This short course will delve into one of the most challenging and important aspects of international humanitarian law (IHL) – its implementation in practice. It will cover the ‘nuts and bolts’ of implementation, including national legislation, dissemination and training, and discuss the mechanisms such as the International Fact-Finding Commission, as set out in the treaties. However, it will also explore challenges of implementation and challenge students to think critically and creatively about how to make IHL – a body of law considered by some to be ‘at the vanishing point of international law’ – work in practice.

Audience

This short course forms part of the Geneva Academy Executive Master in International Law in Armed Conflict. It is open to professionals – diplomats, lawyers, legal advisers, judges, NGO staff, human rights advocates, media specialists, professionals working in emergency situations, UN staff and staff from other international organizations –who are not enrolled in the Executive Master and who want to deepen their expertise in this specific issue.

Schedule

Courses take place online during lunchtime on:

• Thursday, 21 March 2024, 12:00–14:00 (CET)
• Friday, 22 March 2024, 12:00–14:00 (CET)
• Thursday, 11 April 2024, 12:00–14:00 (CET)
• Friday, 12 April 2024, 12:00–14:00 (CET)
• Thursday, 18 April 2024, 12:00–14:00 (CET)
• Friday, 19 April 2024, 12:00–14:00 (CET)

Limited Places

We can admit a maximum of five participants to this short course (in addition to students enrolled in our Executive Master).

Certificate

Participants obtain a certificate at the end of the course (no ECTS credits are gained).

How to register

Applications must be submitted via this online form.

Your application will have to include:

• An application letter, stating the specific course you are applying for and your motivation for participation
• Your curriculum vitae
• Proof of your competence in English (a certificate or statement highlighting your solid background in English)
• A valid copy of your visa or residence permit for candidates wishing to follow the short course in Geneva (only applicants who require a visa to enter the Schengen area)

Once admitted to the course, participants receive instructions on how to pay. Proof of payment is required before you begin the course.

This online short course examines and discusses the main criminal jurisdictions fostering individual legal accountability for international crimes. It will discuss the role of national courts in the fight against impunity, including on the basis of universal criminal jurisdiction. It will also review the various international and hybrid criminal tribunals, with a particular emphasis on the International Criminal Court and its mandate.

Online

This is an online short course.

Audience

This short course forms part of the Geneva Academy Executive Master in International Law in Armed Conflict. It is open to professionals – diplomats, lawyers, legal advisers, judges, NGO staff, human rights advocates, media specialists, professionals working in emergency situations, UN staff and staff from other international organizations – who are not enrolled in the Executive Master and who want to deepen their expertise in this specific issue.

Schedule

Courses take place during lunchtime (CET) on:

• Wednesday, 17 April 2024, 12:00–14:00 (CET)
• Wednesday, 24 April 2024, 12:00–14:00 (CET)
• Tuesday, 7 May 2024, 12:00–14:00 (CET)
• Wednesday, 8 May 2024, 12:00–14:00 (CET)
• Tuesday, 14 May 2024, 12:00–14:00 (CET)
• Wednesday, 15 May 2024, 12:00–14:00 (CET)

Certificate

Participants obtain a certificate at the end of the course (no ECTS credits are gained).

How to register

Applications must be submitted via this online form.

Your application will need to include:

• A short motivation letter (no more than one page)
• Your curriculum vitae
• Proof of your competence in English (a certificate or statement highlighting your solid background in English)

Once admitted to the course, participants receive instructions on how to pay. Proof of payment is required before you begin the course.

Since the 9.11 attacks, and with the multiplication of terrorist attacks on European soil, terrorism is considered one of the most important security threats the international community has to face. To what extent may states limit and/or derogate from their international human rights obligations in order to prevent and counter terrorism and thus protect persons under their jurisdiction? Which and whose human rights are at risk when states fight terrorism? What are the human rights challenges posed by the United Nations counter-terrorist sanctions regime? In which circumstances may lethal force – including drone strikes – be used against alleged members of terrorist groups or so-called ‘lone wolves’? Which international law rules apply in relation to the internment/detention and interrogation of persons accused of terrorism?

