UN Photo / Jean-Marc Ferré>
16 January 2023
United Nations (UN) Special Procedures are a unique mechanism of independent expert advice and monitoring in the UN human rights system. Less bound by governmental considerations or institutional constraints, they are today the most outspoken players in the system be it on thematic issues or country situations.
Our new working paper Assessment Tool for Special Procedures' Impact Evaluation – Developing an Initial Framework authored by Dr Jonathan Andrews examines how to further develop methodologies to appraise their impact, and which resources might most effectively be deployed to further their work in promoting and protecting human rights.
‘This working paper – which builds on an initial paper published back in 2021 – is part of our initiative that supports the work of UN Special Procedures. It forms part of our work that supports the functioning of the UN human rights system and contributes to a better appreciation of the effectiveness of UN Special Procedures mandates’ explains Felix Kirchmeier, Executive Director of the Geneva Human Rights Platform.
‘We will discuss, throughout 2023, with a number of mandate holders and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights secretariat to see how our findings could be integrated into their monitoring of UN Special Procedures’ impact he adds.
Geneva Academy
UN Photo / Jean-Marc Ferré
UNIS Vienna/Nikoleta Haffar>
Monitoring and impact assessment involves the regular and systematic assessment of performance, which provides an understanding of the progress of a mandate's programme in relation to planned results from activities.
‘This new publication provides many insights into how impact assessment can assist in identifying issues that may require decisions, actions and interventions to either accelerate progress on existing objectives or respond to new challenges for a particular mandate. Furthermore, the research also highlights scope for longer term strategic planning and capacity building to provide metrics and tools for measuring gains made in human rights advocacy through different interventions’ says the author Dr Jonathan Andrew.
The publication also provides further guidance, by way of recommendations, which can assist mandates as they consider future objectives. In the medium to long term, the research determined that UN Special Procedures should consider how their operations will best be able to exploit advances in information and communication technologies capabilities to facilitate reporting and dissemination of their activities.
Adobe
Our latest Research Brief Between Science-Fact and Science-Fiction: Innovation and Ethics in Neurotechnology highlights the need for a robust regulatory framework around neurotechnology that can simultaneously foster innovation and protect human rights.
The Geneva Human Rights Platform co-hosted an expert roundtable on 'Data Planning and Collection by National Mechanisms for Implementation, Reporting, and Follow-up', in Bologna, Italy.
Adobe
This panel discussion will showcase the transformative potential of digital technologies in monitoring and implementing SDG 16, its interlinkages with other SDGs, and UN human rights recommendations.
Adobe
Participants in this training course, made of two modules, will examine the major international and regional instruments for the promotion of human rights and the environment, familiarizing themselves with the respective implementation and enforcement mechanisms.
CCPR centre
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.
Victoria Pickering
This project aims at providing support to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association Clément Voulé by addressing emerging issues affecting civic space and eveloping tools and materials allowing various stakeholders to promote and defend civic space.
CCPR Centre
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.
Geneva Academy