Geneva Diplomats Briefed about the 2020 Review of UN Treaty Bodies

Geneva Academy

18 June 2019

At a meeting co-organized with the permanent missions of Costa Rica and Japan to the United Nations (UN) in Geneva, Geneva-based diplomats discussed the current status of the 2020 review of UN treaty bodies (TBs), upcoming milestones, as well as the proposals submitted by various stakeholders, including states, members of TBs, NGOs and academics.

‘Short inputs from all stakeholders informed the discussion and showed a promising amount of convergence in positions, both on the fundamental aim of any review – the strengthening of human rights protection – as well as on the concrete and specific measures such as the alignment of working methods of TBs. A majority of states present also agreed on the merit of clustering state reports and dialogues, as a means to avoid unnecessary overlap in structure and substance’ explains Felix Kirchmeier, Coordinator of the Geneva Human Rights Platform.

‘These proposals will inform the third and final report of the UN Secretary-General, which will formulate a series of recommendations to strengthen the work of UN TBs and will constitute the main source of information for delegations who will negotiate the follow-up resolution to 68/268 next spring ’ stresses Felix Kirchmeier.

Linking Geneva with the Negotiations in New York

The 2020 review is a unique occasion to improve the work of UN TBs.

‘While TBs are based in Geneva, the negotiations are taking place in New York. It is therefore essential to feed the negotiations in New York with the expertise we have in Geneva’ underlines Felix Kirchmeier.