These are some of the key issues discussed in this short course, addressing several rights including the right to life, the right to liberty, the prohibition of torture, the right to property, and freedom of movement. Although the course is mainly human rights oriented, other international legal frameworks such as jus ad bellum and international humanitarian law will be touched upon. Recent trends in counter-terrorism, such as the preventing and countering violent extremism agenda, will be discussed in light of their human rights impact.

Online

This is an online short course.

Audience

This short course forms part of the Geneva Academy Executive Master in International Law in Armed Conflict. It is open to professionals – diplomats, lawyers, legal advisers, judges, NGO staff, human rights advocates, media specialists, professionals working in emergency situations, UN staff and staff from other international organizations – who are not enrolled in the Executive Master and who want to deepen their expertise in this specific issue.

Schedule

Courses take place during lunchtime (CET) on:

• Thursday, 25 April 2024, 12:00-14:00h (CET)
• Friday, 26 April 2024, 12:00-14:00h (CET)
• Thursday, 2 May 2024, 15:00-17:00h (CET)
• Friday, 3 May 2024, 15:00-17:00h (CET)
• Thursday, 16 May 2024, 15:00-17:00h (CET)
• Friday, 17 May 2024, 15:00-17:00h (CET)

Certificate

Participants obtain a certificate at the end of the course (no ECTS credits are gained).

How to register

Applications must be submitted via this online form.

If you encounter problems with your application, do not hesitate to contact us.

Your application will need to include:

• A short motivation letter (no more than one page)
• Your curriculum vitae
• Proof of your competence in English (a certificate or statement highlighting your solid background in English)

Once admitted to the course, participants receive instructions on how to pay. Proof of payment is required before you begin the course.

This online short course provides an overview of the content and evolution of the rules governing the use of unilateral force in international law, including military intervention on humanitarian grounds and the fight against international terrorism. It focuses on the practice of states and international organizations.

During the course, the legal issues raised by the main recent cases of unilateral force, especially Kosovo (1999), Iraq (2003), Syria (since 2014) and Ukraine (2014 and 2022), as well as their normative implications will be thoroughly and critically be analysed. The course will also address the main features, evolution and shortcomings of the United Nations (UN) collective security system, from its creation in 1945 to the so-called authorization practice, which was inaugurated during the first Gulf Crisis (1990-1). The recent interventions in Libya (2011) and Mali (2012-3) will serve to trigger a discussion on the role of the UN and regional organizations in maintaining and restoring international peace and security.

Audience

This course forms part of the Geneva Academy Executive Master in International Law in Armed Conflict. It is open to professionals – diplomats, lawyers, legal advisers, judges, NGO staff, human rights advocates, media specialists, professionals working in emergency situations, UN staff and staff from other international organizations – who are not enrolled in the Executive Master and who want to deepen their expertise in this specific issue.

Schedule

Courses take place online during lunchtime on:

• Wednesday, 22 May 2024, 12:00–14:00 (CET)
• Thursday, 23 May 2024, 12:00–14:00 (CET)
• Friday, 24 May 2024, 12:00–14:00 (CET)
• Wednesday, 29 May 2024, 12:00–14:00 (CET)
• Thursday, 30 May 2024, 12:00–14:00 (CET)
• Friday, 31 May 2024, 12:00–14:00 (CET)

Limited Places

We can admit a maximum of five participants to this short course (in addition to students enrolled in our Executive Master).

Certificate

Participants obtain a certificate at the end of the course (no ECTS credits are gained).

How to register

Applications must be submitted via this online form.

If you encounter problems with your application, do not hesitate to contact us.

