The 48th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) started last week in Geneva on September 13 and will be closed on October 8. It is to be expected that the human rights situation in the Philippines will be discussed in Item 10 on October 7.
As a result of the 45th session in September 2020 a three-years United Nations Joint Program (UNJP) was formally launched on July 22, 2021. It is the first UNJP in the Philippines regarding human rights and should help to implement a UNHRC resolution through capacity building and technical cooperation with different actors. Objectives of the resolution include among others “strengthening domestic investigation and accountability mechanisms and data gathering on alleged police violations.” The Philippine and international civil society still demands an external investigative mechanism.