Reflecting on issues of relevance to the Human Rights Council
Established within the Geneva Human Rights Platform of the Geneva Academy, the Lake Room Initiative, launched in 2024 by the former Head of the HRC Branch at the OHCHR, supports ongoing, strategic efforts to improve the Council’s efficiency, effectiveness, and ability to address growing geopolitical tensions and polarization between States and delegations, particularly as its workload and operational complexity continue to grow.
Objectives
Against the background of a very politicized and polarized multilateral environment, the Lake Room Initiative, also known as the Space for Dialogue Initiative enable Ambassadors to meet outside the United Nations, in a neutral space, without any constraints from the public nature of UN meetings.
The Lake Room meetings aim at providing a safe space for discussing substantive issues of a non-consensual nature between Ambassadors from various backgrounds thus in a position to hear other Ambassadors’ viewpoints and conversely share their own all this in a discrete and constructive manner. It is a major tool aimed at upholding multilateralism in the human rights field and contributing to Geneva International.
This enables strengthening trust and confidence among Ambassadors including on delicate matters thus helping in overcoming some of the challenges faced in the Council. This soft diplomacy triggers dialogue and the identification of convergences between several States from different regions and political groups. The Lake Room discussions serve as building bridges between Ambassadors in understanding each other’s viewpoints, including possible red lines and conversely areas were compromise is possible.
Format
The Lake Room meetings follow a balanced rotation of substantive topics, with some meetings dedicated to structural matters and others focusing on thematic issues. Structural and strategical discussions are centered on the Council’s modus operandi, its future in light of the UNGA’s review of its status, and ongoing efficiency processes. Its aim is to contributing to strengthening the Council in difficult geopolitical circumstances.
Participation Modalities
From its inception, the Lake Room initiative gathered strong support and positive assessment from all concerned. Notably, by early February 2025, 12 meetings had been held with the participation of Ambassadors from 92 countries, representing diverse regions and political groupings within the international community. Each meeting is attended by around 20 Ambassadors, moderated by the former Head of the HRC Branch and attended by the President of the Council or a leading sponsor of a specific initiative.
The Future of the Human Rights Council
The main lessons learned from the Lake Room meetings held so far is a general acknowledgment by all participants that trust building informal meetings of this nature, outside the United Nations but very close to it, are in dire needs. At a time when multilateralism is in crisis and trust a precious rarity, the Lake Room Initiative offers a tool that is able to build bridges and rejuvenate the human rights diplomacy. It helps in identifying strategic recommendations to help enhance the HRC's role in the global human rights system as well as identifying where and when these may or may not be advanced in the current Geneva multilateral scene. It is currently considered to what extent the experience gathered via the Lake Room meetings may be broadened into a larger conference, in 2025, discussing the strengthening further the HRC.