Your application will need to include:

• A short motivation letter (no more than one page)
• Your curriculum vitae
• Proof of your competence in English (a certificate or statement highlighting your solid background in English)
• A valid copy of your visa or residence permit for candidates wishing to follow the short course in Geneva (only applicants who require a visa to enter the Schengen area)

Once admitted to the course, participants receive instructions on how to pay. Proof of payment is required before you begin the course.

The online Executive Master in International Law in Armed Conflict is one of the few part-time, innovative and intellectually challenging programmes in the law of armed conflict offered today.

Designed for professionals with demanding jobs and responsibilities, it provides them with a solid legal background to address the multiple challenges that arise in humanitarian emergencies, human rights negotiations or criminal proceedings.

The programme enables participants to gain specialized knowledge directly applicable to professional work. It also responds to the growing need for specialists to address complex situations – in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Ukraine and elsewhere – and challenging processes such as criminal proceedings, international negotiations and humanitarian interventions.

Professionals follow the programme online via an easy and interactive platform that allows participants to interact directly with professors and other students during classes and access all the courses’ materials and readings.

Courses take place for nine months (end of September to the beginning of June) from Wednesdays to Fridays at lunchtime (12:00 –14:00 CET). When participants cannot follow a course for professional reasons (e.g. missions, travel, conferences), they can watch the recordings afterwards. They cover international law, international humanitarian law (IHL), international human rights law (IHRL), international criminal law (ICL) and the interplay between them, providing solid theoretical and practical knowledge of the law that applies to armed conflicts. They also address current issues and challenges, including the repression of terrorism, the responsibility to protect and international refugee law.

Exams take place online at the end of classes in June, with retakes in August. After the exams in June, participants have six months to submit their master’s paper (i.e. by December), one output of the Executive Master that allows participants to investigate a subject of special interest and deepen their knowledge and expertise through research as well as potential exchanges with experts, scholars and practitioners.

How to register

The admission section provides detailed information about:

• Entry requirements
• Tuition fee
• How to apply and
• Application timeline.

You can apply online in three steps:

• Complete the application form
• Attach the required documents
• Submit your application

Make sure you have all the requested information and documents before starting your application!

If you still have questions, our FAQ addresses the main questions related to our Executive Master, the programme and the admission procedure.

You can also contact our Student Office which will respond to your questions and queries about the programme (masters-inquiries@geneva-academy.ch).

For many decades, the question of how businesses should address human rights abuses to which they are linked through supply chains, and trade and investment, has been contested. Victims in countries with weak legal systems have often been left without access to remedies when harmed by conduct connected to transnational corporations. In 2011, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted the United National (UN) Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The Guiding Principles are a set of 31 Principles that clarify the role of the State in protecting persons from human rights abuses connected to business activity. More importantly, the Guiding Principles establish a framework for corporate responsibility to respect human rights, including the provision of access to an effective remedy.

After more than a decade, the UN Guiding Principles have given rise to a variety of developments within the UN systems and in other regional and international organizations, as well as within national jurisdictions, to clarify the expectations for and regulate the conduct of business enterprises with respect to human rights. Within the UN system, human rights treaty bodies, as well as independent experts in special procedures, including the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, have set forth authoritative guidance on the concept of corporate responsibility to respect human rights. Many States have developed national action plans on business and human rights. National jurisdictions, as well as the European Union, have created mandatory rules for companies with respect to human rights due diligence, a novel concept set forth in the Guiding Principles. Different court systems and national human rights institutions have also utilized the Guiding Principles in addressing issues of access to remedy for transnational corporate human rights abuses.

Participants in this training course will examine how the UN Guiding Principles have been utilized to advance the concept of business respect for human rights throughout the UN system, including within the UN Human Rights Council, UN human rights treaty bodies, UN Special Procedures, UNCTAD, UNICEF, and the United Nations Development Program. In examining the impact of the Guiding Principles on other international organizations such as the International Labour Organization and the OECD, participants will also explore the impact of standards and guidance developed by these different bodies, and how governments, civil society and businesses interact with different organizations.

