Geneva Academy
18 June 2019
At a meeting co-organized with the permanent missions of Costa Rica and Japan to the United Nations (UN) in Geneva, Geneva-based diplomats discussed the current status of the 2020 review of UN treaty bodies (TBs), upcoming milestones, as well as the proposals submitted by various stakeholders, including states, members of TBs, NGOs and academics.
‘Short inputs from all stakeholders informed the discussion and showed a promising amount of convergence in positions, both on the fundamental aim of any review – the strengthening of human rights protection – as well as on the concrete and specific measures such as the alignment of working methods of TBs. A majority of states present also agreed on the merit of clustering state reports and dialogues, as a means to avoid unnecessary overlap in structure and substance’ explains Felix Kirchmeier, Coordinator of the Geneva Human Rights Platform.
‘These proposals will inform the third and final report of the UN Secretary-General, which will formulate a series of recommendations to strengthen the work of UN TBs and will constitute the main source of information for delegations who will negotiate the follow-up resolution to 68/268 next spring ’ stresses Felix Kirchmeier.
The 2020 review is a unique occasion to improve the work of UN TBs.
‘While TBs are based in Geneva, the negotiations are taking place in New York. It is therefore essential to feed the negotiations in New York with the expertise we have in Geneva’ underlines Felix Kirchmeier.
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 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.
Participants in this training course will be introduced to the major international and regional instruments for the promotion of human rights, as well as international environmental law and its implementation and enforcement mechanisms.
Olivier Chamard / Geneva Academy
The Treaty Body Members’ Platform connects experts in UN treaty bodies with each other as well as with Geneva-based practitioners, academics and diplomats to share expertise, exchange views on topical questions and develop synergies.
CCPR Centre
The Geneva Human Rights Platform collaborates with a series of actors to reflect on the implementation of international human rights norms at the local level and propose solutions to improve uptake of recommendations and decisions taken by Geneva-based human rights bodies at the local level.
Geneva Academy