Event information

21 January 2022, 14:30-16:00

GHRP Friday: Digital Uplift

Event

Keyboard with online tab Keyboard with online tab

It is undisputed that procedures inside the Office of the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Treaty Body Branch and also between treaty body (TB) members need to adapt to today’s technologies. Mechanisms and rules put in place in the times of letters and faxes are not anymore up to the task to deliver efficiently in a quickly changing environment where the volume of work has sharply increased over the years.

But how to do so, what to do, by whom and on which budget? The terminology, with references to ‘digital shift’, ‘digital uplift’ or ‘digital transformation’ shows that the vast area of working methods' digitalization is seen differently in scope by various actors. Furthermore, quick sectorial solutions bring the risk of moving from existing siloes to digital ones, so even if some areas might serve as good examples, a major challenge will be the ‘uplift’ of the whole secretariat structure across the board.

This GHRP Friday will look at the technical options currently under discussion, their potential impact and the process required to get there – in terms of decision making, financing and practical implementation. Panelists will also address the value of a digital platform and knowledge management for both internal proceedings, but also for enhancing the transparency and interaction with all stakeholders.

To limit the scope of our discussions, this meeting will neither discuss the substantive impacts of digitalization on the enjoyment of human rights, nor the specific working methods of each committee. It will rather address the systemic approach of knowledge management and digitalized procedures, keeping in mind the claims put forward by TB members (e.g. CRPD paper) to look carefully into which TB activities can be moved online.

Opening

  • Felix Kirchmeier, Executive Director, Geneva Human Rights Platform

Panelists

  • Shara Duncan Villalobos, Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Costa Rica to the UN in Geneva
  • Dina Rossbacher, Chief, Petitions and Urgent Actions Section, OHCHR
  • Laura Dolci, Special Assistant to CTMD/Director, OHCHR
  • Olivier de Frouville, Member, CED and Member of the GHRP Advisory Board
  • Vincent Ploton, Director of Treaty Body Advocacy, International Service for Human Rights

About the GHRP Fridays

The GHRP Fridays provide an opportunity for all stakeholders to discuss the results of the United Nations (UN) Treaty Body (TB) 2020 Review and practical ways to implement change. They are open to all interested delegations, TB members, staff from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and civil society.

This event series of the Geneva Human Rights Platform – co-organized with the Permanent Missions of Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, Morocco, Switzerland and Uruguay to the UN in Geneva – aims at discussing the outcomes of the 2020 UN Treaty Body Review.

MORE ON THIS THEMATIC AREA

neurotech image News

Human Rights Concerns in Neurotechnology Examined in New Research Brief

15 April 2025

Our research brief 'Neurotechnology - Integrating Human Rights in Regulation' examines the human rights challenges posed by the rapid development of neurotechnology.

Read more

neurotech image News

Research Brief Evaluates the Human Rights Implications of Neurotechnology in Therapeutic and Commercial Applications

27 March 2025

Our research brief, Neurotechnology and Human Rights: An Audit of Risks, Regulatory Challenges, and Opportunities, examines the human rights implications of neurotechnology in both therapeutic and commercial applications.

Read more

AI for Good Event Event

AI for human rights: Smarter, faster, fairer monitoring

8 July 2025, 14:00-16:00

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.

Read more

Local Government Event

Enhancing National Reporting and Implementation of Human Rights through Coordinated Engagement at the Local and Regional Levels: The Role of NMIRFs

23 July 2025, 10:00-17:00

This seminar explores how national mechanisms for implementation, reporting and follow-up can better integrate the capacities, data, and experiences of local and regional governments in advancing human rights implementation and reporting.

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

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

Project

Follow-up Review Pilot Series

Started in November 2021

Read more

Madagascar, Miarinarivo district. Women transplanting rice. Project

The Rights of Peasants

Started in May 2008

After having provided academic support to the negotiation of the UN Declaration for ten years, this research project focuses on the implementation of the UN Declaration on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas.

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