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5 July 2018, 18:15-20:00
Register start 26 June 2018
Register end 5 July 2018
Event
UN Photo / Jean-Marc Ferré
On 19 June, the United States (US) withdrew from the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council (HRC). This was the first time that a member has voluntarily left the HRC, though not the first time that the US has chosen to abstain from participating in the HRC work.
What are the legal consequences of this withdrawal for the functioning and credibility of the HRC, and for the promotion and protection of human rights? To what extent will the decision affect US’ collaboration with UN Special Procedures and the Universal Periodic Review? What impact might the decision have on the UN and on multilateral diplomacy?
The HRC is composed of 47 members who are distributed between five regional groups. The US withdrawal creates a position on the HRC for another state member of the ‘Western group’, replacing the US, and implies that the US will automatically become an observer state, a status that all member states of the UN General Assembly enjoy automatically.
When evaluating the US decision and its impact, it should be remembered that, under the HRC’s rules of procedure, what distinguishes an observer state from a member state of the HRC is the voting procedure. From now on, the US will not participate when resolutions are voted on. While the voting procedure is evidently important, it is a very small part of the HRC’s work.
You need to register to attend this event via this online form.
This event will be live streamed on the Geneva Academy YouTube channel.
Panelists discussed the legal consequences of the US' withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council for the functioning and credibility of this major human rights body, and for the promotion and protection of human rights. They also addressed the extent to which this decision will affect US’ collaboration with UN Special Procedures and the Universal Periodic Review, as well as the impact on the UN and multilateral diplomacy.
News
UN Photo/Violaine Martin
Olivier de Frouville, Professor of Public Law at the University of Paris 2 and Director of the Paris Human Rights Center, joined the Geneva Human Rights Platform Advisory Board.
News
Geneva Academy
Applications for the 2022–2023 academic year of our LLM in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights are open. They will run until 28 Janllmuary 2022 for applications with a scholarship and until 25 February 2022 for applications without a scholarship.
Event
Michael Power/APF
This event – co-organized with the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT) – will discuss the new Principles on Effective Interviewing for Investigations and Information Gathering – also known as the Méndez Principles.
Event
Six intheworld
This event will discuss proposals to guide Swiss governmental and civil society activities so that they implement the rights enshrined in UNDROP through their international engagement.
Short Course
UN Photo
This short course, which can be followed in Geneva or online, analyses the main international and regional norms governing the international protection of refugees. It notably examines the sources of international refugee law, including the 1951 Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, and their interaction with human rights law and international humanitarian law.
Short Course
Francisco Proner / Farpa/ CIDH
This short course, which can be followed in Geneva or online, aims at presenting the institutions and procedures in charge of the implementation of international human rights law.
Project
Gorodenkoff/Adobe
This project will facilitate a multistakeholder consultative process to identify knowledge gaps, generate new evidence and co-design evidence-based tools to support regulatory and policy responses to human rights challenges linked to digital technologies.
Project
Dave Klassen/The EITI
This project aims to further identify and clarify policies and practices for States and business, including public and private investors, across the full ‘conflict cycle’ and the ‘Protect, Respect and Remedy’ pillars of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Publication
CCPR
