The Geneva Human Rights Platform is a policy engagement initiative of the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights dedicated to supporting dialogue, coordination, and cooperation in the field of human rights protection and governance. It provides trusted spaces for exchange among States, UN mechanisms, civil society actors, and experts, contributing to informed and inclusive policy processes within the international human rights system.
The Geneva Human Rights Platform was established to facilitate dialogue and coordination on human rights protection and the functioning of international human rights mechanisms. Through confidential and public engagement formats, the Platform has supported exchanges on institutional practice, cooperation, and system-wide challenges affecting the effectiveness and coherence of the international human rights framework.
The Platform is currently undergoing a phase of reflection and transformation within the Geneva Academy’s broader research and policy engagement framework.
The mandate of the Geneva Human Rights Platform focuses on human rights protection and governance, with particular attention to the operation, interaction, and effectiveness of international and regional human rights mechanisms. Its activities are rooted in the principles of universality, inclusivity, and dialogue, and aim to foster constructive engagement among a wide range of actors involved in human rights processes.
While anchored in human rights, the Platform has engaged with issues intersecting with accountability, prevention, and protection challenges addressed across the Academy’s thematic priority areas.
The Geneva Human Rights Platform has developed and hosted a range of policy engagement activities, including policy dialogues, coordination meetings, thematic discussions, and expert exchanges. These activities have provided spaces for peer learning, experience-sharing, and reflection on emerging challenges in human rights governance.
As part of the ongoing evolution of the Platform, training activities previously organised under the Geneva Human Rights Platform are now integrated into the Geneva Academy’s broader training and short courses programme, ensuring continuity and coherence across the Academy’s educational offer.
The Platform’s activities have contributed to enhanced understanding of institutional practices, strengthened cooperation among human rights actors, and informed policy discussions on the functioning of the international human rights system. Its work has supported both formal and informal exchanges among stakeholders and has fed into broader discussions on reform, coordination, and effectiveness.
For reference to past activities, publications, and events, an archived version of the Geneva Human Rights Platform website remains available.
The Geneva Human Rights Platform has been developed with the support of a range of institutional partners and public donors, and in close cooperation with States, UN mechanisms, civil society organisations, and academic experts.
The Platform currently operates within the institutional framework of the Geneva Academy. Decisions regarding its future orientation and structure are under consideration.