Discussion on the UN Guidelines for Lawyers in Support of Peaceful Assemblies

Event

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The Guidelines for Lawyers in Support to Peaceful Assemblies (henceforth, ‘the Guidelines’), presented at the 47th session of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council by the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Assembly and Association Clément N. Voule provide a set of key principles on the role of lawyers in upholding the rights to freedom of assembly and association, as well as a non-exhaustive list of practical recommendations for lawyers, aimed at supporting them in their work facilitating access to justice in the context of peaceful assemblies. As such, this groundbreaking document represents a concrete means to promote the respect, protection, and fulfilment of the right to freedom of association and assembly (FoAA).

This event aims at promoting the use of these Guidelines within legal professions.

The discussion notably aims at:

• Understanding access to justice as a vital component of the rule of law
• Discussing the key role of lawyer and legal practitioners in facilitating, promoting and protecting the right to freedom of assembly and association
• Promoting the use of the Guidelines among lawyers and legal professions, including via bar associations
• Getting inputs from lawyers and bar associations on the guidelines to ensure that they serve to be a useful, practical tool for the lawyers engaged in supporting peaceful assemblies (before, during and after) with the view to inspiring new legal initiatives in this area
• Identifying new legal partnerships and enhancing engagement with judiciaries, law societies, bar associations, legal clinics and law firms, among other stakeholders.

This event will take place online on our Zoom platform, with Spanish and English interpretation.

Welcome

• Felix Kirchmeier, Executive Director, Geneva Human Rights Platform

Moderation

• Sandrine Giroud, Ordre des Avocats de Genève

Keynote

• Phillip Riblett, Legal Adviser, US Mission to the United Nations

Panelists

• Clément N. Voule, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Assembly and Association and Researcher, Geneva Academy
• Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, Director, International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI)
• Dennis Kwok, Former Member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong (Legal), and Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, Ash Centre
• Alejandro Lanz, Co-Director of Temblores, Colombia.

Co-Organizers and Co-Sponsors

This event is co-organized by our Geneva Human Right Platform, the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI), the Geneva Bar Association, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Assembly and Association, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United States Permanent Mission in Geneva and the International Commission of Jurists.

It is also co-sponsored by the American Bar Association, Lawyers for Lawyers, Lawyers’ Rights Watch
Canada, CIVICUS, The Vance centre of the New York Bar Association, Media Defense, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights.

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