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

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

Mô Bleeker News

UNSG Special Adviser Mô Bleeker Becomes Senior Fellow at the Geneva Academy

15 April 2025

Mô Bleeker, UNSG Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect, shares how her work as Senior Fellow at the Geneva Academy contributes to our shared goals.

Read more

Open dump Training

Protecting Human Rights and the Environment

15-19 September 2025

Participants in this training course will gain practical insights into UN human rights mechanisms and their role in environmental protection and learn about how to address the interplay between international human rights and environmental law, and explore environmental litigation paths.

Read more

Universal Declaration of Human Rights Booklet Training

The International Human Rights Standards and System: Monitoring and Implementation Strategies at the National Level

7-11 July 2025

This training course will delve into the means and mechanisms through which national actors can best coordinate their human rights monitoring and implementation efforts, enabling them to strategically navigate the UN human rights system and use the various mechanisms available in their day-to-day work.

Read more

A session of the UN Human Rights Council Project

IHL Expert Pool

Started in January 2022

The IHL-EP works to strengthen the capacity of human rights mechanisms to incorporate IHL into their work in an efficacious and comprehensive manner. By so doing, it aims to address the normative and practical challenges that human rights bodies encounter when dealing with cases in which IHL applies.

Read more

View of a session of the UN Human Rights Council Project

Human Rights Conversations

Started in January 2020

A series of events aimed at discussing contemporary issues and challenges related to the promotion and protection of human rights in Geneva and beyond.

Read more

Cover of the publication Publication

Briefing N° 25: Localizing Multilateralism

published on March 2025

Domenico Zipoli, Ludovica Chiussi Curzi, Kamelia Kemileva

Read more