The Council of the European Union's Working Party on Human Rights (COHOM) is scheduled to meet on 22 July 2026 at 09:30 in the Justus Lipsius Building in Brussels. The meeting, held in a 1+1 format, will focus on two main agenda items: the EU Action Plan for Human Rights and Democracy for the period 2028-2034, and preparations for the 63rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC63). Any other business may also be raised.
The meeting, announced in a notice of meeting and provisional agenda dated 17 July 2026, brings together human rights experts from EU member states to coordinate the bloc's external human rights policy. The discussion on the new action plan comes as the current EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020-2027 nears its end, setting the stage for a successor framework that will guide EU human rights engagement globally for the next six years.
Preparations for HRC63, which typically takes place in Geneva in September, will involve coordinating EU positions on resolutions, statements, and priority issues to be raised at the UN forum. The working party's input will feed into the Council's broader decision-making ahead of the session.
The meeting is procedural in nature, with no legislative decisions expected. However, the discussions will shape the EU's stance on key human rights challenges, including digital rights, civic space, and the protection of human rights defenders. Stakeholders such as EU member states' foreign ministries, the European External Action Service, and human rights NGOs will be impacted by the outcomes, as the action plan will set funding priorities and diplomatic strategies. The meeting also signals the EU's continued commitment to multilateral human rights engagement through the UN system.
No prior coverage of this specific meeting exists in the available record. The meeting is scheduled to take place in Brussels, with documents accessible via the Delegates Portal and room attendants providing copies on request.