The 62nd regular session of the Human Rights Council takes place in Geneva from 15 June to 10 July 2026. The Council proceedings can be viewed on UN Web TV. The meeting summaries are available on the UN Geneva website and the live-updated programme of work on Sched.

HRC62 Info-Sharing Session

Environmental issues are present in various agenda items of each session of the Human Rights Council and their side events.

In order to develop more synergies among stakeholders and a better outreach on the environmental agenda of HRC62, including the activities taking place in parallel to the Council’s session, the Geneva Environment Network and its partners convened an information-sharing session. This event discussed and shared information on planned environment-related activities at and around HRC62, such as in person and online events, publications or exhibitions, among others, and exchange on possible synergies. They feed the GEN page on HRC62 which provide an updated calendar of these environment-related events. → Share information on your activity!

Key Highlights @ HRC62

This section provides a brief overview of highlights on the environment and human rights at the sixty-second session of the Human Rights Council.

Opening Session and Annual Report of the High Commissioner

The 62nd session of the Human Rights Council will kick off its four-week session in Geneva with the annual report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, on the global situation on human rights. 

The opening will take place on 15 June 2026, with a live stream on UN Web TV.

Climate Change and Human Rights

Climate change is one of the greatest existential threats for people and the planet. Its harmful effects undermine the full enjoyment and realization of all human rights, posing a serious risk to the fundamental rights to life, health, food and an adequate standard of living of individuals and communities across the world and disproportionately affecting those who are already in situations of vulnerability. International Geneva as a global hub for environmental governance plays a key role in advancing a human rights-based approach to climate action.

Climate change is the usual main environmental theme of the Council’s March sessions, with the UN Special Rapporteur’s annual Report to the Council.

Report | Transforming food systems to protect human rights and prevent climate harm

According to the 2025 EAT-Lancet Commission’s Report on healthy, sustainable, and just food systems, food systems currently account for 30% of total greenhouse gas emissions globally, and transforming food systems could cut emissions by more than half. In addition, food systems are the largest contributor to the transgression of five planetary boundaries, with fewer than 1% of the world’s population currently in a situation where their human rights and food needs are met within planetary boundaries. The report also underscores that the wealthiest 30% of people drive more than 70% of food-related environmental impacts, including climate change impacts.

Building on past reports and research, including the report on the clarification of the human rights-based approach to climate action and just transition to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/60/52), the report of the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and climate change, Elisa Morgera, to the Council synthesizes and analyses a varied body of evidence (from across the natural and social sciences, including Indigenous science, traditional knowledge and other knowledge systems) of the actual and potential contributions of transforming food systems to climate change mitigation, adaptation, prevention and responses to loss and damage, and human rights protection, taking an integrated approach to land- and ocean-based food systems.

The report aims to clarify States’ international human rights obligations, individually and as part of international cooperation, as well as business responsibility, to support a just transition in the context of food systems, both land- and ocean-based, while enhancing the protection of everyone’s human rights in the context of climate change. The obligations will be clarified giving due consideration to: the need to scale up global action and support in addressing climate change, including in averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change; and the objectives and principles of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), including the principle of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in the light of different national circumstances and in the context of sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty, as interpreted by the International Court of Justice in its 2025 Advisory Opinion on State obligations on climate change. The report will also benefit from the complementary clarifications provided by the Advisory Opinions of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

Interactive Dialogue

An interactive dialogue on the report with the UN Special Rapporteur is taking place in this session of the Council.

Panel Discussion | Climate financing in the context of addressing the adverse impacts of climate change on the full realization of human rights

In its resolution 50/9, the Human Rights Council decided to incorporate into its annual programme of work, beginning in 2023, at a minimum a panel discussion on different specific themes on the adverse impacts of climate change on human rights. In its resolution 59/25, it decided that the annual panel discussion to be held at the sixty-second session shall focus on on facilitating actionable pathways for gaining momentum in climate financing in the context of addressing the adverse impacts of climate change on the full realization of human rights for all people, and ways forward to address the challenges thereto, as well as on best practices and lessons learned.

