Follow-up Review Pilot Series

Started in November 2021

In view of the 2020 United Nations (UN) Treaty Body (TB) Review recommendations, we are conducting a series of pilot follow-up reviews (previously called focused reviews), carried out at the national level between the TBs reporting cycles. These reviews are designed to discuss how countries implement specific recommendations issued by UN TBs, bringing, in such a way, UN TBs closer to the regional and national levels – and ultimately closing the implementation gap.

The decision by United Nations (UN) treaty body (TB) Chairs to adopt ‘an eight-year review cycle for full reviews, with follow-up reviews in between’ highlights the necessity to enhance follow-up procedures, especially considering the extended interval between country interactions with TBs. Given this new 8-year cycle, it becomes crucial to explore how follow-up reviews could be undertaken at the national and regional levels, thereby making the UN TB system more relevant, responsive and closer to rights holders and duty bearers.

Our pilots aim to test this new format. The pilots carried out in Sierra Leone and Grenada tested the modalities for follow-up reviews at the national level. The most recent pilot in the Pacific region tested the modalities of a regional model for follow-up reviews.

NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

Final Report of the Treaty Body Follow-Up Review Pilot Series News

Final Report of the Treaty Body Follow-Up Review Pilot Series

16 July 2024

The Geneva Human Rights Platform has released the final report of its Treaty Body Follow-Up Review Pilot Series, marked with presentations at the United Nations in New York and Geneva.

Read more >

A session during the follow-up review News

Report Highlights the Potentials of UN Treaty Bodies Follow-Up Review at Regional Level

5 February 2024

Our Geneva Human Rights Platform just released the latest report of its third and final follow-up review pilot conducted in Nadi, Fiji, in collaboration with the Pacific Community and the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Read more >

Group photo of participants to the pilot review News

Successful Final UN Human Rights Treaty Body Pilot Took Place in Fiji

18 December 2023

In November, our Geneva Human Rights Platform – in partnership with the Pacific Community and the Commonwealth Secretariat – conducted its third and final UN human rights treaty body follow-up review pilot in Nadi, Fiji.

Read more >

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

Project Coordinator and Senior Research Fellow

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.

Portrait of Victoire Berrebi

Victoire Berrebi

Project Assistant at the Geneva Human Rights Platform

Victoire Berrebi is a Project Assistant at the Geneva Human Rights Platform.

Publications

Treaty Body Follow-Up Review Pilot Series: Final Report

2024

Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights

Download >

Project Report: Follow-up Review in the Pacific Region

2024

Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights

Download >

Cover of the publication

Project Report: Treaty Body Focused Review Pilot of Grenada

2022

The Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights

Download >

Cover of the publication

Project Report: Treaty Body Focused Review Pilot of Sierra Leone

2022

The Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights

Download >

MORE ON THIS THEMATIC AREA

GHRP EU News News

Bridging Geneva and Europe: advancing human rights in the digital age

2 June 2025

The Geneva Human Rights Platform has taken its work on strengthening the international human rights system to the heart of European policymaking.

Read more

Equality and Non Discrimination Book Cover News

Legal Understandings of Equality and Non-Discrimination Examined in New Publication

21 August 2025

Our new publication, Equality and Non-Discrimination, brings together cutting-edge scholarship on one of the most fundamental principles of international human rights law.

Read more

Special Rapporteur Sign Event

Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in an Era of Escalating Armed Conflict: Where Can International Human Rights Law Help?

25 September 2025, 18:30-20:00

This evening dialogue will present the publication: International Human Rights Law: A Treatise, Cambridge University Press (2025).

Read more

Enforced Disappearances Event

'Short-term' Enforced Disappearances

23 September 2025, 13:00-14:00

This side event will bring together stakeholders to discuss the growing concerning recurrence to short-term enforced disappearances worldwide, and the challenges they pose for victims and accountability.

Read more

Town Hall Meeting Training

Localizing International Human Rights

8-10 October 2025

This training course, specifically designed for staff of city and regional governments, will explore the means and mechanisms through which local and regional governments can interact with and integrate the recommendations of international human rights bodies in their concrete work at the local level.

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

Sign: National Human Rights Commission of Nepal Project

Local Implementation of Global Human Rights

Started in May 2020

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.

Read more

First annual conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform Project

The Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform

Started in June 2019

Read more

Cover of the 2023 Geneva Academy Annual Report Publication

Annual Report 2024

published on July 2025

Read more