The Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform

Started in June 2019

This one-day public event, open to all human rights actors in and outside Geneva – diplomats, experts, NGOs, members of UN treaty bodies, Special Rapporteurs, international organizations, National Human Rights Institutions and academics – addresses current issues and challenges on the work of Geneva-based human rights mechanisms.

NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

Panel at the 2022 Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platrform News

GHRP Annual Conference Tackles Digitalization and Human Rights

15 November 2022

The 2022 Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform addressed the issue of digital connectivity in the field of human rights via an expert meeting in the morning and a public discussion in the afternoon.

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Flags of the Geneva Human Rights Platform on the Mont-Blanc bridge News

The Geneva Human Rights Platform Celebrates its Fifth Anniversary

19 August 2022

The flags of our Geneva Human Rights Platform are flying on the Mont-Blanc Bridge to mark the platform's fifth anniversary.

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View of the conference room News

Annual Conference Underlines the Importance of Strong National Human Rights Systems

21 October 2021

With over 500 registered participants in Geneva and online and 24 partners, the conference focused on the capacity of domestic actors to mutually engage with each other and liaise with Geneva-based international human rights bodies in the context of implementation, monitoring and follow-up to UN human rights recommendations.

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TEAM

Picture of Felix Kirchmeier

Felix Kirchmeier

Executive Director of the Geneva Human Rights Platform

Felix Kirchmeier is the Executive Director of the Geneva Human Rights Platform.

Picture of Domenico Zipoli

Domenico Zipoli

Research Fellow and Project Coordinator

His research focuses on the question of connectivity among international human rights mechanisms and on national strategies for monitoring, implementation and follow-up of international human rights obligations and recommendations.

Picture of Stefania Di Stefano

Stefania Di Stefano

Project Officer at the Geneva Human Rights Platform

Her research includes international human rights law, business and human rights, human rights in the digital age, corporate responsibility, and the rights to freedom of expression and access to information.

OUTPUT

2022 Conference: Implications of Digital Connectivity on Human Rights

The 2022 Annual Conference – in Geneva and online – addressed the issue of digital connectivity in the field of human rights via an expert meeting in the morning and a public discussion in the afternoon. Participants notably looked at digital connections by and among mechanisms within the human rights system, but also at the substantive impacts of digitalization.

The morning expert roundtable brought together representatives of 15 different governments, international organizations and civil society organizations that manage innovative digital human rights tracking tools and databases. The afternoon’s public segment addressed – via two panels – the impact of digitalization on human rights, the implications of being ON and OFF the grid, and the role of UN human rights mechanisms.

2021 Conference: Connectivity between Global and National Human Rights Mechanisms and Actors

The 2021 Annual Conference addressed the connectivity between UN and national human rights mechanisms and actors and discussed the crucial links between national human rights actors and Geneva-based international mechanisms.

With over 500 registered participants in Geneva and online and 24 partners – including the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN-Habitat, the EU Fundamental Rights Agency, renowned academic institutions, major international NGOs and fellow Geneva-based platforms – the conference’s sessions focused on the capacity of domestic actors to mutually engage with each other and liaise with Geneva-based international human rights bodies in the context of implementation, monitoring and follow-up to UN human rights recommendations.

2020 Conference: Connectivity between Global and Regional Human Rights Mechanisms

The 2020 Annual Conference addressed the connectivity between regional and global human rights mechanisms.

In plenary panels and dedicated working-groups participants – experts, practitioners, diplomats, civil society representatives, members of global and regional human rights mechanisms, as well as the staff of international organizations – notably discussed the overall effectiveness of these interactions, including in a number of specific policy areas like climate change, the fight against corruption or the COVID-19 pandemic.

2019 Conference: The Connectivity of Human Rights Mechanisms

During one day, more than 100 experts, practitioners, academics, diplomats and representatives of NGOs, international organizations and National Human Rights Institutions discussed and debated the connectivity of human rights mechanisms during the first Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform.

The conference’s four panels have been organized with a wide range of partners, including civil society organizations, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and academic institutions.

 

 

Past Annual Conferences

2022 Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform

18 October 2022, 14:00-19:00

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2021 Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform

12 October 2021, 09:00-18:00

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2020 Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform

15 October 2020, 09:00-18:00

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2019 Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform

3 June 2019, 09:00-18:00

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This training course will explore the major international and regional instruments for the promotion of human rights, as well as with their implementation and enforcement mechanisms; and provide practical insights into the different UN human rights mechanisms pertinent to advancing environmental issues and protecting environmental human rights defenders.

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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.

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Futuristic Robot Arm Interacting with Screen Project

Disruptive Technologies and Rights-Based Resilience

Completed in July 2021

This project facilitated a multistakeholder consultative process to identify knowledge gaps, generate new evidence and co-design evidence-based tools to support regulatory and policy responses to human rights challenges linked to digital technologies.

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Cover of the publication Publication

The Emergence of Digital Human Rights Tracking Tools and Databases

published on March 2023

Domenico Zipoli

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