Annual conference : HRC@20
The year 2026 marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC).
Date
15 Jun → 19 Jun 2026
Location
Geneva, Switzerland
Format
In-Person
The year 2026 marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC). This milestone offers a timely opportunity to reflect on the achievements of the Council while creating space for forward-looking analysis of its role, functioning and evolution within the broader United Nations human rights system.
The Geneva Human Rights Hub (GHRH) is coordinating a multi-stakeholder group of partners to ensure coherence across the various public and invitation-only initiatives planned for this anniversary week. As part of this coordination role, the events of the week will constitute the GHRH Annual Conference 2026 under the headline 'HRC@20'.
Thematic focus
The conference and associated events will explore the triple roles of the Human Rights Council through three thematic lenses:
- Standard setting: Examining the track record of the Council in adopting key legal instruments and the impact of civil society on these processes.
- Interpretation and guidance: Addressing the digitalisation of the Council’s work, including the role of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies in monitoring and implementation.
- Prevention and implementation: Strengthening the engagement of diverse stakeholders, including national human rights institutions, indigenous peoples and local and regional governments.
Programme of events
The week features a combination of expert roundtables, high-level diplomatic gatherings and HRC side events. These initiatives aim to examine how the Council delivers in practice 20 years after its inception and to foster broad engagement on its future institutional practice.
Partners
The GHRH coordinates these initiatives with a diverse group of partners, including the permanent missions of Switzerland, the European Union, Estonia, Mexico, Morocco, and a number of other states and stakeholders.