The 63rd Session of the UN Human Rights Council Concludes with Focus on AI and Digital Rights
Author: Aamnah Fatima Khan
October 15, 2026
HRRC welcomes the increasing international attention to the impact of artificial intelligence on human rights and the adoption of resolutions pushing for responsible AI governance. We emphasize the need for stronger legal safeguards, transparency and accountability to protect fundamental rights in digital space.
![The Human Rights and Alliance of Civilizations Room is the meeting room of the United Nations Human Rights Council, in the Palace of Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. [Image credit: Ludovic Courtès/Wikimedia Commons]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f05ed1_7d784eaf351e4e9796a96da1e1aa86ec~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_960,h_640,al_c,q_85,enc_avif,quality_auto/f05ed1_7d784eaf351e4e9796a96da1e1aa86ec~mv2.jpg)
The 63rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC), held from September 7th to October 9th in Geneva, concluded with the adoption of 34 resolutions, two decisions and one presidential statement. The session broadly covered a wide range of global human rights issues. However, artificial intelligence (AI) and its implications for human rights emerged as an important area of focus.
The session's main outcome was the adoption of two new resolutions that directly addressed AI and human rights: one focused on strengthening international cooperation to protect women and girls in digital environments and the other on cross-border implications of AI for human rights. The European Union welcomed the resolutions, emphasizing human rights due diligence, transparency, human oversight and accountability in governing AI.
The discussion also highlighted concerns regarding gender-based violence facilitated by technology, digital surveillance, online harassment, deepfakes and disinformation. During the session, reports examined threats faced by human rights defenders, particularly women and the impact of AI on cultural rights and development. Civil society organizations called for stronger legal protections, corporate accountability and survivor-centered approaches to digital violence.
Beyond digital rights, the HRC adopted resolutions addressing transitional justice, racism, migration, the rights of indigenous people and humanitarian concerns. The session also led to the adoption of Periodic Review outcomes for 14 countries, including Namibia and Paraguay, where concerns regarding surveillance, freedom of expression, digital inequality and online gender-based violence were raised.
Overall, the session reinforced the importance of international cooperation in addressing challenges to human rights globally, with a particular emphasis on responsible AI governance and stronger safeguards against emerging digital technologies.
Glossary
Accountability – the fact of being responsible for what you do and able to give a satisfactory reason for it, or the degree to which this happens.
Adoption – accepting or starting to use something new.
Deepfakes – a video or sound recording that replaces someone's face or voice with that of someone else, in a way that appears real.
Disinformation – false information spread deliberately in order to deceive people.
Due Diligence – action that is considered reasonable for people to be expected to take in order to keep themselves or others and their property safe.
Gender-based Violence – violence aimed at someone because of their gender identity.
Governance – the way that organizations or countries are managed at the highest level, and the systems for doing this.
Presidential Statements –
Reinforce – to make an idea or belief stronger.
Resolutions – an official decision that is made after a group or organization has voted.
Surveillance – the careful watching of a person or place, especially by the police or army, because of a crime that has happened or is expected.
Transitional – belonging or relating to a change, or the process of change, from one form or type to another.
Transparency – a situation in which business and financial activities are done in an open way without secrets, so that people can trust that they are fair and honest.
References