The panel discussion will take place in this session of the Council

Right to Food and the Environment

Hunger and food insecurity are global problems. According to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023, 783 million people in the world faced hunger in 2022. This problem is likely to get worse given the expected increase in the world’s population and the stress on natural resources. Moreover, unsustainable food production and consumption practices have led to environmental degradation and exacerbated climate change. In return, food systems suffer from the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, which can prevent the realization of human rights, including the right to food.

Report | Agri-business, food security and human rights

In efforts to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals on zero hunger (SDG 2), a growing number of States, business enterprises, investors, and other stakeholders in the food, agriculture, and fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sectors have announced or are currently developing food security and food systems transformation programs aimed at boosting access to safe, nutritious and affordable food.

Yet, concerns have emerged on how the design and implementation of food security programs, especially the rise in food fraud practices –including economically motivated adulteration of food (EMA); misleading food labelling and advertising, especially in connection with climate and environment impacts; fraudulent or unsustainable packaging; seed misinformation and theft; manipulation of food access; and illicit agri-food trade – may hinder progress on the enjoyment of the rights to life, health, water, food and a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment and heighten negative human rights impacts in the context of climate change. Against this backdrop, the question arises as to how to achieve sustainable and rights-based food systems that prevent corporate abuse and uphold the rights of consumers, peasants, agricultural workers, Indigenous Peoples, and affected communities, through social dialogue, stakeholder engagement and access to information.

Building on previous reports, the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, in its report the Human Rights Council, will aim to identify progress made, and challenges that remain, in advancing rights-based food systems that address food fraud, while advancing food security. The report will also analyse the role of business enterprises in the agri-business and FMCG value chains to integrate human rights in all aspects of food production, processing, distribution, packaging and labelling, in alignment with the UNGPs. The limits of existing international, regional and domestic regulations, legislation, National Actions Plans on Business and Human Rights, with respect to food security and safety, will be explored, while also offering pathways forward.

Interactive Dialogue

An interactive dialogue with the Working Group on the report is expected to take place in this session of the Council.

Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Environment

Protecting 80% of the world’s biodiversity, Indigenous Peoples are inheritors and practitioners of unique cultures and ways of relating to people and the environment. However, as they face discrimination due to their culture or attacked as they defend their rights, protecting their human rights is an indispensable element in protecting the environment.

Report | Indigenous Peoples Free, Prior and Informed Consent, Business and Human Rights

The UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights has systematically stressed that meaningful engagement with Indigenous Peoples and communities includes meeting international standards on the right to free, prior and informed consent (FPIC). However, based on its ongoing engagement with Indigenous Peoples throughout its activities, including country visits, business and human rights Forums and regular consultations, the Working Group has observed a consistent gap in the effective implementation by States and businesses of FPIC requirements in the context of business activities.

Building on the Working Group’s previous work, including the 2014 General Assembly report (A/68/279), “Business-related impacts on the rights of Indigenous Peoples” and the 2016 General Assembly report (A/71/291) entitled “Addressing the human rights impacts of agro-industrial operations on indigenous and local communities: State duties and responsibilities of business enterprises”, but also the body of work produced by other universal and regional human rights mechanisms, such as the study of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples on Free, prior and informed consent: a human rights-based approach (A/HRC/39/62) and the relevant reports developed by the Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, including the report on extractive industries and Indigenous Peoples (HRC/24/41), treaty bodies, regional human rights mechanisms, among other key resources, the Working Group will present to the Council a thematic study to help States and businesses—including investors—understand and fulfill their obligations and responsibilities related to FPIC, in accordance with international human rights law and standards, including the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

Interactive Dialogue

An interactive dialogue with the Working Group on the report is expected to take place in this session.

Appointments at HRC62

The Human Rights Council is also expected to appoint environment-related expert mechanism and special procedure mandate holders at its 62nd session. These include:

• UN Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes (toxics and human rights)
• UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression

Events

Date and time of some events subject to change on the live-updated programme of work on Sched.

