Event Body Meeting
34th session of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee
The Human Rights Council Advisory Committee – the Council’s think tank, providing expertise at its request – held its 34th session from 16 to 20 February 2026 at Palais des Nations, Room XVI, where it addressed environment-related thematic issues.
About this Session
The Human Rights Council Advisory Committee – the Council’s think tank, providing expertise at its request – held its 34th session from 16 to 20 February 2026 at Palais des Nations, Room XVI, where it addressed environment-related thematic issues, including:
- Implications of plastic pollution for the full enjoyment of human rights | In decision 56/117, the Human Rights Council requested the Advisory Committee to prepare a comprehensive study on the implications of plastic pollution for the full enjoyment of human rights, based on a comprehensive approach that addressed the full life cycle of plastic, and to present the study to the Council at its sixty-sixth session. The Council also requested the Advisory Committee, when preparing the study, to seek the views of and inputs from and to take into account work already done by relevant stakeholders. At its 34th session, the Advisory Committee held a public discussion on this topic on 17 February 2026, from 10:00-11:00 CET.
- Implications of sea-level rise for the full enjoyment of human rights | In resolution 60/20, the Human Rights Council requested the Advisory Committee to prepare and in‑depth study on the human rights implications of sea‑level rise, in cooperation with the relevant special procedure mandate holders. The study will examine impacts on Indigenous Peoples, persons of African descent, persons with disabilities, persons belonging to national and ethnic minorities, and coastal communities, and the disproportionate effects on women and girls, including in rural areas. The Council also requested broad consultations, especially with States most affected. At its 34th session, the Advisory Committee held discussions on this topic and establish a drafting group for the preparation of the study to be submitted to the Council at its 66th session (HRC66). A public discussion on this topic took place on 19 February 2026, from 11:40-13:00 CET.