The Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform

Started in June 2019

This one-day public event, open to all human rights actors in and outside Geneva – diplomats, experts, NGOs, members of UN treaty bodies, Special Rapporteurs, international organizations, National Human Rights Institutions and academics – addresses current issues and challenges on the work of Geneva-based human rights mechanisms.

NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

GHRP Annual Conference 2024 News

GHRP Annual Conference 2024 Strengthens Connectivity in a Pressured Human Rights System

25 November 2024

The 2024 Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform (GHRP), held on 5 November at Maison de la Paix, focused on the theme Human Rights System Under Pressure: A Reason to Expand Connectivity.

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GHRP staff in New York UN headquarters News

GHRP's 2023 Conference Strengthens Geneva-New York Human Rights Interconnectedness

6 November 2023

This landmark event of our Geneva Human Rights Platform focused on the need to bridge the gap between Geneva-based human rights mechanisms and the UN in New York, based on the interrelated nature of human rights issues across both cities.

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Panel at the 2022 Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platrform News

GHRP Annual Conference Tackles Digitalization and Human Rights

15 November 2022

The 2022 Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform addressed the issue of digital connectivity in the field of human rights via an expert meeting in the morning and a public discussion in the afternoon.

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TEAM

Picture of Felix Kirchmeier

Felix Kirchmeier

Executive Director of the Geneva Human Rights Platform

Felix Kirchmeier is the Executive Director of the Geneva Human Rights Platform.

Picture of Domenico Zipoli

Domenico Zipoli

Project Coordinator and Senior Research Fellow

His research focuses on the question of connectivity among international human rights mechanisms and on national strategies for monitoring, implementation and follow-up of international human rights obligations and recommendations.

Picture of Stefania Di Stefano

Stefania Di Stefano

Project Officer at the Geneva Human Rights Platform

Her research includes international human rights law, business and human rights, human rights in the digital age, corporate responsibility, and the rights to freedom of expression and access to information.

OUTPUT

2024 Conference: Human Rights System under pressure: a reason to expand connectivity

The 2024 Annual Conference focused on the on the connectivity between the manifold policy areas addressed in Geneva, in their human rights dimensions. To this end, panels were co-organized with sister Platforms and specific organizations on the human rights aspects in various policy areas.

The human rights system is currently facing unprecedented pressure. A financial crisis threatens the functionality of UN human rights bodies, with significant implications for the work carried out by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Additionally, the deteriorating global situation is creating or intensifying human rights crises, while political support for human rights continues to wane, leading to a growing perception that the UN Human Rights System is failing to deliver on its promises in specific country contexts.

Despite the challenges, human rights remain the guiding principles that unite humanity and offer a path through the current crises, as recently emphasized by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. In these turbulent times, the interconnections between human rights and various policy areas are becoming increasingly evident, including global health, internet governance and new technologies, environmental issues, and climate change.
As human rights intersect with a wide range of policy domains, the Sixth Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform focused on these connections. The conference explored how the strength and potential of human rights can be harnessed to benefit the work of other actors, even those who may not traditionally view human rights protection as their primary mission.

A panel with high-level representatives of UN Agencies and Programs present in Geneva concluded the conference forging alliances to enhance collaborations in the future.

2023 Conference: Strengthening Geneva-New York Human Rights Interconnectedness

The 2023 Annual Conference – held in New York – focused on the need to bridge the gap between Geneva-based human rights mechanisms and the United Nations (UN) in New York, based on the interrelated nature of human rights issues across both cities.

Four distinct panel discussions – organized with a broad range of partners – focused on the connectivity of the human rights debates that take place in both cities to strengthen the toolbox for networked multilateralism, and a strengthened role for human rights in the UN peace and security architecture. These addressed the practice and role of UN treaty bodies in international law-making, cooperation between Geneva and New York for the protection of children in armed conflict and from other forms of violence, UN accountability mechanisms, and the connectivity between the UN Human Rights Council and UN General Assembly Third Committee.

These were complemented by an informal briefing to members of the UN Security Council on the links between Geneva-based UN human rights mechanisms and the UN peace and security architecture, focusing on the substantive inputs that the human rights system can provide to NYC-centered debates.

2022 Conference: Implications of Digital Connectivity on Human Rights

The 2022 Annual Conference – in Geneva and online – addressed the issue of digital connectivity in the field of human rights via an expert meeting in the morning and a public discussion in the afternoon. Participants notably looked at digital connections by and among mechanisms within the human rights system, but also at the substantive impacts of digitalization.