Reports

Reports presented at HRC62 relating to the global environmental agenda will be listed below. The full list of reports can be consulted on the HRC website.

Resolutions and Decisions

Resolutions and decisions (found on the HRC62 website) relating to the global environmental agenda tabled or adopted by their main sponsors at HRC62 and their subsequent decisions will be listed below. A summary of actions on the resolutions will be provided by the Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue.

Call for Submissions

Special Procedures

The special procedure mandate-holders are independent human rights experts who help advance human rights, by reporting and advancing from a country-specific or thematic perspective, some of which are related to the environment. Calls for submissions are made to help mandate-holders prepare their reports to the Human Rights Council.

The International Service Human Rights (ISHR) has published a Practical Guide to the UN Special Procedures provides an overview of the system of independent human rights experts known as the Special Procedures, and the different ways human rights defenders can make use of it to further their human rights causes.

More information on the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council

Videos and Highlights

Videos and highlights of related events will be featured in this section.

Links and Resources

• 62nd session of the UN Human Rights Council
• UNOG Library | Conference Primer – HRC62
• GCHRAGD | Updates on HRC62
• ISHR | HRC62 | Key issues on agenda
• URG | Inside Track: HRC621
• GEN | Human Rights and the Environment

News and Updates

Relevant news and updates are featured in this section.

Past HRC Sessions

Environment @ HRC61 | Environment @ HRC60 | Environment @ HRC59 | Environment @ HRC58 | Environment @ HRC57 | Environment @ HRC56 | Environment @ HRC55 | Environment @ HRC54 | Environment @ HRC53 | Environment @ HRC52 | Environment @ HRC51 | Environment @ HRC50 | Environment @ HRC49 | Environment @ HRC48 | Environment @ HRC47 | Environment @ HRC46 | Environment @ HRC45 | Environment @ HRC44 | Environment @ HRC43

Who to Follow on X

#HRC621

@UN_HRC | UN Human Rights Council
@IndonesiaGeneva | Permanent Mission of Indonesia to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, President of the Human Rights Council in 2026
@ONUGinebraEC | Permanent Mission of Ecuador to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva
@marcevzb | H.E. Amb. Marcelo Vàzquez Bermúdez, Permanent Representative of Ecuador to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, Vice-President of the Human Rights Council in 2026
@EstoniaGeneva | Permanent Mission of Estonia to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, Vice-President of the Human Rights Council in 2026
@SpainUNGeneva | Permanent Mission of Spain to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, Vice-President of the Human Rights Council in 2026
@UNHumanRights | The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN Human Rights)
@volker_turk | UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
@SREnvironment | Astrid Puentes Riaño, SR on the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment (also @astridpuentes)
@SRclimatechange | Elisa Morgera, SR on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change
@SRtoxics | Marcos Orellana, SR on toxics and human rights
@AlbertBarume | Albert K. Barume, SR indigenous peoples
@SRWatSan | Pedro Arrojo Agudo, SR on rights to water and sanitation
@MichaelFakhri | Michael Fakhri, SR on right to food
@AXanthaki | Alexandra Xanthaki, SR on cultural rights
@SRpoverty | Olivier De Schutter, SR on poverty and human rights (also @DeSchutterO)
@ISHRglobal | The International Service for Human Rights
@FranciscansIntl | Franciscans International
@Geneva_Academy | Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights
@hrw | Human Rights Watch
@URGthinktank | Universal Rights Group (URG)
@YvesLador | Special Representative of Earthjustice in Geneva
@duycks | Senior Attorney – Climate and Energy Programme at the Center for International Environmental Law
@katha_nina | Katharina Rall, Senior Environment Researcher at Human Rights Watch
@ChildRightsCnct | Child Rights Connect
@CERI_Coalition | Children’s Environmental Rights Initiative (CERI)
@CRINwire | Child Rights International Network