During the United Nation’s 60th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC), member states continued to remain silent on victims of war crimes and crimes against humanity across the Middle East and North Africa, an approach that further fuels cycles of violence, instability, and humanitarian crises.
During the session, the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) and civil society organizations discussed the human rights situations in Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, and Palestine. The organizations called on UN member states to change course and take action to address impunity for the widespread atrocity crimes in the region. Meanwhile, representatives of some Arab countries have been obstructing measures to protect victims and ensure accountability in the region, with notable exceptions on Sudan and Palestine.
Calls for upholding the rule of law and ensuring the protection of victims of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Middle East and North Africa are often sidelined in favor of short-term political goals and economic deals,’ said Jeremie Smith, Director of CIHRS’s Geneva Office. Smith continued, ‘If the international community wants a stable and prosperous region, it must begin to change this approach.’
At the session, the HRC decided to renew the mandate of the International Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) on Sudan, which was welcomed by CIHRS amid mounting concerns about the siege of El Fasher and the continued attacks on civilians, particularly sexual violence against women. CIHRS and partners emphasize that sustaining the FFM’s important work represents a challenge for most of the Arab delegation, who continue to oppose international efforts to achieve justice for war crimes and potential crimes against humanity committed in Sudan.
Prior to the session, CIHRS joined a letter from a group of organizations calling for the renewal of the Fact-Finding Mission’s mandate amid the escalating violations. CIHRS further participated with several organizations in organizing a side event on the sidelines of the session on the vital role of the FFM, calling on the HRC to extend its mandate. Another side event addressed the horrific atrocities detailed in the FFM’s report submitted before the session, addressing the importance of enabling evidence-collecting work to continue, as it paves the way towards accountability.
The UN Commission of Inquiry on Palestine submitted a preliminary legal report containing strong evidence confirming Israel’s crime of genocide in Gaza. The commission called on all states to take all necessary measures to implement the International Court of Justice’s ruling, ensure the cessation of genocide, and bring those culpable to justice. The session further witnessed the announcement of an update to the United Nations database of companies operating in Israeli settlements, a step long advocated by CIHRS and human rights organizations. States and private actors are urged by the UN and rights organizations to boycott the occupation economy (the economy of genocide) and cease all forms of support for it.
In Syria, despite the recent massacres committed against minority communities in Sweida and on the coast, no resolution on Syria was issued during the session for the first time in years. This raises concerns about the extent to which Arab pressure is obstructing measures for accountability in Syria, while the Syrian interim authorities have not initiated any comprehensive and sustainable transitional justice process.
In a statement, CIHRS addressed the gravity of the absence of credible investigations into the atrocities committed in Sweida and the impact on prospects for social peace in Syria. In a public side event held on the sidelines of the session, which brought together a group of human rights defenders and families of victims of these massacres in Sweida, CIHRS and partners addressed the urgency of justice and accountability The importance of prioritizing the protection of minorities was underscored to all member states, together with ensuring the participation of all Syrians in any transitional process led by the transitional authorities.
In Yemen, despite repeated calls from civil society, including during the last session, the situation continues to deteriorate, with increasing repression targeting civilians, journalists, and human rights defenders, as well as arbitrary arrests and intimidation by all parties, including the Houthis. HRC’s inaction on Yemen has coincided with escalating hostilities, including Israeli strikes on Sana’a targeting residential areas and security buildings, resulting in civilian casualties and heightened concerns for detainees in detention centers.
CIHRS called on states to take stronger action to protect victims and respect international law. CIHRS and partners further organized a side event to assess the Human Rights Council’s response to the ongoing human rights crisis in Yemen. CIHRS addressed the continued impunity for crimes committed by all parties to the conflict. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and the recognized Yemeni government in Riyadh spearheaded a resolution preventing the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights from submitting reports on violations in Yemen to the Council, effectively undermining the right of Yemeni victims to testify before the United Nations.
Similarly, in Libya, two years of technical assistance under resolution 56/16 have yielded no tangible progress in ending gross human rights violations or promoting justice. According to CIHRS’s statement during the session, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and the repression of civil society continue unabated, while authorities in both eastern and western Libya continue to obstruct cooperation with the International Criminal Court and shield perpetrators from accountability. These developments underscore that technical assistance alone is insufficient to address entrenched impunity, and that HRC must adopt a victim-centered approach. The resolution drafted by Libya and ultimately adopted by the Council falls short of this requirement, once again sidestepping the issue of human rights violations and the urgent need for accountability in favor of technical assistance.
As Egypt is running for membership in the Human Rights Council, compelling evidence has emerged alleging the Egyptian government and its military are complicit in war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sinai. In a letter addressed to member states and another letter addressed to the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Egyptian civil society organizations called for an immediate UN investigation into these violations and for states to oppose Egypt’s candidacy for the Council.
The recent Israeli strikes in Qatar, Yemen, and Syria have once again exposed the urgent need for principled and consistent action. Repeated Israeli attacks against civilian areas and neighboring countries constitute a clear violation of international law, yet the international community’s silence only reinforces impunity and undermines the Council’s credibility. In its statement to the Council, CIHRS called on all states to suspend arms transfers to Israel, cease transactions that support human rights violations, and ensure accountability.
CIHRS also co-sponsored and organized several side events at the session, including a side event on transnational repression, another on ongoing human rights violations in Bahrain, and another on the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia. At the conclusion of the session, civil society organizations, including CIHRS, criticized the lack of adequate consultation with civil society in the Secretary-General’s UN80 Plan, and the threat posed by proposed budget cuts to the human rights pillar of the UN, which has suffered from years of underfunding.
The 60th session of the Human Rights Council began at its headquarters in Geneva on 8 September 2025, and continued until 8 October 2025.
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