We use various third-party cookies to provide social media features and to analyze our traffic. Please use the options below to manage your cookie settings. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Please be aware, if you deny cookies, certain features of our website may not work.
This will apply to all services
Google Analytics
YouTube
Geneva Academy
15 October 2019
In order to bring the substantive debates on the future of United Nations (UN) treaty bodies (TBs) from Geneva to the political discussions in New York, the Geneva Human Rights Platform (GHRP) held with the Permanent Missions of Costa Rica and Switzerland a side event at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
Before some 50 delegations, panelists addressed issues around the 2020 TB review.
The Swiss Ambassador Jürg Lauber opened the event by underlining the importance of linking Geneva and New York. He recognized the ‘non-paper’ prepared by the Geneva mission of Costa Rica and supported by 44 states as an important contribution to the process and as a solid starting point for further intergovernmental deliberations in New York.
Hilary Gbedemah, president of UN TBs chairpersons recalled, along with Elena Kountouri from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the progress made by UN TBs since 2014 to strengthen and align their procedures.
Key stakeholders, including OHCHR and NGOs, completed the GHRP inputs on the 2020 TB review.
‘As the political process on the 2020 review will, over the coming months, move from Geneva to New York, it was important to present to New York-based diplomats the expertise built-up in Geneva within TB membership, OHCHR, civil society and academia. This will also encourage New York missions to solicit input from their colleagues in Geneva, which does not happen as automatically as one should think’ highlights Felix Kirchmeier, Executive Director of the GHRP.
Following this public event, the GHRP will stay in close contact with the New York missions of Costa Rica and Switzerland and other interested actors in New York to feed more specific points into the discussions, focusing on an outcome resolution of the 2020 TB review process.
News
A new episode of our podcast 'In and Around War(s)' with the theme 'The Geneva Conventions on Trial' has just been released.
News
Geneva Academy
The Geneva Human Rights Platform hosted an expert roundtable with the theme 'Opportunities for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Human Rights Monitoring.'
Event
Mission Suisse / Alain Grosclaude
The opening lecture of the 2025 Spring Semester will be given by Ambassador Jürg Lauber, President of the Human Rights Council and the Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations.
Training
Adobe
This training course will examine how the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights have been utilized to advance the concept of business respect for human rights throughout the UN system, the impact of the Guiding Principles on other international organizations, as well as the impact of standards and guidance developed by these different bodies.
Training
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.
Project
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.
Project
UN Photo / Jean-Marc Ferré
Publication
Geneva Academy
