HRC63 - EU Statement - Interactive Dialogue with the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee

UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

63^rd session

Interactive Dialogue with the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee

24 September 2026

EU statement

Thank you (Vice) President,

Chair,

The European Union would like to thank the Advisory Committee for its work, as depicted in the report of its 34^th session and notes the postponement of its thirty-fifth session, originally scheduled from 3 to 7 August 2026, owing to the continuing liquidity crisis of the UN.

We thank you also for submitting a study on the Impact of artificial intelligence systems on good governance setting out recommendations to ensure that AI deployment in public governance remains consistent with international human rights obligations and the principles of good governance as well as a Study on Technology-facilitated gender-based violence and its impact on women and girls, recommending to address this form of violence within a human rights-based framework, applying a survivor-centred and intersectional approach. 

Both reports provide valuable inputs to resolutions currently under negotiation at the present session and thereby help advance the work of this Council on crucial issues of our time. 

The EU champions a human rights-based and human centric approach in the digital sphere, including on Artificial Intelligence, and other new and emerging technologies. In this regard, we reaffirm that the application and development of new technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, must take place in accordance and full compliance with international human rights law and standards, and IHL. We also reaffirm the necessity to promote women’s participation and leadership in all decision-making systems, including in the tech sector. 

We are grateful for the second study’s recognition of the EU’s regulatory efforts in this field, including the 2024 Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence, the 2022 Digital Services Act that established a regulatory framework to hold platforms accountable for harmful conduct, and the 2024 AI Act, establishing harmonized rules for AI systems, expected to help prevent abuse of generative AI. 

Chair,

The Advisory Committee has recommended enforceable regulation of the technology industry that ensures a digital environment that safeguards human rights and gender equality and recalled that, under the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, all business enterprises, including those that design and supply AI systems, bear a responsibility to respect human rights, and, in practice, should implement human rights due diligence throughout their AI development processes. Based on your recent studies and the work in the pipeline, what priority steps should States and technology companies take to translate these recommendations into effective regulatory frameworks and human rights due diligence in practice?

In conclusion, the EU looks forward to your upcoming reports, studies and draft guidelines, thanking you and the Committee members in advance for their work. 

Thank you.