On 14 October, Estonia was elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2026–2028 term – the second time the country has served as a member.
Estonia’s work on the United Nations Human Rights Council will centre on three priority areas.
The first is the protection of children’s rights. Since the start of Russia’s aggression, more than 3,000 Ukrainian children have been killed or injured, and over 19,500 have been deported to Russia.
The second priority is safeguarding human rights in the digital sphere. Estonia is committed to ensuring that the same human rights standards apply online as they do offline.
The third focus is the promotion of media freedom. Estonia’s second place in the 2025 Press Freedom Index, along with its role as co-chair of the Media Freedom Coalition (July 2023–July 2025), underlines its dedication to upholding an open and democratic media environment.
Beyond these three priorities, Estonia will continue to work towards advancing and protecting women’s rights, raising awareness of the links between human rights and the climate crisis, and combating impunity.
The Human Rights and Alliance of Civilizations Room, used by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Photo by Ludovic Courtès, CC BY-SA 3.0 licence.
The UN Human Rights Council was established in 2006 by a resolution of the UN General Assembly. It is an intergovernmental body responsible for the protection and promotion of human rights worldwide. The Council comprises 47 member states elected for three-year terms. Estonia previously served on the Council from 2013 to 2015.