We will also examine recent regulatory developments in Europe, the EU, Latin America and Asia to advance business respect for human rights. These developments are the result of the interplay between international and domestic law but also link to cross-cutting global issues such as climate change and climate justice, sustainable development, and international trade and investment. Participants will also examine current debates and critiques of the Guiding Principles. Finally, participants will consider how business and human rights is a relevant fields that can be applied across different areas of human rights policy and practice.

The course will draw on experts from major UN bodies in Geneva and elsewhere, as well as experts from academia, government, business and civil society.

Programme

The course will cover the following issues

• Explain the origins and content of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
• Situate and understand the developments that the UN Guiding Principles have prompted within the UN system, as well as at the regional and national level
• Explore the authoritative guidance provided by the UN system on business and human rights
• Explain the concept of human rights due diligence and its implementation at the international, regional and national level
• Explain the concept of access to remedy and its implementation by court systems and national human rights institutions
• Provide examples of different regulatory regimes emerging in Europe, Latin America and Asia
• Assess current debates and critiques of the UN Guiding Principles.

Objectives

At the end of this course, participants will

• Understand the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
• Understand how the UN Guiding Principles have helped in advancing the concept of corporate respect for human rights across the UN system
• Understand the impact of other relevant standards on business and human rights developed by international organisations
• Understand legal developments at the international, regional and national levels to advance business and human rights
• Understand the interlinkages between business and human rights and climate change, climate justice, sustainable development, and international trade and investment
• Be familiar with current debates and critiques of the UN Guiding Principles
• Develop an understanding of how to apply business and human rights instruments in practice.

Access to a Dedicated Community Platform

All participants in our training course have access – ahead, during and following their course – to a dedicated community platform (on Mighty Network). This community brings together all the participants to our courses who have unlimited access to the training materials and resources shared during their course and can exchange with all the alumni of the Geneva Human Rights Platform Training Hub.

Audience

This training course is designed for staff of NGOs, research institutes, UN agencies (especially members with experience in fieldwork) and other national and international organisations, members of NHRIs, business enterprises and representatives of governments and academia.

Certification

Participants who successfully complete the training course receive a certificate of participation from the Geneva Academy.

How to register

Applications must be submitted via this online application form.

If you have questions, do not hesitate to contact us: traininghub[at]geneva-academy.ch

The emergence of the United Nations (UN) Universal Periodic Review (UPR) has brought new life into the measures taken at the international and national levels to hold states accountable to their international human rights and humanitarian law obligations.

The UPR has also generated a number of initiatives at national levels at a scale previously unrealised in the attempts to translate international human rights commitments into practice at the policy and field levels: improved inter-ministerial coordination; robust national civil society alliances; more rigorous work by UN agencies; new reporting and monitoring steps by national human rights institutions (NHRI’s); more comprehensive training opportunities and human rights education on human rights and humanitarian instruments; a better understanding of the links between human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s).

This training course – co-organized with UPR-Info– will explore the origin and evolution of the UPR and its functioning in Geneva. It will largely focus on the nature of implementation of the UPR recommendations at the national level. Using examples (including anecdotes from the experience of the lecturers) of different stages of implementation the course will provide hands-on exercises to demonstrate the new pathways the UPR is evolving for the realization of human rights.

PROGRAMME

The course will cover the following issues:

