Strengthening Diplomacy: GHRP Training Course Enhances Engagement with UN Human Rights

5 February 2025

The Geneva Human Rights Platform (GHRP) kicked off 2025 with its annual training course for Geneva-based diplomats. The training, co-organized with the support of the Swiss FDFA, welcomed a group of 19 diplomats representing all regional groups and was specifically designed to deliver profound and pragmatic insights into multilateralism and the functioning of the UN Human Rights Council.

‘The mission of the GHRP Training Hub is to enhance engagement of all stakeholders with the UN human rights mechanisms based in International Geneva, to make it a most useful tool for their work. Deepening the knowledge on the standards and procedures is thus as important as are practical insights into the day-to-day functioning of the procedures and creating links between the people who make them thrive,’ says Felix Kirchmeier, Executive Director of the GHRP at the Geneva Academy. ‘This is what we aim at with our training courses.’

Over the course of three days, and through captivating and engaging exchanges with experts from UN human rights mechanisms, the former Chiefs of the UPR and HRC Branches, OHCHR, civil society and senior diplomats, participants delved into the evolution and functioning of the Human Rights Council’s frameworks and mechanisms. In particular, the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), Fact-Finding Missions, Commissions of Inquiry, Special Procedures were put under the spotlight, and particular attention was also given to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ critical role as secretariat and human rights focal point across the UN system.

A highlight of the course was a session dedicated to the HRC President and the Bureau, during which participants had the opportunity to engage in a conversation with Ambassador Jürg Lauber, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations in Geneva since 2020, and recently elected President of the Human Rights Council for 2025.

Felix Kirchmeir added, 'Given the crucial role of the Human Rights Council in promoting and protecting human rights, and the high turnover of diplomats in Geneva, we hope to be able to offer this executive training course in the coming years. As diplomats arriving in Geneva are not necessarily familiar with the negotiation processes and voting of resolutions and decisions that take place at the Council, this training is beneficial to their new role but also ensures that the Human Rights Council itself functions at its best'.

GHRP Training Hub programme 2025

MORE ON THIS THEMATIC AREA

GHRP EU News News

Bridging Geneva and Europe: advancing human rights in the digital age

2 June 2025

The Geneva Human Rights Platform has taken its work on strengthening the international human rights system to the heart of European policymaking.

Read more

United Nations Geneva Event

‘Urgency Measures’ to face a triple crisis – what insights can be taken from the Treaty Body strengthening process?

4 June 2025, 13:30-15:00

This side event represents a critical opportunity to reflect on the innovative approaches taken through the treaty body strengthening process and to consider the future direction of the treaty body system.

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

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

First annual conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform Project

The Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform

Started in June 2019

Read more

Session of the UN Human Rights Committee Project

Treaty Body Review 2020 and Beyond

Started in January 2018

The Geneva Human Rights Platform contributes to this review process by providing expert input via different avenues, by facilitating dialogue on the review among various stakeholders, as well as by accompanying the development of a follow-up resolution to 68/268 in New York and in Geneva.

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