28 October 2020, 15:00-16:30
Event
UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré
Over the last decades, the United Nations (UN) has set up a remarkable and multi-faceted system of mechanisms for the protection and promotion of human rights and the monitoring of their implementation.
Within this system, functions have shifted and evolved, from the ECOSOC to the UN General Assembly (UNGA), or with the rise of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC)’s importance. UN treaty bodies (TBs) have multiplied and their speed of governance adaptation has not kept pace with the increasing numbers of parties, reports and individual complaints.
Numerous reform and review efforts have taken place, including the ongoing 2020 review of the TB system or the upcoming 2021–2026 review of the HRC. At the same time, the governance of human rights within the UN system has dramatically increased, notably with the development of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
In this online event co-organized with the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice at New York University School of Law, some of the contributors to the new edition of Philip Alston and Frédéric Mégret’s book ‘The United Nations and Human Rights’ will critically examine the functions, procedures, and performance of each of the major UN organs dealing with human rights.
Panelists will share their views and insights regarding the interplay of the Charter-based and treaty-based organs, the roles of the UNGA, the HRC, TBs and OHCHR in how they individually and collectively engage in monitoring human rights implementation by UN member states.
Please use the Zoom chat function to ask your questions, the moderator will make a selection of questions at the end of the presentations. There will be no possibility to interact by webcam and microphone in order to avoid connection issues.
In this online event co-organized with the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice at New York University School of Law, some of the contributors to the new edition of Philip Alston and Frédéric Mégret’s book ‘The United Nations and Human Rights’ – Philip Alston, Rosa Freedman, Suzanne Egan and Andrew Clapham – critically examined the functions, procedures, and performance of each of the major UN organs dealing with human rights.
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.
Geneva Academy
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.
UN Photo / Jean-Marc Ferré
This hands-on training is designed specifically for diplomats from Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries who are current or prospective members of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
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.
UN Photo / Jean-Marc Ferré
Geneva Academy