• Locating the UPR within the UN human rights system including the UN treaty bodies, the work of the UN Special Procedures, and the thematic and country-based work of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) and of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Has the emergence of the UPR also increased the impact of the work of UN Special Procedures and the UN treaty bodies?
• The critical importance of the reporting process in the UPR – examples of national report, compilations from UN sources and the compilation of the stakeholder’s reports (NHRI’s and civil society reports)
• The politicization of the UN human rights council: Is there an impact on the content and functioning of the UPR?
  The critical advocacy role of national governments, NHRI’s, civil society, UN agencies, academic bodies, national parliaments, diplomats and the media
• The inextricable link between the UPR and the SDGs: What tools are available at the international and national levels to make this link. Is a common reporting mechanism achievable? Can there be synergy in the implementation of both these sets of obligations on the ground?
• Economic, social and cultural rights and civil and political rights. Has a balance at the UPR been achieved? Can the implementation strategies at national levels redress a potential imbalance between these two sets of rights?
• The development of tools and research methodologies, including data collection for the UPR
• Examples of good practices at the policy and field level: These examples will be used throughout the course to highlight the tremendous possibilities the UPR offers practitioners on the ground to play their part in implementing human rights obligations.
• Whether the UPR as a mechanism responded to Covid-19 and could be a useful mechanism to frame a human rights-based response to the post-Covid period?
• Visits to the UPR Working Group of the UN Human Rights Council or to a UPR-Info Pre-Sessions at the Palais des Nations or a UN treaty Body session to understand the synergy between treaty body work and the UPR.

OBJECTIVES

At the end of this course, participants will be:

• Familiar with the genesis and evolution of the UPR, within the context of the UN human rights system
• Knowledgeable about the advocacy strategies employed by national actors to identify issues to be raised at the UPR and to ensure implementation
• Able to identify the distinct but also the collaborative role of various national level actors: national governments, NHRIs, civil society, UN agencies, academic bodies, national parliaments, diplomats and the media
• Able to utilise the sophisticated tools (matrices) developed by various actors at the national level to monitor progress with the UPR recommendations
• Able to demonstrate, in their own contexts, the many uses of the implementation examples used throughout the course
• Able to identify the link between the UPR and the SDGs at the international and national levels
• Able to draft impactful recommendations for the UPR.

METHODOLOGY

The course will be conducted in a participatory training mode with a combination of illustrated lectures and group exercises aimed at evolving practical documents to be used in the UPR process.

ACCESS TO A DEDICATED COMMUNITY PLATFORM

All participants in our training course have access – ahead, during and following their course – to a dedicated community platform (on Mighty Network). This community brings together all the participants to our courses who have unlimited access to the training materials and resources shared during their course and can exchange with all the alumni of the Geneva Human Rights Platform Training Hub.

LECTURERS

The training course will be led by Miloon Kothari, a renowned expert on human rights and social policy, with extensive teaching and training experience on the UN human rights system and the UPR.

The course will include specific sessions by guest lecturers drawn from OHCHR, UN agencies, ambassadors from Permanent Missions in Geneva and Geneva-based NGOs including UPR-Info.

AUDIENCE

This training course is designed for staff of NGOs, research institutes, UN agencies (especially members with experience of fieldwork) and other national and international organisations, members of NHRIs and representatives of governments and academia.

CERTIFICATION

Participants who successfully complete the training course receive a certificate of participation from the Geneva Academy.

How to register

Applications must be submitted via this online application form.

If you have questions, do not hesitate to contact us: traininghub[at]geneva-academy.ch

On 8 October 2021, the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council adopted a landmark resolution recognizing for the first time the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment as an autonomous human right. This resolution paved the way for a second formal recognition by the UN General Assembly on 28 July 2022.

In parallel, UN human rights treaty bodies have increasingly recognized the impact of environmental degradation and climate change on fundamental human rights, urging states to adopt measures that protect the rights to life, health, and housing from environmental-related harms.

Litigation at national and regional levels is also gaining traction in this field. By expanding their case law through contentious jurisdiction and advisor opinions on several issues –such as transboundary environmental harm, climate change and the protection of biodiversity – courts have been playing a pivotal role in the evolution and enforcement of international environmental law and human rights law.

Such developments illustrate the growing understanding that environmental protection and human rights are deeply interconnected and that their enforcement relies on the collaborative efforts of multiple actors, encompassing international organizations, national governments, and civil society.

Participants in this training course 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. The course will also provide practical insights into the different UN human rights mechanisms pertinent to advancing environmental issues and protecting environmental human rights defenders. The synergies and tensions between international human rights law and international environmental law will be addressed, focusing both on substance and procedure. The key role of environmental compliance mechanisms will also be addressed, as well as the human rights angle to climate change litigation before different regional and international bodies.

