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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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

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Project Report: Follow-up Review in the Pacific Region

2024

Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights

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Cover of the publication

Project Report: Treaty Body Focused Review Pilot of Grenada

2022

The Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights

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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

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MORE ON THIS THEMATIC AREA

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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.

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A GHRP training course News

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28 January 2025

The Geneva Human Rights Platform is launching its 2025 training programme, designed to empower stakeholders engaging with UN human rights system.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Training

Human Rights and the Environment: Introducing Legal Regimes and Key Issues

1-8 September 2025

Participants in this training course will be introduced to the major international and regional instruments for the promotion of human rights, as well as international environmental law and its implementation and enforcement mechanisms.

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A destroyed camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Khor Abeche, South Darfur, Project

Understanding the Relationship between Conflict, Security and the Human Right to a Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment

Started in May 2023

This project will develop guidance to inform security, human rights and environmental debates on the linkages between environmental rights and conflict, and how their better management can serve as a tool in conflict prevention, resilience and early warning.

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Cover of the publication Publication

Briefing N° 25: Localizing Multilateralism

published on March 2025

Domenico Zipoli, Ludovica Chiussi Curzi, Kamelia Kemileva

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