On 29 September 2026, Child Rights Connect delivered a joint oral statement during the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, calling on States to reaffirm their political and financial commitment to the UN treaty body system.

The statement was supported by 185 civil society organisations, with the full list of signatories included below. It was initiated by Amnesty International, the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), and TB-Net (of which Child Rights Connect is a member), and delivered under Item 8: General debate on follow-up to and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action.

Through the statement, the signatories urged States to demonstrate continued political commitment to the UN treaty body system and to provide the sustainable financial support needed for the treaty bodies to effectively fulfil their mandates.

Read the full statement below. You can also download the statement here.

Human Rights Council
63rd regular session of the Human Rights Council
30 September 2026

Item 8: General debate on follow-up to and implementation of the Vienna Declaration
and Programme of Action – General Debate

Madame Vice-President,

Child Rights Connect delivers this statement on behalf of 185 civil society organisations.

On 7 and 23 September, the High Commissioner warned that the work of the UN treaty bodies – the legal backbone of the UN human rights system – is endangered by chronic underfunding and the ongoing liquidity crisis and issued an urgent call for help and support.

However, the challenges are not purely financial. Chronic underfunding, States falling short of their reporting obligations, and growing operational constraints represent a political crisis and, ultimately, a human rights crisis.

OHCHR and the treaty bodies themselves have made several proposals through the treaty body strengthening process, which could be piloted, on how to move towards greater predictability, harmonization and digital transformation. Yet, the system continues not only at a standstill, but in a downward spiral. In 2025, a 40% reduction in meeting time resulted in approximately 30% fewer reviews.
The situation has worsened in 2026, adding further delays to an already backlogged system.

We call on States to reaffirm their political and financial commitment for a strong, fully accessible and effective treaty body system:

  1. ensuring sustainable funding through the UN regular budget, allowing to reduce review
    backlogs and ensuring foreseeability of States reviews sufficiently in advance;
  2. providing dedicated resources for hybrid modalities that enable meaningful participation by civil society and other stakeholders; and
  3. investing in accessible digitalization tools without further delay.

We call on all parts of the UN, including OHCHR, UNOG and the DGACM, to coordinate and overcome any administrative obstacles to treaty body strengthening.

Not acting decisively in this direction is disengaging from human rights protection when it is needed the
most.

Thank you.

List of signatories (as of 30.09.2026):

