accountability, and tangible protection, while also highlighting persistent inequalities in access, resources, and security that continue to hinder fully inclusive participation at the Council.

Source: summary of “From participation to impact: Understanding NGOs contributions at the Human Rights Council (HRC)” Report by the NGO Transformative Resilient Group (TRG), October 2025. Author: Bois-Wingertsmann Gabrielle and Roux-Dessarps Manon