63rd session of the Human Rights Council
Agenda item 8
General Debate on the follow-up to and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action.
Joint Statement
Geneva, 30 September 2026
Mister President,
I have the honour to deliver this joint statement on behalf of a group of XX countries.
The UN human rights treaty body system is a cornerstone of the human rights architecture. Today, it stands at a crossroads. The ongoing liquidity crisis has brought to light preexisting structural fragilities.
As State parties, we reaffirm our commitment to an efficient and adequately funded treaty body system. At the same time, we share concerns about aspects of its current functioning. Pragmatic reform, within existing mandates, can and has to address these structural fragilities without undermining treaty body independence, reopening the treaties, or weakening the protection of rights holders.
We call on the Committees to intensify their ownership of the strengthening process by accelerating harmonization of working methods, presenting solutions to reduce the backlog of reviews, improving consistency of recommendations, and operationalizing the inter-Committee advisory mechanism[1].
We also call on the High Commissioner to show increased leadership in this process and encourage the further development and implementation of OHCHR's working paper[2], including through pilot projects.
We look forward to continued dialogue among States, Treaty Bodies, OHCHR and civil society for a strong, universal, predictable and fit-for-purpose treaty body system.
I thank you.
[1] Reports of the Chairs of the human rights treaty bodies on their 34th, 35th and 36th annual meeting, A/77/228, A/78/354, A/79/292.
[2] OHCHR Working paper on enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of the UN human rights treaty system (29 May 2026).