Human Rights Bodies’ Hearings & Sessions:
September 2026

September 01, 2026
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(last updated September 2, 2026)

In September 2026, various universal and regional human rights bodies will assess States’ compliance with their human rights obligations through interactive dialogues, the consideration of State and civil society reports, country visits, public hearings, and where applicable, the consideration of pending applications and cases. At the United Nations (UN), two treaty bodies are scheduled to hold sessions to assess States’ progress toward toward securing the rights of children as well as addressing the problem of enforced disappearances. In addition, three of the Human Rights Council’s special procedures have sessions scheduled for this month to discuss issues relating to arbitrary detention, involuntary disappearances, and the intersection between business and human rights. Four other special procedures and one treaty body are scheduled to conduct country visits to Rwanda, the Marshall Islands, Mozambique, Canada, and Zimbabwe. At the regional level, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR), the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR), the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) have sessions, meetings, or hearings scheduled for this month. For more information on each of the bodies mentioned below, please visit the Human Rights Oversight section of the CGLJ Online Resource Hub.

The sessions, hearings, and country visits taking place in September are listed in the first section below, titled Hearings, Sessions, and Country Visits. UN treaty body sessions may be watched via UN WebTV. Public hearings and decision-delivery sittings of regional bodies are normally available through the relevant bodies’ official webcast or YouTube channels.

Additionally, in September and October NGOs and civil society actors will have a number of opportunities to submit written information to human rights bodies and mechanisms, comment on draft standards, and register to participate in various events. These opportunities are listed in the final section below, titled Calls for Input and Other Engagement Deadlines.

This post includes events occurring in September 2026 and submission or engagement deadlines for September and October 2026. For additional events and deadlines, please visit our Human Rights Calendar.

Hearings, Sessions, and Country Visits

United Nations

UN Treaty Bodies

In September, two UN treaty bodies are scheduled to meet. The full schedule of treaty body sessions can be viewed on the OHCHR Human Rights Mechanisms Calendar. The public activities of the treaty bodies, including constructive dialogues held as part of State party reviews, are webcast on UN WebTV. For information about in-person participation of civil society in the public activities of the treaty bodies, visit the UN’s Indico system.

Please note that several of the treaty body webpages currently warn that “due to the United Nations Regular Budget Liquidity Situation,” the agenda, dates, and modality for treaty body sessions may be subject to change. More information may be available by checking the UN’s Indico calendar or by contacting [email protected] via email.

Committee on the Rights of the Child

The Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) will hold its 101st session in Geneva from September 1 to 28, in Geneva, Switzerland. During the session, the Committee will consider periodic reports from Burkina Faso, Kazakhstan, Lesotho, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Uganda, and the United Republic of Tanzania. The programme of work, provisional agenda, and registration information are available on the Committee’s session page.

The CRC will then hold its 103rd pre-sessional working group from September 29 to October 2. Under the traditional reporting procedure, the Committee will engage with stakeholders and prepare lists of issues concerning Belize, China (including Hong Kong and Macao), and South Sudan regarding the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict. Under the simplified reporting procedure, it will engage with stakeholders concerning Sierra Leone and prepare lists of issues prior to reporting for Australia, Barbados, Lebanon, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Committee on Enforced Disappearances

The Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED) will hold its 31st session in Geneva from September 14 to 24. During the session, the Committee will consider Belize and Lesotho under the non-reporting procedure, additional information concerning Armenia and Gabon, and lists of themes on additional information for Colombia, Cuba, Italy, and Paraguay. The programme of work, provisional agenda, and registration information are available on the Committee’s session page. Civil society actors may also schedule private oral briefings with the Committee. The Committee’s Note for Civil Society Actors and NHRIs, available on the session page, provides additional information on participation.

UN General Assembly: Human Rights Council

The UN Human Rights Council is scheduled to hold its 63rd regular session in Geneva from September 7 to October 9. Public meetings of the Council are generally webcast on UN Web TV. For information on accreditation and ways to participate, visit the Council’s page on NGO participation.

Various side events will take place parallel to the 63rd session. For example, on September 8, various UN human rights mechanisms will participate in a side event examining the implications of criminalization-based approaches to migration governance, sharing experiences and practices, and fostering dialogue on rights-based alternatives. Registration is open for those interested in attending in person as well as online.

Another side event will focus on women journalists and how they are increasingly being targeted through legal warfare. This event will take place on September 11, from 13:00 to 14:00, in Room XI, at Palais des Nations, Geneva.

