Geneva Academy
27 August 2019
Ibrahim Salama is the Chief of the Human Rights Treaties Branch of the Office of the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights. As such he manages the functioning of the UN treaty body system which monitors states’ compliance with their human rights obligations through periodical reporting, visits, inquiries and individual petitions.
He just joined the Geneva Academy as Visiting Fellow and will stay with us until end of 2019.
I had close collaboration with the Geneva Academy through their work on the future of the UN treaty body system. This allowed me to further deepen my conviction that independent academic thinking can contribute immensely to providing solutions to complex multilateral challenges. Particularly in an era where the push back against human rights seems to become a worrying global phenomenon.
I will carry out research on the human rights role and responsibilities of religious actors, attempting to provide a draft human rights toolbox for human rights training for faith actors.
I believe that the human rights movement confronts a dilemma between secularism and the rising role of religions. Religious actors play both constructive and destructive roles in different parts of the world. Recognising and empowering faith actors in the area of human rights can bring great benefits in terms of peace, development, security and human rights.
I hope that this research will contribute to the emergence of a new powerful human rights actor.
I expect debates, fresh perspectives, methodological guidance and even potential collaboration if the results of my research are of interest to the Geneva Academy.
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Our recent research brief, Neurodata: Navigating GDPR and AI Act Compliance in the Context of Neurotechnology, examines how effectively GDPR addresses the unique risks posed by neurodata.
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The Geneva Human Rights Platform is launching its 2025 training programme, designed to empower stakeholders engaging with UN human rights system.
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The event, as part of the AI for Good Summit 2025 will explore how AI tools can support faster data analysis, help uncover patterns in large datasets, and expand the reach of human rights work.
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This side event represents a critical opportunity to reflect on the innovative approaches taken through the treaty body strengthening process and to consider the future direction of the treaty body system.
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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.
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This project addresses the human rights implications stemming from the development of neurotechnology for commercial, non-therapeutic ends, and is based on a partnership between the Geneva Academy, the Geneva University Neurocentre and the UN Human Rights Council Advisory Committee.
The Geneva Human Rights Platform contributes to this review process by providing expert input via different avenues, by facilitating dialogue on the review among various stakeholders, as well as by accompanying the development of a follow-up resolution to 68/268 in New York and in Geneva.
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