--- title: "UN Human Rights Council, Session 61: Selective accountability and the erosion of international law in the MENA region will have catastrophic consequences for the entire world" slug: "un-human-rights-council-session-61" post_type: "post" published_at: "2026-04-03T12:45:09+01:00" modified_at: "2026-04-30T08:44:54+01:00" author: "Tarek" url: "https://cihrs.org/un-human-rights-council-session-61/?lang=en" category: - "International Advocacy Program" - "United Nations Human Rights Council" post_tag: - "End of session" causes_and_rights: - "Accountability" - "Protection of Civilians" - "Right to self-determination" country: - "Lebanon" - "Other" - "Palestine" - "Syria" - "Yemen" field: - "Regional and International Protection and Advocacy" interest: - "Events" protection_and_advocacy: - "United Nations Human Rights Council" - "United Nations Mechanisms" --- # UN Human Rights Council, Session 61: Selective accountability and the erosion of international law in the MENA region will have catastrophic consequences for the entire world At the [conclusion](https://cihrs.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/HRC61-End-of-session-statement.pdf) of the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) warns that the architecture of international law is at risk of collapse due to selective accountability and a refusal to uphold international law. According to CIHRS, if UN member states continue to shield their allies from scrutiny and obstruct the enforcement of binding international obligations, the crisis in the MENA region will continue to escalate, with catastrophic global consequences. The session convened against a backdrop of profound regional instability. American and Israeli military strikes against Iran on 28 February 2026 thrust the Middle East into a new and devastating cycle of violence, in which civilians bear the heaviest cost. This comes alongside the escalation of Israeli settler violence in the West Bank, the expansion of Israel's occupation across Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon, and increased military strikes by Iran throughout the MENA region. Despite the close interconnection between these situations, the session addressed them through separate urgent debates, resulting in a fragmented approach that undermined a comprehensive understanding of the broader regional dynamics and failed to take sufficient action to protect victims and uphold the rule of law. The Council also adopted, without a vote, a [resolution](https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/61/L.38) tabled by the Gulf Cooperation Council and Jordan addressing the ongoing regional military escalation. The resolution condemns recent military actions attributed to Iran as "unprovoked," while failing to acknowledge that these attacks across the region are not isolated incidents, but rather interconnected developments rooted in a long-standing region-wide pattern of impunity for war crimes, crimes against humanity and widespread human rights violations. Speaking before the Council, CIHRS [stressed](https://cihrs.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Urgent-Debate-to-discuss-the-recent-military-aggression-launched-by-the-Islamic-Republic-of-Iran-against-Gulf-Countries-28-February-2026-.pdf) that double standards and the absence of accountability have entrenched cycles of violence throughout the region. From Tehran to Dubai, and from Beirut to Gaza, populations are trapped in an escalating war not of their choosing, driven by actors who consistently ignore international law. CIHRS called on the international community to take urgent and decisive action to protect civilians, curb the ongoing escalation, and immediately suspend arms transfers to all parties violating international law. CIHRS also emphasized in another [statement](https://cihrs.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Item-2-ID-with-High-Commissioner-on-OPT-Final-English.pdf) the importance of fully implementing the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court against Israeli and Hamas officials without exception, noting that violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory can no longer be addressed with soft diplomatic language, particularly in light of multiple findings by UN investigations and experts that implicate Israel in the commission of genocide, including the intentional starvation of the Palestinian people by the Israeli government. CIHRS welcomes the adoption of the UN resolutions affirming the Palestinian people's [right to self-determination](https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/61/L.37), particularly amid the continued escalation of [violence](https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/61/L.35/Rev.1) and the [expansion of Israeli occupation](https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/61/L.36) in the West Bank, and reaffirm our solidarity with Palestinian civil society who continue to uphold international law in the face of Israel's ongoing genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people. In the same context, CIHRS regrets the absence of any discussion during the session on the severe displacement crisis in Lebanon, where at least one million people---approximately one-fifth of the country's population---were forcibly displaced by Israel within just two weeks. CIHRS reiterates its [call](https://cihrs.org/civilian-suffering-compounded-by-expanding-devastating-conflict-threatening-the-middle-east/?lang=en) on the United Nations to lead a comprehensive peace and security initiative aimed at preventing further escalation and addressing the structural drivers of instability in the region, with priority given to ending Israel's illegal occupation of Palestinian, Lebanese, and Syrian territories. The session also witnessed important developments regarding Syria. The mandate of the Commission of Inquiry on Syria was [renewed](https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/61/L.25) for one year without a vote and expanded to include technical capacity-building support alongside its investigative role. CIHRS [considers](https://cihrs.