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The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is an intergovernmental body of the United Nations system, established in 2006 by the UN General Assembly. It is based in Geneva and serves as the primary UN forum responsible for promoting and protecting human rights worldwide. The Council is composed of 47 member states elected by the General Assembly, reflecting equitable geographical representation.

The UNHRC’s main mandate is to address situations of human rights violations, including gross and systematic abuses, and to promote the effective implementation of international human rights standards. It conducts its work through regular sessions, special sessions, and a range of mechanisms such as the Universal Periodic Review, which evaluates the human rights records of all UN member states. The Council also appoints independent experts and special rapporteurs to monitor, report on, and advise on specific thematic issues or country situations.

The committee deals with a broad range of issues, including civil and political rights, economic, social, and cultural rights, minority protections, gender equality, freedom of expression, and the rights of vulnerable populations. By encouraging accountability, strengthening international norms, and supporting inclusive institutions, the UNHRC contributes to global efforts toward peace, justice, equality, and sustainable development

Agenda Topics

Topic A: The Protection of Stateless Persons in the Context of Climate Change in Asia Pacific

In 2021, as climate change threatens the enjoyment of the human rights to a safe, clean, healthy, sustainable environment and the human rights to life, the UNHRC affirmed obligations of states to respect, protect, fulfill human rights in alignment with previous agreements such as the Paris Agreement under the UNFCCC by adopting a resolution to create a special mandate to protect and promote human rights in the context of climate change

Previously, in contribution to the creation of this mandate, an unprecedented UN landmark case was brought by Ioane Teitiota, also known as the “world’s first climate refugee” from Kiribati—the Pacific island nation that is facing sea level rising threats, against the State of New Zealand for denying his request to seek asylum (2015-2019). Although Ioane and his family’s case was denied, they have set forth new standards that could facilitate successful climate-related asylum claims in the future (OHCHR, 2020).

According to the UNEP report released before COP 2025, the world is currently on the path towards 2.8°C. Based on the IPCC report (2021), at a warming peak of 2°C, the global mean sea-level rise is projected to rise from 2-6 meters. There are at least 4.4 million stateless people worldwide that are denied of basic rights such as education, employment, and healthcare. Noting that due to the data gap, the actual number could mount up to 10-15 million, not accounting for the current displaced population. In this topic, we will be discussing how states could join hands and protect human rights of stateless persons in one of the most affected areas on our planet—Asia Pacific, amidst the context of climate change. We will be addressing birth recognition and right to nationality, racial discrimination, right to life, effective remedy, and more.

Topic B: The protection of Human Rights Defenders from Enforced Disappearance in the Context of Transnational Repression

Since 1966, UN Member States have committed to protecting civil and political rights through the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and its Optional Protocols. To address serious violations such as arbitrary arrest, detention, and enforced disappearance, the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance led to the creation of the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances. Despite these frameworks, violations continue to rise. In March 2025, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, warned of a global increase in kidnapping, enforced disappearance, and extrajudicial killings since 2020, a trend increasingly enabled by digital surveillance and transnational coordination, with particularly concerning patterns emerging in mainland Southeast Asia.

Transnational repression has become a defining feature of this crisis. In 2024, UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan highlighted the growing targeting of journalists, human rights defenders, political dissidents, and individuals in exile, noting that many face threats, abductions, or violence even after crossing borders in search of safety. Such practices undermine national sovereignty, democratic institutions, and fundamental freedoms, prompting states from all regions to call for stronger collective action against transnational repression.

In response, the UN Human Rights Council has intensified its focus on accountability and the protection of the principle of non-refoulement. Within this topic, delegates will examine how the international community can strengthen safeguards for civil and political rights, address enforced disappearances and torture, and ensure protection for those most vulnerable to cross-border human rights violations.