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At the 60th session of the Human Rights Council, attention turned once again to the urgent need for stronger human rights monitoring in migration governance. On 25 September 2025, QUNO co-hosted a side event to launch the new report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on human rights monitoring in the context of migration and build on previous side events on this topic. Opening the discussion, Peggy Hicks (OHCHR) underlined the urgency of collective action: “We must do more, and we must do it together.” The OHCHR report on human rights monitoring highlights how migrants face serious protection gaps at borders, including pushbacks, arbitrary detention, profiling and violence. A proactive monitoring process of collecting, verifying, and analyzing information to identify and prevent human rights violations in migration are needed to prevent these violations, strengthen accountability, and uphold States’ obligations to protect the rights of all people on the move. The report makes clear that monitoring is not an end in itself. Its ultimate purpose is to document violations, identify patterns and causes, and drive systemic change. Yet access barriers, lack of independence, and insufficient resources continue to hinder effective oversight. The report’s final recommendation […]

In a world of accelerating militarization, the act of refusing to fight is bold and powerful. States justify mass conscription in the name of security and those who object are portrayed as traitors. Yet international law is clear: conscientious objection to military service is a protected human right. It is inherent in freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, enshrined in Article 18 of both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. No derogation[BM1]  (without an exception) is permitted; not in wartime, mobilization, or national emergency. Despite this clarity, violations remain widespread. Conscientious objectors are imprisoned, denied education and employment, and cut off from basic civil and social rights. At a recent Human Rights Council side event, objectors shared testimonies exposing the personal cost of standing against militarization. Their stories are not isolated, but evidence of systemic disregard for binding obligations. Rachel Brett on behalf of QUNO set out the relevant international law and stressed the importance of ensuring that this is respected in practice (full text below). She highlighted that access to recognition as conscientious objectors is especially critical during wartime, when normal provisions for release from military service are often suspended. […]

The Inclusive Dialogue on Migration was created to build understanding between States, migrants, and migrant-led organizations, and to strengthen cooperation in the governance of migration. At its heart lies a simple idea: meaningful dialogue can open the way for more inclusive, humane, and effective migration policy. The Inclusive Dialogue on Migration is not a conference series but a continuing process; a space intentionally designed to bring together those who shape migration policy and those who live its realities. It aims to level the field for dialogue, allowing diplomats, migrants, and migrant-led organizations to exchange perspectives as equals. Most recently, participants gathered in person in Geneva and online as part of the 2025 series. This event provided an opportunity to reflect collectively on shared priorities, explore how inclusion can be strengthened in global migration processes, and identify concrete ways to collaborate in the lead-up to the International Migration Review Forum, IMRF. At its core, the Dialogue seeks to strengthen understanding and trust, and to explore how inclusive participation can make migration governance more effective, fair, and grounded in human experience. Through open and respectful conversation, participants identify shared challenges and opportunities for collaboration, guided by the belief that migration policies work […]