Members of the NGO Committee on Humnan Rights
Strengthening the voice of civil society within the United Nations human rights system was at the centre of a meeting of the NGO Committee on Human Rights in Geneva, attended by IFSW Global President Eva Ponce de Leon and Interim Secretary-General Pascal Rudin on 7 September 2026 at the United Nations Office at Geneva.
The NGO Committee on Human Rights has for many years provided a platform for dialogue, collaboration and information-sharing among NGOs committed to the promotion and protection of human rights. Its work brings civil society organisations together to advance human rights education, draw attention to violations, strengthen accountability and promote human dignity.
In recent years, particularly following the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, an important focus of the Committee has been its Civil Society Speakers programme. The initiative identifies civil society representatives who can bring their experiences and perspectives directly into the work of the UN Human Rights Council, including through participation in its high-level segment. Previous speakers, including from IFSW, have addressed issues ranging from conflict and food insecurity to access to education, harmful practices, drug policies and emerging concerns such as bias in artificial intelligence.
The Committee is now entering a period of renewal. The September meeting, chaired by Stacy Dry Lara with Vice Chair Léonie de Picciotto, discussed revitalising its activities and membership, strengthening participation by Geneva-based ECOSOC-accredited NGOs, preparing the 2027 Civil Society Speakers process, and organising elections for a new Committee Bureau in early 2027.
Left to right: Pascal Rudin, Stacy Dry Lara, Léonie de Picciotto and Eva Ponce de Leon
The breadth of organisations represented at the meeting reflected the interconnected nature of contemporary human rights challenges. Participants brought perspectives from social work, women’s rights and gender equality, ageing, racial discrimination, nursing and health, migration, law and access to justice, faith-based action, motherhood and family advocacy, social movements, and wider civil society engagement.
For IFSW, participation in this network is particularly important. Human rights are not a specialised area separate from social work practice: they are fundamental to the profession’s values, ethics and everyday engagement with people and communities. Decisions and debates within the Human Rights Council concern many of the same issues social workers encounter directly, including inequality, discrimination, displacement, conflict, poverty, access to services, children’s rights, gender equality and the consequences of social, economic and technological change.
IFSW Global President Eva Ponce de Leon said: “Social workers see every day how human rights are experienced in people’s lives, and what happens when those rights are denied. Strengthening the connection between this lived experience, civil society and the United Nations is essential if international human rights processes are to remain grounded in the realities of people and communities.”
IFSW Interim Secretary-General Pascal Rudin added: “The strength of this Committee lies in bringing together organisations working across very different fields around a shared commitment to human dignity and human rights. For IFSW, this provides an important opportunity not only to contribute the perspective of social work, but also to build alliances that can amplify the voices of the communities our profession works alongside.”
IFSW’s engagement with the Committee complements the Federation’s broader representation at the United Nations and its commitment to ensuring that social work knowledge, practice experience and the voices of communities are present in international human rights discussions. Renewed participation in the NGO Committee on Human Rights also offers opportunities for IFSW and its representatives in Geneva to contribute to future civil society initiatives, including the selection and support of speakers addressing the Human Rights Council.
As the Committee revitalises its structures and prepares for a new leadership cycle in 2027, IFSW looks forward to contributing to its work and to strengthening collaboration with civil society partners across the UN human rights system.