Special Procedures and Expert Mechanisms

In September, four of the UN Human Rights Council’s special procedures have country visits scheduled. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) provides a list of forthcoming country visits of the special procedures, including those scheduled beyond September.

Three of the UN Human Rights Council’s special procedures will be in session this month:

Please note that some of the UN special procedures have recently had to cancel or postpone country visits or sessions due to the ongoing liquidity crisis at the UN.

Regional Bodies

African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights

The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR) will convene for its 82nd Ordinary Session at its seat in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania, from August 31 to September 25. The Court’s ordinary sessions generally include the consideration of pending applications, deliberations, public hearings, and the delivery of judgments. On September 24, the AfCHPR is scheduled to deliver six decisions in a sitting that is open to the public in person and online, including through the Court’s YouTube channel.

African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) will begin the private segment of its 89th Ordinary Session virtually from September 21 to October 1. This segment is closed to the public. The Commission’s public segment is scheduled to take place in person in Dakar, Senegal, from October 12 to 21. The ordinary session will be live-streamed on the Commission’s YouTube channel.

European Committee of Social Rights

The European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) will hold its 357th session from September 7 to 11. The agenda and synopsis of the session will be posted on the Committee’s webpage after the conclusion of the session.

Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe will hold its 1569th (Human Rights) meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies in Strasbourg from September 15 to 17. During Human Rights meetings, the Committee of Ministers supervises the execution of judgments and decisions of the European Court of Human Rights.

European Court of Human Rights

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) will hold a public Chamber hearing on September 22 at 9:15 a.m. in Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union on behalf of ten Ukrainian children v. Russia (no. 6719/23). The Court’s hearing calendar contains the latest schedule and webcast information.

Inter-American Court of Human Rights

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) is scheduled to hold its 194th Regular Session from September 7 to 11 and its 195th Regular Session from September 21 to 25. The Court normally releases a press release with details on the session agenda closer to the start of the session. Public hearings of the Court may be viewed via livestream on the Court’s YouTube channel.

Calls for Input and Other Engagement Deadlines

United Nations

UN Treaty Bodies

Human Rights Committee

The Human Rights Committee is the body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) by its States parties. In preparation for its 146th session, the Human Rights Committee is accepting written contributions from NGOs and other civil society actors to inform the Committee’s review of Austria, Cameroon, Jamaica, and Rwanda. The session page includes guidance on how to submit such information to the Committee. Deadline September 21.

Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

In preparation for its 80th session, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) is accepting written contributions from NGOs and other civil society actors to inform the Committee’s adoption of a list of issues for Burkina Faso, Estonia, Slovakia, and Zambia. An information note on how to participate in the session and submit information to the Committee is available on the session page. Deadline September 3.

Also in preparation for its 80th session, the CESCR is accepting written contributions concerning its review of State reports from Austria, Eswatini, Mexico, and Pakistan, and follow-up information concerning Cambodia and Portugal. Deadline October 2.

Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

In preparation for its 93rd session, the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee) is accepting written contributions from NGOs and other civil society actors to inform the Committee’s review of state reports from Angola, Cabo Verde, Cook Islands, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Paraguay, Republic of Moldova, and Togo; as well as to inform its formulation of lists of issues for Bangladesh and Russian Federation, and lists of issues prior to reporting (LOIPR) for Barbados, Burundi, Guinea, Haiti, Jordan, Mali, Micronesia, and Nigeria. An information note on how to participate in the session and submit information to the Committee is available on the session page. Deadline September 4.

Committee against Torture

In preparation for its 85th session, the Committee against Torture (CAT) is accepting written contributions from NGOs and other civil society actors concerning its consideration of State reports from Angola, Belize, Norway, and the Republic of Moldova. Deadline October 19.

Committee on Migrant Workers

During its October-December 2026 intersessional period, the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (CMW) is accepting written submissions from national human rights institutions and civil society organizations concerning Bosnia and Herzegovina and Malawi. The Committee’s intersessional information page lists the submission deadlines as October 5 for Bosnia and Herzegovina and October 29 for Malawi.