The course – co-organized with EarthJustice and the Center for International Environmental Law– will draw on experts from major UN bodies in Geneva and elsewhere, as well as experts from academia, government, business and civil society.

TWO MODULES

The course is composed of two independent – although complementary – modules, meaning that participants can choose to follow the course in its entirety (Module 1 + Module 2) or to only follow Module 1 (it is not possible to apply for Module 2 only).

The programme will consist of a series of frontal lectures complemented by an interactive workshop, designed to offer a comprehensive and engaging learning experience on the intersection of human rights and environmental protection.

MODULE 1 – HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE ENVIRONMENT: INTRODUCING LEGAL REGIMES AND KEY ISSUES: 2–11 SEPTEMBER 2024, FULLY ONLINE

This module aims to introduce participants 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. It will also provide an overview of the key issues about human rights and the environment.

It will:

• Explore the major international (both universal and regional) instruments for the promotion of human rights, as well as their implementation and enforcement mechanisms
• Explore the major international environmental principles and multilateral environmental agreements, with the relevant compliance mechanisms
• Identify particularly vulnerable categories of rights holders, such as indigenous people, women and migrants.

MODULE 2 – PROTECTING HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE ENVIRONMENT: 16–20 SEPTEMBER 2024, IN GENEVA AND ONLINE

Module 2 aims to provide practical insights into the different UN human rights mechanisms pertinent to advancing environmental issues and protecting environmental human rights defenders and address the synergies and tensions between international human rights law and international environmental law.

It will:

• Provide full knowledge of UN human rights treaty bodies and their role in guaranteeing effective protection of human rights and environmental standards
• Provide practical insight into the different mechanisms of the UN Human Rights Council pertinent to further environmental issues and the protection of defenders
• Understand the synergies and tensions between international human rights law and international environmental law
• Address the procedural dimension of environmental rights, with specific regard to access to justice and information
• Examine the role and responsibilities of businesses vis-à-vis the protection of human rights and the environment
• Assess environmental litigation paths and procedural hurdles before human rights courts.
• Understand the repercussions of recognizing a human right to a healthy environment, including its implications for legal systems, policy-making, and the obligations of states and non-state actors.

OBJECTIVES

• Upon successful completion of both modules, participants will have the knowledge and skills to:
• Grasp the key norms, principles and enforcement mechanisms of international human rights law and environmental law
• Understand how to resort to UN treaty bodies for human rights and environmental concerns
• Understand how to engage with the UN Human Rights Council mechanisms on environmental issues and the situation of defenders
• Assess the legal and policy issues relating to human rights norms that may be employed to protect the environment
• Identify and analyze how basic international and regional human rights systems can be used to provide a measure of environmental protection
• Apply human rights norms to an array of contemporary international and domestic environmental problems
• Assess the litigation options for environment-related human rights cases, as well as the role of amici curiae.

METHODOLOGY

The training course will be interactive and participants will be encouraged to share their own experiences and perspectives on the issues covered. The training sessions will include lectures and discussions with a wide range of experts as well as practical examples and case studies. Sessions will be designed to enhance substantive and practical knowledge exchange with peers and facilitators. Group exercises will also demonstrate how to apply in practice the knowledge acquired during the course.

ACCESS TO A DEDICATED COMMUNITY PLATFORM

All participants in our training course have access – ahead, during and following their course – to a dedicated community platform (on Mighty Network). This community brings together all the participants to our courses who have unlimited access to the training materials and resources shared during their course and can exchange with all the alumni of the Geneva Human Rights Platform Training Hub.

AUDIENCE

This training course is designed for staff of NGOs, development and human rights institutions, UN bodies and other international organizations, business enterprises as well as representatives of governments and members of academia.

CERTIFICATION

Participants who complete the training course receive a certificate of participation from the Geneva Academy.

