Geneva Academy
8 June 2020
The Advisory Board of the Geneva Human Rights Platform (GHRP) – Virginia Brás Gomez, Sarah H. Cleveland, Miloon Kothari, Florence Simbiri-Jaoko and Valentin Zellweger – met for the first time on 4 June.
Composed of leading human rights experts and practitioners from different regions and backgrounds, it provides guidance to the GHRP Executive Director regarding the GHRP’s strategy, priorities and activities.
‘Given the current situation related to the COVID-19 pandemic, we had this first meeting online. Besides discussing the role of the Advisory Board, we exchanged around activities, priorities and focus for the GHRP in the upcoming years’ explains Felix Kirchmeier, Executive Director of the GHRP.
‘It is very important for us to get feedback and guidance regarding the relevance of our work from such experts and practitioners with extensive experience in human rights at the local, regional and international levels. I am delighted and grateful that they all accepted this role without hesitation’ he adds.
In the meeting, Advisory Board members exchanged around their role, current human rights challenges and issues, as well as the GHRP strategy and activities.
‘An important impetus from the Advisory Board was the additional perspective on the impact of the COVID crisis, which will be integrated into the upcoming annual conference of the platform, which will take place on 15 October in Geneva’ says Felix Kirchmeier.
The GHRP provides a neutral and dynamic forum of interaction in Geneva for all stakeholders in the field of human rights – experts, practitioners, diplomats and civil society – to debate topical issues and challenges related to the functioning of the Geneva-based human rights system. Relying on academic research and findings, it works to enable various actors to be better connected, break silos, and, hence, advance human rights.
As a ‘Mechanisms Lab’, the GHRP supports the international community to engineer solutions to ensure the sustainable functioning of the Geneva-based human rights mechanisms and bodies, allowing them to address human rights challenges effectively.
Adobe
Our research brief 'Neurotechnology - Integrating Human Rights in Regulation' examines the human rights challenges posed by the rapid development of neurotechnology.
ITU
Our event brought together human rights practitioners, data scientists, and AI experts to explore how artificial intelligence can support efforts to monitor human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Adobe Stock
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.
LATSIS Symposium
This interactive, two-part workshop will explore how modern data-science tools – including machine learning and AI – can be leveraged to support the United Nations in promoting and protecting human rights.
Adobe
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.
UN Photo / Jean-Marc Ferré
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.