Geneva, 12th February 2016 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark and the Universal Rights Group today launched a new diplomatic initiative in Geneva: the ‘Friday Exchange.’ The Friday Exchange is a series of quarterly informal policy dialogues (small roundtable discussions) designed to allow States (ambassador level) from all regions to exchange opinions, bridge differences and identify common ground on …
At the initiative of the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Permanent Mission of the United States of America, the Geneva Centre for Security Policy will host on Thursday, December 3rd, a Policy Dialogue on “Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism: National Experiences and Best Practices”. Ambassador Mohamed AUAJJAR and Ambassador Keith HARPER will co-chair this important event …
In December this year, world governments will meet in Paris to agree a new binding treaty to halt and ultimately reserve global climate change. COP21 is one of the most important environmental conferences ever to be held, but also one of the most important human rights gatherings of the past half-century. The ability of States to reach – or not …
URG-CVF-Costa Rica-UN Special Procedures event on human rights and climate change in conjunction with UNFCCC SB42 in Bonn Wednesday 10th June 2015, Geneva On 10th June the Universal Rights Group, together with the Climate Vulnerable Forum and the Government of Costa Rica organised an event to present and build on a Joint Statement (Friday 5 June) by UN Special Procedures …
Wednesday 27th May 2015, Geneva The Universal Rights Group (URG) today welcomed the holding of the first informal Human Rights Council briefing with the High Commissioner for Human Rights, a new work format discussed and developed through inclusive talks during the 2015 Glion Human Rights Dialogue . The informal Council briefings, organised in cooperation with and following a request by the UN High Commissioner …
At its 56th Ordinary Session held in Banjul from 21st April to 7th May 2015, the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights granted Observer Status to the Universal Rights Group in accordance with the resolution on the Criteria for Granting and Enjoying Observer Status to NGOs Working in the Field of Human and People’s Rights. This decision as well as …
Thursday, 29th January 2015, Geneva When the Human Rights Council was established in 2006 following a decision of UN Heads of State, its founders envisioned it as a body with a core mandate to ‘address situations of violations of human rights, including gross and systematic violations, and make recommendations thereon.’ Nine years on, state enthusiasm for the Council continues to grow …
Beyond 2015 – a global civil society campaign which the URG is proud to be a part of – has published a reaction paper to the UN Secretary General’s synthesis report, The road to dignity by 2030: ending poverty, transforming all lives and protecting the planet , an important contribution to the post-2015 process. In the reaction paper, Beyond2015 provides a review of the Secretary General’s broader call for an ambitious, universal agenda, with equality and equity, participation, people and planet at the …
It is almost impossible to turn on the news today without witnessing scenes of hatred, violence and intolerance perpetrated in the name of religion or belief. The march of ISIL across Syria and Iraq, with associated reports of gross and systematic violations of human rights, may be an extreme example of such hatred, but it is part of a broad …
17th December 2014, Geneva Barbados and Tuvalu have become the first two countries to benefit from the Fellowship Program under the Voluntary Trust Fund for the participation of SIDS and LDCs in the work of the Human Rights. In 2012, the UN Human Rights Council adopted the resolution to establish the Voluntary Technical Assistance Trust Fund to Support the Participation …
