Human Rights Council will hold a special session on El Fasher next Friday

The UN Human Rights Council will hold a special session next Friday on the human rights situation in and around El Fasher, which it said comes “in the context of the ongoing conflict in Sudan.”

A statement issued by the Council and published on its website Thursday evening said the special session could begin at 9:00 a.m. in the General Assembly Hall at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The meeting will be broadcast live online in the six official languages ​​of the United Nations.

This special session is being held following a formal request submitted Wednesday afternoon, November 5, 2025, by the United Kingdom, jointly with Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Norway. The request has so far been supported by 24 member states of the Council.

Convening a special session requires the support of one-third of the 47 members of the Council—that is, 16 or more members. So far, the request has received support from the following 24 member states: Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, France, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Iceland, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Republic of Korea, Romania, South Africa, Spain, and Switzerland. The request has also garnered support from 31 observer states on the Council.