Event information

19 September 2024, 14:00-15:00

Downloads

Flyer >

Xenophobia and its Impact on Human Rights in Migration: Launching of the CERD-CMW Joint General Comment/Recommendation Consultation Phase

Event

Xenophobia Side Event Xenophobia Side Event

This side event to the 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council is co-organized by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) and the Committee on Migrant Workers (CMW), in partnership with the Graduate Institute's Global Migration Centre, The Geneva Human Rights Platform of the Geneva Academy, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. Additionally, this event is co-sponsored by UN Women, and the Permanent Missions of Australia, Colombia, and Mexico.

It will provide an overview of the process leading to the CERD-CMW joint general recommendation/comment on the eradication of xenophobia and its impact on the rights of migrants. The event will also reflect on the broad political consensus and support to this process.

CERD and CMW are currently developing a joint general recommendation/comment (GR/GC) on comprehensive public policies for addressing and eradicating xenophobia and its impact on the rights of migrants, their families and other non-nationals (or perceived as such) affected by racial and all intersecting grounds of discrimination.

This important joint initiative of the two UN Committees aims to adopt "authoritative guidance" for States parties, based on the Committees' normative mandate within International Human Rights Law. The GR/GC will be directed to guide public policies for comprehensively addressing one of the more pressing challenges in a world where human mobility has become a structural, multidimensional phenomenon that is increasingly shaping societies and communities.

The Concept Note and Questionnaire prepared by the Committees and all submissions received during the first consultative phase can be found here. The second consultative phase will be carried out from September to November 2024, through global, regional and thematic expert consultations.

Moderators

  • Pablo Ceriani Cernadas, Vice Chair, Committee on Migrant Workers
  • Ibrahima Guissé, Member of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Panelists

  • H.E. Omar Zniber, President of the UN Human Rights Council, and Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Morocco to the UN in Geneva
  • H.E. Emily Roper, Deputy Permanent Representative of Australia to the UN in Geneva
  • H.E. Fernando Israel Espinosa Olivera, Deputy Permanent Representative of Mexico to the UN in Geneva
  • Adriana Quinones, Head of Human Rights and Development, UN Women Geneva
  • Benyam Mezmur, Member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
  • Stéphane Jaquemet, COO and Director of Policy, International Catholic Migration Commission
  • Professor Vincent Chetail, Director of the Global Migration Centre, Geneva Graduate Institute

MORE ON THIS THEMATIC AREA

Human Rights Tiles News

From Signals to Action: Strengthening the UN's Conflict Prevention Efforts

31 March 2025

Our recent research brief series explores how the United Nations' human rights system can enhance its role in early warning and conflict prevention.

Read more

GHRP in Davos News

AI and Human Rights in the Intelligent Age: GHRP in Davos

3 February 2025

The Geneva Human Rights Platform contributed to key discussions on AI, human rights, and sustainable digital governance at the World Economic Forum 2025.

Read more

Local Government Event

Enhancing National Reporting and Implementation of Human Rights through Coordinated Engagement at the Local and Regional Levels: The Role of NMIRFs

23 July 2025, 10:00-17:00

This seminar explores how national mechanisms for implementation, reporting and follow-up can better integrate the capacities, data, and experiences of local and regional governments in advancing human rights implementation and reporting.

Read more

Town Hall Meeting Training

Localizing International Human Rights

8-10 October 2025

This training course, specifically designed for staff of city and regional governments, will explore the means and mechanisms through which local and regional governments can interact with and integrate the recommendations of international human rights bodies in their concrete work at the local level.

Read more

A general view of participants during of the 33nd ordinary session of the Human Rights Council. Training

The Universal Periodic Review and the UN Human Rights System: Raising the Bar on Accountability

10-14 November 2025

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.

Read more

First annual conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform Project

The Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform

Started in June 2019

Read more

Un plate with Rapporteur Spécial written on it Project

Support to UN Special Procedures

Started in June 2020

Read more

Cover page of the working paper Publication

AI Decoded: Key Concepts and Applications of Artificial Intelligence for Human Rights and SDG Monitoring

published on January 2025

Milica Mirkovic, Jennifer Victoria Scurrell

Read more

Cover Page of Research Brief Publication

United Nations Treaty Body Individual Communications Procedures: What Is at Stake in the Strengthening Process?

published on October 2024

Claire Callejon

Read more