Human Rights Conversations
UN Photo
Virtual Side Event to the 46th Session of the UN Human Rights Council
At this side event, John Pace, Secretary of the former United Nations (UN) Commission on Human Rights will present his recent OUP book The United Nations Commission on Human Rights, a Very Great Enterprise, which provides a detailed account of the work of the Commission to the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), from 1946 to 2019.
Starting from this input, panelists will discuss the lessons learned from the Commission that are useful in terms of the HRC functioning, including for the 2021–2026 status review by the UN General Assembly (UNGA).
One issue in this review is the proposal to reconstitute the Council from a UNGA body to a Charter body in which all States (contrary to the current 47) participate equally. Panelists will discuss whether is it time to move to a Charter body or else to enhance the connectivity between the HRC and UN treaty bodies (TBs). They will also address how the results of the HRC own efficiency process weigh in on those questions.
In a more immediate manner, panelists will also look at the functioning of the Universal Periodic Review – the next cycle will start in 2022 and while this mechanism surely was a great achievement in the HRC creation, it might be time to evaluate how to enhance its impact and use, for example by strengthening the links to the independent expertise provided by UN Special Rapporteurs and the TB system.
Human Rights Conversations are a series of events, hosted by the Geneva Human Rights Platform, aimed at discussing contemporary issues and challenges related to the promotion and protection of human rights in Geneva and beyond.
ITU
Our event brought together human rights practitioners, data scientists, and AI experts to explore how artificial intelligence can support efforts to monitor human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Geneva Academy
The Geneva Human Rights Platform has taken its work on strengthening the international human rights system to the heart of European policymaking.
Adobe Stock
This side event will bring together stakeholders to discuss the growing concerning recurrence to short-term enforced disappearances worldwide, and the challenges they pose for victims and accountability.
Wikimedia
This evening dialogue will present the publication: International Human Rights Law: A Treatise, Cambridge University Press (2025).
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.
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.
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.
Adobe Stock
This project addresses the human rights implications stemming from the development of neurotechnology for commercial, non-therapeutic ends, and is based on a partnership between the Geneva Academy, the Geneva University Neurocentre and the UN Human Rights Council Advisory Committee.