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Item-4-ID-with-the-COI-on-the-Syrian-Arab-Republic.pdf) this an important step toward building an inclusive, just, and sustainable transition for all Syrians, and particularly welcomes the resolution's recognition of the role of civil society in this process. CIHRS stresses that any future evaluation of the Commission's work must be grounded in objective, evidence-based criteria tied to measurable improvements in the human rights situation and conducted in consultation with Syrian civil society organizations. The Commission of Inquiry also presented its [findings](https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/sessions-regular/session61/advance-version/a-hrc-61-62-auv.pdf) on the events in Sweida, documenting horrific violations against Druze civilians, including execution-style killings during home raids, sexual violence, torture, desecration of bodies, and the systematic destruction of religious and cultural sites. Despite the passage of eight months since these grave violations, perpetrators---including Syrian government forces and tribal militias---remain entirely beyond accountability. CIHRS also organized a [public event](https://x.com/CIHRS_Alerts/status/2032416254607179804) on the margins of the session, bringing together prominent Syrian human rights defenders and civil society representatives to discuss prospects for accountability and justice in Syria. Discussions addressed challenges to judicial independence, the shortcomings of transitional justice mechanisms, and the ongoing plight of victims of enforced disappearance and their families, despite announced efforts to clarify their fate. The event featured members of the Commission of Inquiry, as well as the heads of the [International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM)](https://iiim.un.org/) and the [International Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM).](https://iimm.un.org/) CIHRS further regrets the Council's failure to address the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Yemen, particularly in light of recent developments and rising tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. During a [side event](https://x.com/CIHRS_Alerts/status/2026970557699260550) organized in Geneva, CIHRS highlighted the crisis of secret detention facilities, recently acknowledged by authorities, and the grave violations committed within them in the absence of accountability. These findings were based on its [recent report](https://cihrs.org/yemen-new-report-uncovers-horrific-conditions-in-secret-detention-center/?lang=en) on the "Waddah Hall" detention facility in Aden, which documents a recurring pattern of abduction, enforced disappearance, torture, and coerced confessions, supported by testimonies from victims' families. > مجلس حقوق الإنسان [\#HRC61](https://twitter.com/hashtag/HRC61?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > > تقرير مشترك لمركز القاهرة ورابطة أمهات المختطفين يستعرض عن التعذيب، الاحتجاز التعسفي، والإخفاء القسري في «قاعة [\#وضاح](https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D9%88%D8%B6%D8%A7%D8%AD?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)» في عدن ومراكز سرية أخرى.[\#لا\_للإفلات\_من\_العقاب](https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D9%84%D8%A7_%D9%84%D9%84%D8%A5%D9%81%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA_%D9%85%D9%86_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%A8?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [\#نشتي\_نعيش](https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D9%86%D8%B4%D8%AA%D9%8A_%D9%86%D8%B9%D9%8A%D8%B4?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > > رابط التقرير: [@abducteesmother](https://twitter.com/abducteesmother?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [@GulfCentre4HR](https://twitter.com/GulfCentre4HR?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)… [pic.twitter.com/tgbjUOyAJc](https://t.co/tgbjUOyAJc) > > — CIHRS (@CIHRS\_Alerts) [March 1, 2026](https://twitter.com/CIHRS_Alerts/status/2028032508042887168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) CIHRS also [welcomed](https://cihrs.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Item-3_-ID-with-the-SR-on-the-promotion-of-HRs-while-countering-terrorism.pdf) the new safeguards related to the definition of "terrorism" [referenced](https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/61/52) by the *Special Rapporteur on Counter-Terrorism*, stressing that overly broad definitions of terrorism undermine security rather than strengthen it, and are used to retaliate against human rights defenders across countries in the region. CIHRS further emphasized, during a [side event](https://x.com/CIHRS_Alerts/status/2031728077881987323) organized by the Special Rapporteur and the Office of the High Commissioner, that refining definitions alone will have limited impact if states are not held accountable, perpetrators are not prosecuted, and tools of repression are not dismantled. It called on states to adopt the revised definition proposed by the Special Rapporteur and ensure its proper implementation. During this session, the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders was [renewed](https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/61/L.29/Rev.1) for three years, alongside the [extension](https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/61/L.16/Rev.1) of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, and the adoption of a resolution on [freedom of religion or belief](https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/61/L.33). Notably, this session took place at a time when the United Nations faces what the Secretary-General has described as an imminent financial collapse. As of 24 March 2026, [only 94 member states](https://www.un.org/en/ga/contributions/honourroll.shtml) had paid their contributions to the regular budget. This has left the UN unable to function effectively, even as global military expenditures continue to rise. The funding crisis has had direct consequences for the Council's work. In a joint letter, CIHRS and a coalition of civil society organizations [expressed](https://cihrs.org/concerns-and-recommendations-regarding-the-reduction-of-periodicity-of-reporting-for-special-procedures-to-the-general-assembly/?lang=en) serious concern regarding proposals to reduce reporting by special procedures to the General Assembly, warning that such reductions would weaken oversight, diminish political attention to critical human rights issues, and erode accountability mechanisms. CIHRS reiterates that investing in human rights is not optional, but a prerequisite for peace.