How to register

Applications must be submitted via this online application form.

If you have questions, do not hesitate to contact us: traininghub[at]geneva-academy.ch

The implementation of internationally agreed human rights standards in national contexts requires the participation of the United Nations (UN) human rights system as well as rigorous monitoring and implementation strategies by national human rights actors.

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.

The UN human rights system – composed of UN special procedures, fact-finding missions, UN treaty bodies and the Universal Periodic Review– forms an extensive structure to review state compliance with international human rights standards. This sophisticated architecture at the international level finds complementarity at the national level with the participation of numerous actors: governments, independent state institutions, parliaments, civil society groups and UN agencies among others. More recently, we have also seen the emergence of national human rights structures such as inter-ministerial committees, national mechanisms for implementation, reporting and follow-up, national human rights institutions and national civil society coalitions. These bodies attempt, individually or through collaborative efforts, to ensure state compliance and accountability to the recommendations emanating from the UN human rights system.

Using concrete examples, this training course will provide an overview of the UN human rights system and explore available strategies for national-level implementation of international human rights recommendations, including the many challenges that such work encounters.

PROGRAMME

The course will cover the following issues:

• Explain the structure and mechanisms of the international human rights system (including the UN treaty bodies; UN special procedures and fact-finding mechanism and the Universal Periodic Review (UPR)
• Locate the UN Human Rights system within the UN, including the links with related topics and issues such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate-related goals and conference commitments
• Explain the significance of recommendations that emerge from the UN human rights system
• Explore the obstacles that explain the considerable gap that exists between these recommendations and implementation on the ground in order to hold states accountable for their commitments to international human rights instruments
• Provide examples of good practices that exist, through national structures across the world, to hold governments and third parties accountable to human rights commitments (including national human rights action plans, national mechanisms for implementation, reporting and follow-up, inter-ministerial committees, national civil society coalitions for the UPR and digital human rights tracking tools)
• Visit a UN treaty body session to understand the significance of follow-up mechanisms.

OBJECTIVES

At the end of this course, participants will be:

• Understand the UN human rights standards and mechanisms that form the UN human rights system
• Understand how to access international human rights bodies to promote local and national human rights issues
• Develop a detailed understanding of the existing follow-up mechanisms by UN treaty bodies, UN special procedures and fact-finding missions and through the UPR
• Understand the progress made at the national level, through the formation of national collaborative structures, to hold governments and third parties accountable to international human rights commitments
• Demonstrate how collaborative structures can be created at the national level
• Develop an understanding of how such collaborative structures can be used, at the national level in order to close the gaps that exist between human rights recommendations made by the international human rights system and the implementation of these recommendations on the ground.

METHODOLOGY

The course will be conducted in a participatory mode with a combination of illustrated lectures (using power points and short videos) and group exercises aimed at understanding how best to access the UN human rights system. These group exercises will also demonstrate how to engage national-level actors, including through strategies to track the implementation of recommendations emanating from the UN human rights system and how to report back to this system to enhance accountability.

ACCESS TO A DEDICATED COMMUNITY PLATFORM

All participants in our training course have access – ahead, during and following their course – to a dedicated community platform (on Mighty Network). This community brings together all the participants to our courses who have unlimited access to the training materials and resources shared during their course and can exchange with all the alumni of the Geneva Human Rights Platform Training Hub.

LECTURERS

The training course will be led by Miloon Kothari, a renowned expert on human rights and social policy, with extensive teaching and training experience on the UN human rights system.

AUDIENCE

This training course is designed for staff of NGOs, research institutes, UN agencies (especially members with experience in fieldwork) and other national and international organisations, members of NHRIs and representatives of governments and academia.

CERTIFICATION

Participants who successfully complete the training course receive a certificate of participation from the Geneva Academy.

How to register

Applications must be submitted via this online application form.

If you have questions, do not hesitate to contact us: stefania.distefano[at]geneva-academy.ch