Event information

20 October 2020, 12:30-14:00

Book Launch: A Practical Anatomy of the Human Rights Council

Event

Banner with the cover of the book Banner with the cover of the book

The book A Practical Anatomy of the Human Rights Council (Elgar) dissects every aspect of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council's (HRC) work and analyses the efficiency of, and interactions between, its mechanisms. Authored by Eric Tistounet, Chief of the HRC Branch at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), it provides unique practitioner insights into the complex decision-making processes of the Council alongside the core variations from its predecessor.

This book – set to become a key resource for NGOs, diplomats, UN officials and other participants in HRC proceedings, whilst also being valuable to human rights students and academics seeking to broaden their understanding of HRC operations – is the outcome of a six-month research fellowship carried out by the author at the Geneva Academy.

Presentation of the Book

  • Eric Tistounet, Chief of the Human Rights Council Branch, OHCHR

Moderation

  • Felix Kirchmeier, Executive Director, Geneva Human Rights Platform

Comments by

  • Salma El Hosseiny, Programme Manager (Human Rights Council) International Service for Human Rights
  • Bertrand Ramcharan, Former UN Acting and Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights
  • Coly Seck, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Senegal to the UN Office at Geneva and Former President of the HRC

In Geneva and Online

This event will be held simultaneously in Geneva and online on the Zoom platform.

In Geneva

Participants wishing to follow the event at our headquarters Villa Moynier must announce themselves by email (charlotte.day[at]geneva-academy.ch), as the capacity of the conference room is limited to 20 persons to respect current regulations regarding social distancing. The wearing of a mask inside the premises is required.

Online

For online participation, you need to register to attend the meeting via this link.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Video

Book Launch: A Practical Anatomy of the Human Rights Council

At this launch event, the book's author, Eric Tistounet, presented his piece on the work of the UN Human Rights Council, with comments from various stakeholders involved in the work of this major human rights body, including the former Deputy-High Commissioner for Human Rights Bertrand Ramcharan, civil society representatives and diplomats.

MORE ON THIS THEMATIC AREA

ECHR Logo News

In Highlight: ECHR Knowledge Sharing Platform

13 May 2025

Via its DHRTTDs Directory, the Geneva Human Rights Platform provides a comprehensive list and description of such key tools and databases. But how to navigate them? Which tool should be used for what, and by whom? This interview helps us understand better the specificities of the current highlight of the directory: ECHR Knowledge Sharing Platform

Read more

GHRP at LATSIS News

Bridging Human Rights and Data Science at the 2025 Latsis Symposium

22 September 2025

The 2025 Latsis Symposium on Science for Global Development and Humanitarian Action, organized by ETH for Development, gave prominent space to human rights issues.

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

Online folders Project

Digital Human Rights Tracking Tools and Databases

Started in March 2023

This initiative wishes to contribute to better and more coordinated implementation, reporting and follow-up of international human rights recommendations through a global study on digital human rights tracking tools and databases.

Read more

surveillance image of people Project

Human Rights in a Digitalized World: Mapping Risk, Strengthening Regulation and Promoting the Development of International Human Rights Law

Started in August 2023

To unpack the challenges raised by artificial intelligence, this project will target two emerging and under-researched areas: digital military technologies and neurotechnology.

Read more

Cover of the 2023 Geneva Academy Annual Report Publication

Annual Report 2024

published on July 2025

Read more