The morning expert roundtable brought together representatives of 15 different governments, international organizations and civil society organizations that manage innovative digital human rights tracking tools and databases. The afternoon’s public segment addressed – via two panels – the impact of digitalization on human rights, the implications of being ON and OFF the grid, and the role of UN human rights mechanisms.

2021 Conference: Connectivity between Global and National Human Rights Mechanisms and Actors

The 2021 Annual Conference addressed the connectivity between UN and national human rights mechanisms and actors and discussed the crucial links between national human rights actors and Geneva-based international mechanisms.

With over 500 registered participants in Geneva and online and 24 partners – including the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN-Habitat, the EU Fundamental Rights Agency, renowned academic institutions, major international NGOs and fellow Geneva-based platforms – the conference’s sessions focused on the capacity of domestic actors to mutually engage with each other and liaise with Geneva-based international human rights bodies in the context of implementation, monitoring and follow-up to UN human rights recommendations.

2020 Conference: Connectivity between Global and Regional Human Rights Mechanisms

The 2020 Annual Conference addressed the connectivity between regional and global human rights mechanisms.

In plenary panels and dedicated working-groups participants – experts, practitioners, diplomats, civil society representatives, members of global and regional human rights mechanisms, as well as the staff of international organizations – notably discussed the overall effectiveness of these interactions, including in a number of specific policy areas like climate change, the fight against corruption or the COVID-19 pandemic.

2019 Conference: The Connectivity of Human Rights Mechanisms

During one day, more than 100 experts, practitioners, academics, diplomats and representatives of NGOs, international organizations and National Human Rights Institutions discussed and debated the connectivity of human rights mechanisms during the first Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform.

The conference’s four panels have been organized with a wide range of partners, including civil society organizations, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and academic institutions.

 

 

Past Annual Conferences

2024 Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform

5 November 2024, 09:15-15:00

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GENEVA MEETS NEW YORK: WORKSHOP FOR SMALL DELEGATIONS AT THE 3RD COMMITTEE

24 October 2023, 15:00-17:00

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UN Accountability Mechanisms

24 October 2023, 10:30-12:00

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Enhancing cooperation between New York and Geneva for the protection of Children in Armed Conflict and from other Forms of Violence

23 October 2023, 17:30-19:00

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The Practice of the UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies: Beyond International Law?

21 October 2023, 12:00-13:15

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2023 Annual Conference: Connecting Geneva and New York for Enhanced Human Rights Protection

21-24 October 2023

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2022 Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform

18 October 2022, 14:00-19:00

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2021 Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform

12 October 2021, 09:00-18:00

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2020 Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform

15 October 2020, 09:00-18:00

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2019 Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform

3 June 2019, 09:00-18:00

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MORE ON THIS THEMATIC AREA

Geneva Academy News

New Composition of the Geneva Academy Board

18 September 2024

The Geneva Academy’s Board has been recomposed with Professor Christian Bovet as the new president, who was recently welcomed at Villa Moynier by the executive committee.

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The Indigenous Navigator Logo News

In Highlight: The Indigenous Navigator

24 September 2024

Via its DHRTTDs Directory, the Geneva Human Rights Platform provides a comprehensive list and description of such key tools and databases. But how to navigate them? Which tool should be used for what, and by whom? This interview helps us understand better the specificities of the current highlight of the directory: The Indigenous Navigator

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Portrait of Ambassador Jürg Lauber Event

Opening Lecture by Ambassador Jürg Lauber

19 February 2025, 18:00-21:00

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.

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Event

Local and Regional Governments as Key Actors in Advancing Human Rights and the SDGs

17 March 2025, 13:00-14:00

This event will identify strategies to strengthen Local and Regional Government collaboration with National Mechanisms for Implementation, Reporting, and Follow-up.

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Universal Declaration of Human Rights Booklet Training

The International Human Rights Standards and System: Monitoring and Implementation Strategies at the National Level

7-11 July 2025

This training course will delve into the means and mechanisms through which national actors can best coordinate their human rights monitoring and implementation efforts, enabling them to strategically navigate the UN human rights system and use the various mechanisms available in their day-to-day work.

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Panel Discussion: Project

Treaty Body Members’ Platform

Started in January 2014

The Treaty Body Members’ Platform connects experts in UN treaty bodies with each other as well as with Geneva-based practitioners, academics and diplomats to share expertise, exchange views on topical questions and develop synergies.

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George Floyd protest in Washington D.C. Project

Promoting and Protecting the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association and Civic Space Worldwide

Started in June 2020

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.

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Cover page of the working paper Publication

AI Decoded: Key Concepts and Applications of Artificial Intelligence for Human Rights and SDG Monitoring

published on January 2025

Milica Mirkovic, Jennifer Victoria Scurrell

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