2-6 November 2020
Application start 27 January 2020
Application end 18 October 2020
Application end / With visa 9 August 2020
Fee: 1530 Swiss Francs
UN Photo / Jean-Marc Ferré
The emergence of the United Nations (UN) Universal Periodic Review (UPR) has brought new life into the measures taken at the international and national levels to hold states accountable to their international human rights and humanitarian law obligations.
The UPR has also generated a number of initiatives at national levels at a scale previously unrealised in the attempts to translate international human rights commitments into practice at the policy and field levels including improved inter-ministerial coordination; robust national civil society alliances; more rigorous work by UN agencies; new reporting and monitoring steps by national human rights institutions (NHRIs); more comprehensive training opportunities and human rights education; a better understanding of the links between human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This training course will explore the origin and evolution of the UPR and its functioning in Geneva. It will focus on the nature of implementation of the UPR recommendations at the national level. Using examples of different stages of implementation, it will provide hands-on exercises to demonstrate the new pathways the UPR is opening for the realization of human rights.
This training is organized in collaboration with UPR Info.
The course can be followed in Geneva or online (notably for participants who cannot come to Geneva due to restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic).
The course will cover the following issues:
At the end of this course, participants will be:
The course will be conducted in a participatory training mode with a combination of illustrated lectures (using power points and short videos) and group exercises aimed at evolving practical documents to be used in the UPR process.
The training course is designed for staff of NGOs, research institutes, UN agencies (especially members with experience of fieldwork) and other national and international organizations, members of NHRIs and representatives of governments and academia.
The training course will be led by Miloon Kothari, a renowned expert on human rights and social policy, with extensive teaching and training experience on the UN human rights system and the UPR.
The course will include specific sessions by guest lecturers drawn from OHCHR, UN agencies, ambassadors from Permanent Missions in Geneva and Geneva-based NGOs including UPR-Info.
Participants who successfully complete the training course receive a certificate of participation from the Geneva Academy.
The training fee for this five-day programme is 1,530 Swiss Francs (30 percent discount for PhD and master students and 10 percent discount for those following the training course online) and includes tuition costs, course materials, 5 lunches, and refreshments during coffee breaks.
It is payable as soon as your place has been confirmed. As places on the training course are limited, participation can only be secured through the payment of the fee. In case of cancellation by the participant, CHF 200 won't be returned.
All participants are responsible for their own travel costs to Geneva, including Swiss visa fees and evening meals (approximately 30 Swiss Francs per meal).
Participants may request an on-campus accommodation when applying. Due to the limited places available, accommodation is not guaranteed. Participants seeking on-campus accommodation are encouraged to request this as soon as possible.
Applications must be submitted via the online application form.
If you encounter problems with your application, do not hesitate to contact us: uprtraining[at]geneva-academy.ch
Atta Ui Mustafa, National Advisor at the Pakistan National Commission for Human Rights. He attended the 2019 edition and tells us about his experience attending the training course on The Universal Periodic Review and the United Nations Human Rights System.
Miloon Kothari is a renowned human rights and social policy expert with extensive teaching and training experience on the United Nations human rights system and the Universal Periodic Review.
Christophe Golay's expertise relates to economic, social and cultural rights, the right to food and the rights of peasants.
Mona M'Bikay is the Executive Director at UPR Info. She also worked as a human rights lawyer at a national and interntational level.
She leads GANHRI’s strategic and thematic work, engagement with the United Nations, and cooperation with partners. She is also GANHRI’s focal point for National Human Rights Institutions under threat, and GANHRI’s representative on the sub-committee on accreditation.
Tram 15, Direction Nations - tram stop Butini
Bus 1 or 25, Direction Jardin Botanique - bus stop Sécheron
Villa Moynier is accessible to people with disabilities. If you have a disability or any additional needs and require assistance in order to participate fully, please email info[at]geneva-academy.ch
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