On 21 October 2016, in view of the on-going human rights crisis in the Syrian Arab Republic – and in particular – the recent deteriorating situation in Aleppo, the Human Rights Council convened a special session on ‘the deteriorating situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic, and the recent situation in Aleppo.’ The meeting was requested, via an official letter on 18 October 2016 written by …
Note: This article is based on a speech delivered by Ambassador CHOI Kyonglim, President of the Human Rights Council, on Monday 17th October 2016, at an event hosted by the Governments of Norway and Switzerland, supported by the Universal Rights Group, to mark the launch of the report of the third Glion Human Rights Dialogue. I will touch on three …
Human rights scholarship and advocacy claim to be grounded in universality, yet both are anything but in their privileging the Western role in building an international human rights system. A paradox sits at the heart of the human rights movement. For decades it has made strong claims about the universality of human rights but then proceeded to present a discounted …
Quick summary The 32nd regular session of the Human Rights Council (HRC32) was held from 13 June 2016 to 8 July 2016. HRC32 marked the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Council. At the opening of the session, statements were delivered by Mr Choi Kyonglim, President of the Human Rights Council, Mr Didier Burkhalter, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign …
The Council blew out the candles on its 10th birthday cake in June. As delegates working from different perspectives, who were there at the birth, who saw the Council take its first baby steps, and who have seen it grow and develop, here’s a shared view on how far we’ve come. Ten years ago there was optimism that …
Nepal underwent its second review by the Working Group of the Human Rights Council as part of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process on November 4th 2015. The review was the culmination of a long process of internally reviewing the status of implementation of Nepal’s recommendations from the first review, inter-ministerial coordination and workshops, consultations with a broad range of …
When, in 2005, the UN General Assembly agreed on the geographical segmentation of the membership of the new Human Rights Council, it was widely believed that developing countries would enjoy an ‘automatic majority’ in the newly established body and thus that the priorities and concerns of the global South would be adequately reflected and addressed. This theoretical disposition did not …
Fostering respect for human rights is one of Switzerland’s foreign policy objectives, as provided for in our Federal Constitution. In Switzerland, promoting and protecting human rights is essential to direct democracy because it forms the basis for the freedom and security of every individual. At the international level, respect for human rights contributes to peace and global security, to the …
Quick summary The 31st regular session of the Human Rights Council (HRC31) was held from 29 February 2016 to 24 March 2016. At the opening of the session, statements were delivered by H.E. Mr Choi Kyong-Lim, President of the Human Rights Council, Mr Mogens Lykketoft, President of General Assembly, H.E. Mr Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein the UN High Commissioner for …
As the Human Rights Council hits its 10th birthday, it is important that it strengthens both the effectiveness and the visibility of its work. If the Council is to remain a credible institution, it is important not only that it fulfills its mandate to promote and protect human rights, but that the wider public, around the world, sees that it …