UN General Assembly: Human Rights Council

Special Procedures

Investigative Bodies and Expert Mechanisms

Other UN Human Rights Bodies

  • The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has issued a call for input to inform its substantive report on enhancing international cooperation and national efforts to facilitate the repatriation of illicit funds and ensure their effective use for sustainable development and the realization of economic, social and cultural rights. Deadline September 1.
  • The OHCHR has issued a call for input to inform its annual thematic study on the rights of persons with disabilities, marking the twentieth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Deadline September 1.
  • The OHCHR has issued a call for inputs to inform its substantive report on the human rights impact of conditionalities applied by international financial institutions, pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 59/19. Deadline September 10.
  • Multiple UN human rights mechanisms are inviting stakeholders to participate in the Sumauma Pledging Tree for Human Rights-Based Climate Action by sharing pledges and stories concerning human rights-based climate action. Deadline September 19.
  • The OHCHR has issued a call for inputs on the realization of economic, social and cultural rights in all countries, with a special focus on the mobilization of public resources to finance sustainable development, pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 58/9. Deadline October 15.
  • The UN Human Rights Council will convene the annual Social Forum in Geneva, Switzerland in late October. This year’s theme is focused on on the contribution of international cooperation and solidarity, including South-South cooperation, to the realization of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.  Participants are required to register by October 23 through the UN’s Indico System.
  • The OHCHR has issued a call for inputs on child rights and safety in the digital environment. Deadline October 30.

Regional Bodies

African Commission and Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights

  • The ACHPR Committee for the Prevention of Torture in Africa (CPTA) has issued a call for papers for its newsletter on “Torture and Digital Surveillance in Africa.” Contributions should analyze the use, supervision, and misuse of digital surveillance in Africa and its impact on the prevention and punishment of torture and ill-treatment. Full proposals are due by September 10.
  • The ACHPR Working Group on the Death Penalty, Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions and Enforced Disappearances in Africa has issued a call for papers for the inaugural edition of its newsletter on developments concerning the protection of the right to life in Africa. Deadline September 10.
  • The same ACHPR Working Group has launched the African Prizes for the Abolition of the Death Penalty, including a research paper award and an artistic creation award. The research award is open to academics, researchers, and practitioners from universities, research centers, public institutions, civil society organizations, and the legal profession. Deadline September 10.
  • The ACHPR Working Group on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Africa has issued a call for comments on the Draft Guidelines on the Protection of the Rights of Workers in the Informal Economy in Africa. Stakeholders are invited to submit focused comments and actionable proposals in English, French, or Portuguese. Deadline September 21.
  • The ACHPR Working Group on the Rights of Older Persons and Persons with Disabilities in Africa has issued a call for input on the Draft Guidelines on the two Protocols on Older Persons and Persons with Disabilities in Africa in the framework of periodic reports of States Parties under article 62 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The Working Group invites contributions from States Parties, non-State actors, national human rights institutions, civil society organizations, individuals, and partners of the Commission. Deadline September 21.
  • In advance of the public segment of the ACHPR’s 89th Ordinary Session, scheduled for October 12 to 21 in Dakar, the Commission is accepting registrations to participate and registrations to make statements on the human rights situation in Africa, interventions on Commissioners’ and special mechanisms’ activity reports, and interventions on panels and launches. Deadline September 27.

European Lanzarote Committee for the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse

The Lanzarote Committee is the body established to monitor whether Parties effectively implement the Lanzarote Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse. As part of the Lanzarote Committee’s monitoring round on the screening of professionals, volunteers, and other persons in contact with children, civil society organizations and national human rights institutions may provide their own information in response to the monitoring questionnaire and/or comment on State Parties’ replies. Deadline September 1.

Inter-American Commission on Human Rights

  • The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has opened registration for participation in an ex officio public hearing on “Impacts of Critical Mineral Extraction for the Energy Transition,” to be held during its 197th Period of Sessions in Panama City on October 27. Individuals and representatives of States and civil society organizations may register. Registration information is available on the Commission’s website. Deadline September 6.
  • The IACHR has also opened registration for its Plenary Dialogue with Civil Society, scheduled for October 30 in Panama City during the 197th Period of Sessions. Individuals and civil society organizations dedicated to the defense of human rights may register; the Commission has indicated that twenty participants will be selected. Registration information is available on the Commission’s website. Deadline September 15.
  • The IACHR, through its Rapporteurship on the Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Persons, has issued a consultation questionnaire on the impact of conversion practices on the rights of LGBT persons in the Americas. Civil society organizations, academia, national human rights institutions, survivors, experts, and any interested person or entity may respond in whole or in part and may attach relevant documentation. Deadline September 20.