The Human Rights Council (HRC) opened its 58th session in Geneva on February 24, 2025, without Saudi Arabia's membership after it failed to secure it in October 2024. Six candidates had competed for five seats representing the Asia-Pacific group on the council, and despite its best efforts, Saudi Arabia failed to secure enough votes from countries to fill the seat.
In his opening speech, UN Secretary-General António Guterres spoke of the deteriorating human rights situation in the world, noting that human rights are being suffocated by authoritarian rulers who crush dissent for fear of empowering people. He added that the voices of disunity and anger that call for the dismantling of human rights do not see them as a blessing for humanity, but as a consequence of their pursuit of power and profit.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk noted the increasing pressure on the global human rights system established after World War II, warning that the global consensus on human rights is crumbling under the influence of authoritarians and powerbrokers.