12 October 2021, 09:00-18:00
GHRP Annual Conference
Geneva Academy
The 2021 Annual Conference panels are organized in partnership with:
After exploring the connectivity between the different mechanisms of the United Nations (UN) human rights system (2019 Annual Conference), and between regional and UN human rights mechanisms (2020 Annual Conference), the 2021 Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform will discuss the connectivity between national human rights actors and Geneva-based international mechanisms.
To explore these issues, the programme will highlight different aspects of connectivity between national human rights actors and Geneva-based international mechanisms
Sima Samar, Member of the United Nations Secretary-General's High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement and former Chairperson of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) will deliver the keynote speech.
The conference is organized around two plenary panels in the morning – on coordination among national and international actors and on the digital shift – and four parallel thematic sessions in the afternoon. The four thematic sessions will address the connectivity between national human rights actors and Geneva-based international mechanisms in relation to systemic racism, the protection of the environment, the role of cities, and the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on persons with disabilities.
The concluding plenary will discuss the importance of international roles in raising the profile and showing the situation of small states interacting with the UN human rights system.
The 2021 Annual Conference will take place both in Geneva and online via Zoom.
Registration for the Annual Conference is closed. However, you can follow online the welcome, keynote, morning plenary sessions and concluding plenary via this link: https://geneva-academy-ch.zoom.us/j/86858824906.
The Geneva Human Rights Platform (GHRP) provides a neutral and dynamic forum of interaction in Geneva for all stakeholders in the field of human rights to debate topical issues and challenges related to the functioning of the Geneva-based human rights system. Relying on academic research and findings, it works to enable various actors to be better connected, break silos, and, hence, advance human rights.
As a ‘Mechanisms Lab’, the GHRP supports the international community to engineer solutions to ensure the sustainable functioning of the Geneva-based human rights mechanisms and bodies, allowing them to address human rights challenges effectively.
Opening of the Annual Conferenc and welcome messages from
Marie-Laure Salles, Director of the Graduate Institute
Ambassador Jürg Lauber, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the UN Office and other International Organizations in Geneva
Gloria Gaggioli, Director of the Geneva Academy
Felix Kirchmeier, Executive Director of the Geneva Human Rights Platform
Sima Samar, Member of the United Nations Secretary-General's High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement and former Chairperson of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) delivered the keynote speech at the Geneva Human Rights Platform Annual Conference 2021.
This plenary 2 of the Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform discussed possible convergences, complementarities, and best practices concerning available human rights tracking databases and the value of digitalization for a more systemic approach to human rights monitoring and implementation that is also well positioned to contribute to sustainable development.
Feedback session on the four thematic sessionswhich addressed the connectivity between national human rights actors and Geneva-based international mechanisms in relation to systemic racism, the protection of the environment, the role of cities, and the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on persons with disabilities.
Geneva Academy
The Geneva Human Rights Platform contributed to key discussions on AI, human rights, and sustainable digital governance at the World Economic Forum 2025.
The Indigenous Navigator
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
jcomp/Freepik
This event will identify strategies to strengthen Local and Regional Government collaboration with National Mechanisms for Implementation, Reporting, and Follow-up.
Adobe Stock
This panel event explores the role that emotions play in the development, deployment, and regulation of artificial intelligence in warfare.
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.
Participants in this training course will be introduced to the major international and regional instruments for the promotion of human rights, as well as international environmental law and its implementation and enforcement mechanisms.
Olivier Chamard/Geneva Academy
The GHRP Briefings provide an opportunity for all stakeholders to discuss the results of the United Nations (UN) Treaty Body (TB) 2020 Review and practical ways to implement change.
Geneva Academy