  1. 6Rang (Iranian LGBT+ Network)
  2. Acción por los Niños – Lima Perú
  3. Advocacy Forum-Nepal
  4. Advocating the Rights of Children (ARC)
  5. African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies
  6. Al Khidmat Foundation
  7. Alliance for the Rights of the Child (Czechia)
  8. Alliance pour l’Universalité des Droits Fondamentaux AUDF ONG
  9. Amnesty International
  10. Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
  11. ASOCIACION CIUDADANA POR LOS DERECHOS HUMANOS
  12. Association des Jeunes Futurs Cadres du Pays
  13. Association for action against violence and trafficking in human beings-Open Gate/La Strada North Macedonia
  14. Association for Farmers Rights Defense, AFRD
  15. Association for the Prevention of Torture
  16. Associazione Comunita Papa Giovanni XXIII (APG23)
  17. AsyLex
  18. Australian Child Rights Taskforce
  19. AUSTRRALIAN FEDERATION OF DISABILITY ORGANISATIONS (AFDO) LTD
  20. Autistic Minority International
  21. Banglar Manbadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM)
  22. BIMBA
  23. Bureau International Catholique de l’Enfance – BICE
  24. Campaña Latinoamericana por el Derecho a la Educación – CLADE
  25. CASACIDN FEDERACIÓN ARGENTINA
  26. CCPR Centre
  27. Cedar Centre for Legal Studies
  28. Center for Migration, Gender and Justice
  29. Center for Reproductive Rights
  30. Central Union for Child Welfare
  31. Centre for the Sustainable use of Natural and Social Resources (CSNR)
  32. Centre International de Conseil, de Recherche et d’Expertise en Droits de l’Homme (CICREDHO)
  33. Child Rights Coalition Asia
  34. Child Rights Coalition Cambodia (CRC-Cambodia)
  35. Child Rights Connect
  36. Child Rights Information Center in Moldova (CRIC)
  37. Child Rights Network Switzerland
  38. Children Advocacy Network- CAN Pakistan
  39. Children of Incarcerated Caregivers
  40. Children’s Legal Centre Wales
  41. Children’s Rights Alliance for England, part of Just for Kids Law
  42. Christian Blind Mission (CBM)
  43. CINTRAS, Centro de salud Mental y Derechos Humanos
  44. CLADHO
  45. Coalition des Volontaires pour la Paix et le Développement, CVPD
  46. Coalition Nationale des Associations des Personnes Handicapées (CONAPH)
  47. Collectif des Défenseurs Sahraouis des Droits de l’Homme au Sahara Occidental (CODESA)
  48. Comisión de Solidaridad y Defensa de los Derechos Humanos, A. C. COSYDDHAC
  49. Company of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul
  50. Conseil français des associations pour les droits de l’enfant
  51. Consortium for Street Children
  52. Convention on Health Equity Alliance (aka Framework Convention on Global Health)
  53. Coordinadora de Profesionales por la Prevención de Abusos (CoPPA)
  54. Coordination des Associations et des Particuliers pour la Liberté de Conscience
  55. Corporación La Caleta
  56. Corporación Polimorfas
  57. Cross Cultural Foundation
  58. CUWEDE COD LAB
  59. Defence for Children International
  60. Defence for Children International-Canada
  61. Doctors for Planetary Health – West Coast
  62. Down Syndrome International
  63. Dreikönigsaktion – Hilfswerk der Katholischen Jungschar
  64. East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (DefendDefenders)
  65. ECPAT Sri Lanka
  66. Edmund Rice International
  67. Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms
  68. Egyptian Front for Human Rights
  69. Emonyo Yefwe International
  70. Eurochild
  71. European Disability Forum
  72. European Network on Statelessness
  73. European Union of the Deaf
  74. FIACAT
  75. FIAN International
  76. First Rights Project of Methoria
  77. Fondation Apprentis d’Auteuil
  78. Fondazione Marista per la Solidarietà Internazionale (FMSI)
  79. Framework Convention on Global Health Alliance
  80. Franciscans International
  81. Fundación por las Voces de Infancia y Género A.C.
  82. Funktionsrätt Sverige
  83. Geneva for Human Rights – Global Training & Policy Studies
  84. Geneva Human Rights Hub
  85. GIN SSOGIE
  86. Global Coalition for Social Protection FLoors
  87. Global Detention Project
  88. Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
  89. Global Justice Center
  90. Greek Helsinki Monitor
  91. Harm Reduction International
  92. Hilar Talentos para Cosechar Derechos AC
  93. HIV Legal Network
  94. Human Rights Watch
  95. IDA
  96. IMADR
  97. Inclusion Canada
  98. inclusion netherlands
  99. Independent Medico Legal Unit
  100. Instituto Brasileiro de Direitos Humanos
  101. Instituto Promoviendo Desarrollo Social – IPRODES
  102. Intact Denmark
  103. International Catholic Child Bureau
  104. International Commission of Jurists
  105. International disability organization
  106. International Federation of World Peace Organizations
  107. International Rehabilitation Council for Torture victims
  108. International Service for Human Rights
  109. International Social Service
  110. Irish Penal Reform Trust
  111. IWRAW
  112. Japan Disability Forum
  113. Jubilee Campaign
  114. Juristes pour l’enfance
  115. Justice for Iran (JFI)
  116. JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF)
  117. Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law
  118. Kazakhstani NGOs Coalition against Torture
  119. Kenya Alliance for Advancement of Children (KAACR)
  120. Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)
  121. L’observatoire mauritanien des droits de l’homme et de la démocratie
  122. L’Arche Internationale
  123. Latin American and Caribbean Womens Health Network
  124. Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH)
  125. Lithuanian Disability Forum
  126. Make Mothers Matter
  127. MBRDO
  128. Minority Rights Group (MRG)
  129. Mouvement contre le racisme et pour l’amitié entre les peuples
  130. Nation Forum of Women with Disabilities (NFWD)
  131. National Coalition for Children´s Rights Austria
  132. Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality
  133. Neuroförbundet
  134. Ogiek Peoples’ Development Program
  135. Omega Research Foundation
  136. OMEP (World Organization for Early Childhood Education)
  137. Operation 1325
  138. Pax Romana – International Movement of Catholic Students (IMCS-MIEC)
  139. People’s Watch
  140. Persatuan Aliran Kesedaran Negara (National Consciousness Movement)
  141. PF “Children’s Fund of Kazakhstan”
  142. Plan International INC
  143. Plataforma de Infancia
  144. PRO Global/Pensioners without Borders
  145. Programme Against Custodial Torture & Impunity (PACTI)
  146. Promoting Empowerment Through Awareness for Lesbian and Bisexual Women (PETAL)
  147. Purple Royale: Trans Voices Amplified
  148. QADER for Community Development
  149. Race and Equality
  150. Raise Your Voice Saint Lucia Inc
  151. REDIM – México (Red por los Derechos de la Infancia en México)
  152. REDRESS Trust
  153. Rehab Solutions.
  154. RESEAU CAMEROUNAIS DES ORGANISATIONS DES DROITS DE L’HOMME
  155. Right to Education Initiative
  156. Rugby Belize
  157. Rural People’s Sangam
  158. Samarthanam trust for the disabled
  159. Save the Children International
  160. Search for Justice (Pakistan)
  161. Shanta Memorial Rehabilitation Centre
  162. Social Justice Center
  163. Society for International Development (SID)
  164. Svenska Avdelningen av Internationella Juristkommissionen
  165. Swedish Foundation for Human Rights
  166. Taiwan Mad Alliance
  167. Terre des Hommes International Federation
  168. The Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and Legal Profession (ACIJLP)
  169. The Helix Foundation for Children and Youth
  170. The International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus
  171. The Japanese Workers’ Committee for Human Rights – JWCHR
  172. The Swedish Human Rights and Democracy Movement (Föreningen Ordfront)
  173. TI-MG
  174. Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights)
  175. Trajosko Drom
  176. Uganda Child Rights NGO Network
  177. Validity
  178. Verdandi
  179. War Child Alliance
  180. Western Cape Network on Disability
  181. Women and Modern World Social Charitable Center – CWMW
  182. World Association for School as an Instrument for Peace
  183. World Federation of the Deaf
  184. World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)
  185. Young Women For Sustainable Development Malawi