Feature story
The WCC’s contributions addressed country situations, thematic human rights concerns, and broader structural issues, through both formal interventions and participation in side events.
Statements to the council
Across the session, the WCC delivered statements under multiple agenda items, addressing both thematic issues and specific country contexts. During the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, the WCC focused on the Philippines, supporting recommendations to strengthen protection frameworks. It raised concerns about shrinking civic space, including threats, criminalisation, and violence faced by defenders, particularly Indigenous women opposing extractive projects. The statement also pointed to the use of legislation to restrict dissent and highlighted the lack of accountability for killings linked to anti-drug operations, calling for independent investigations.
In a separate intervention, the WCC addressed obstetric fistula, identifying it as a preventable condition linked to systemic gaps in healthcare and broader gender inequality. The statement underscored how unequal access to services continues to affect women and girls in marginalised contexts, and warned that reductions in global health funding risk undermining prevention and treatment efforts. It called on states to address structural barriers and to ensure coordinated, rights-based responses.
The WCC also engaged in the adoption of Universal Periodic Review outcomes, drawing on prior in-country engagement. In its statement on Jamaica, the WCC acknowledged steps taken since the previous review but noted that key recommendations on violence, discrimination, and inequality had not been accepted. It highlighted ongoing concerns including gender-based violence, the exclusion of male survivors, high levels of violence affecting children, and the continued legality of corporal punishment. Environmental vulnerability and its impact on livelihoods were also raised, alongside a call for strengthened governance and inclusive access to natural resources.
In its intervention on the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the WCC welcomed the acceptance of most recommendations and highlighted the continued human rights impact of nuclear testing. It drew attention to long-term environmental damage, displacement, and health consequences, noting that some areas remain uninhabitable decades later. The statement called for accountability, transparency, and continued international support, including research and capacity-building, to address ongoing risks.
In addition to its own statements, the WCC co-sponsored interventions on country situations. A statement on Madagascar highlighted the importance of implementing recommendations related to climate change, internal migration, and justice sector reform, while encouraging continued engagement with UN human rights mechanisms. Another statement on Mozambique raised concerns about the situation of internally displaced persons in the north, where ongoing attacks have led to large-scale displacement and protection risks. It called for accountability across all actors involved and for sustained monitoring by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Side events and participation
Side events provided a platform for more detailed engagement on specific issues and for collaboration with ecumenical and civil society partners. The WCC convened a side event on Indonesia focused on the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment in West Papua. The discussion examined the human rights implications of environmental degradation and informed subsequent advocacy, including a related statement delivered later in the session by a partner organisation.
The WCC also co-sponsored and contributed to a number of side events addressing thematic concerns. Discussions on the right to food brought together faith actors to examine accountability and policy responses, while another event explored risks and challenges faced by human rights defenders in the Philippines.
Issues of land and resource distribution were addressed in a side event on food, land, and agrarian reform, which considered how concentration of ownership contributes to inequality and affects the realization of the right to food. The WCC also participated in a dialogue on countering hate speech and promoting inter-religious engagement, highlighting the role of cooperation across religious communities in addressing discrimination and protecting rights.
Later in the session, WCC representatives contributed to a commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. The intervention reflected on the historical role of churches in human rights work, acknowledged complicity in systems of oppression, and outlined ongoing commitments to address racism, xenophobia, and related injustices. It also pointed to continuing global inequalities and the need for structural change.
Economic justice was a further area of engagement. In a side event on financing the Sustainable Development Goals, the WCC highlighted concerns about growing inequality and the concentration of economic power. The intervention called for systemic reforms, including on debt, taxation, and climate finance, and emphasised the need for inclusive and participatory decision-making processes. These discussions were complemented by contributions to broader conversations on economic systems and resource distribution during the session.
Session overview
The 61st session of the Human Rights Council resulted in the adoption of 38 resolutions and the extension of 19 mandates. Discussions addressed a range of urgent situations, including conflicts and humanitarian crises in the Middle East, Sudan, Myanmar, and Ukraine, as well as thematic issues such as hate speech and the protection of civilians.
Among the outcomes was a resolution addressing regional tensions in the Middle East, as well as a new resolution on the rights of persons in street situations, which called on states to end the criminalisation of homelessness and strengthen social protection systems.
Learn more about the WCC work on "Human dignity and rights"
