International Day of the Girl Child 2026 Every year on 11 October, the world celebrates the International Day of the Girl Child, established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2011 to promote girls’ rights and raise awareness of the challenges they face around the world. In 2026, the theme “End child marriage and invest in girls’ rights” calls for urgent action to protect girls’ childhoods, expand their opportunities, and ensure their freedom to learn, grow, make their own choices, and shape their futures. Developed through consultations with girls, girl-led organizations, civil...

On 15th of September 2026, a High-Level Panel on the Fifteenth Anniversary of the Adoption of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training took place during the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council to consider good practices, challenges and the way forward for strengthening its implementation. The panel was framed in the ongoing fifth phase (2025-2029) of the World Programme for Human Rights Education, focusing on human rights education for children and youth. In his introductory remarks, Mr. Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,...

In preparation for her thematic report to the United Nations Human Rights Council at its 62nd session in June 2026, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, Farida Shaheed, launched a global call for inputs on curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. The call invited contributions from States, United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, national human rights institutions, academics, educators, business actors, as well as civil society organizations, with the aim of gathering diverse perspectives on how education systems can better support the realization of the right to education. The...

On 16 September 2025, the voices of young people, powerfully resonated at the Human Rights Council’s Biennial Panel “The role of youth in fostering peaceful societies and creating an enabling environment for the enjoyment of human rights by all” (watch the Session here). With 1.9 billion young people worldwide, the message was clear: youth are not only future leaders, but present agents of peace and human rights. Deputy High Commissioner Nada Al-Nashif opened with a call to take youth seriously as bridge-builders in an increasingly polarized world. She warned of shrinking...

The Committee on the Rights of the Child is composed of independent experts who monitor the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by its States parties. It also monitors the implementation of the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, and on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. All states parties are required to report to the committee on how the rights are being met.  On May 9 and 10, 2023,...

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women – 85th Session on Venezuela 18 May 2023 The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system. It requires countries to eliminate discrimination against women and girls in all areas and promotes women’s equal rights to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. On May 18, 2023, Venezuela was reviewed by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) at the Palais des Nations, Geneva. The...

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a cyclical review process of all 193 UN Member States. Once every four years the human rights situation in each State is reviewed. The State under review declares what action has been taken and the measures to be adopted to improve human rights within the Country. During the UPR, specific recommendations are made by the Member States of the Human Rights Council to the State under review. The 43rd UPR session was held from May 1 to 12 in Palais des Nations, Geneva. Among other...

The United Nations Human Rights Council held its forty-sixth regular session from 22 February to 23 March 2021 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.  It started off with a high-level segment from 22 to 24 February where dignitaries representing more than 130 countries addressed the Council on their governments’ efforts to promote and protect human rights. It was held for the first time entirely online. This session also welcomed the new president, Ambassador Nazhat Shameem Khan of Fiji.  It was opened with speeches from Secretary-General of the United Nations, António...

Every year, on the 8th of March, we celebrate International Women’s Day, an event promoted by the United Nations in order to celebrate the progress reached by women in the economic, political, and cultural fields. The theme proposed for 2021 is: “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world”. This celebrates the tremendous efforts by women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign slogan is: “Choose to challenge”. It is important to know this celebration as...

Every year, on the 8th of March, we celebrate International Women’s Day, an event promoted by the United Nations in order to celebrate the progress reached by women in the economic, political, and cultural fields. The theme proposed for 2021 is: “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world”. This celebrates the tremendous efforts by women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign slogan is: “Choose to challenge”. It is important to know this celebration as...