Geneva Academy
5 March 2019
On 18 February 2019, researchers from 20 countries briefed state representatives about their research on the national impact of the United Nations (UN) treaty bodies (TBs).
This study, led by Professors Christof Heyns and Frans Viljoen at the Human Rights Center of the University of Pretoria and in collaboration with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, examines the impact of the UN human rights treaty system at the national level. Researchers based in 20 countries investigate the extent to which the work of UN TBs has had an impact on their country’s constitution, legal system and policies. Results will be presented by the end of 2019.
‘If the 2020 review of the TB system shall deliver positive results, including strengthening implementation at the national level, the outcomes of this study will be crucial to identify which mechanisms have yielded the best results and what has to be done on the ‘Geneva-side’ of the human rights protection system in order to move towards meaningful positive change’ stresses Felix Kirchmeier, Coordinator of the Geneva Human Rights Platform.
The meeting, co-organized with the University of Pretoria, forms part of the Geneva Academy Fridays series. Hosted once a month, the Geneva Academy Fridays are an events series of the Geneva Human Rights Platform, addressing the diplomatic community and informing about research developments related to the process of strengthening the UN Treaty Body System.
Geneva Academy
The Geneva Human Rights Platform has taken its work on strengthening the international human rights system to the heart of European policymaking.
Geneva Academy
The GHRP’s annual training equipped 19 diplomats with key insights into the UN Human Rights Council’s mechanisms and multilateral processes.
ICRC
Participants in this training course will gain practical insights into UN human rights mechanisms and their role in environmental protection and learn about how to address the interplay between international human rights and environmental law, and explore environmental litigation paths.
UN Photo / Jean-Marc Ferré
This training course will explore the origin and evolution of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and its functioning in Geneva and will focus on the nature of implementation of the UPR recommendations at the national level.
Victoria Pickering
This project aims at providing support to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association Clément Voulé by addressing emerging issues affecting civic space and eveloping tools and materials allowing various stakeholders to promote and defend civic space.
The Geneva Human Rights Platform contributes to this review process by providing expert input via different avenues, by facilitating dialogue on the review among various stakeholders, as well as by accompanying the development of a follow-up resolution to 68/268 in New York and in Geneva.