Friday 23 October

1.00 - 2.30 pm

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Thursday 24 September

12.00 - 13.00

Palais des Nations, Room XXII, Geneva

 Organised by ISHR, International Campaign for Tibet, World Uyghur Congress and Tibet Advocacy Coalition. 

Panelists: 

• Golog Jigme - Testimony by former Tibetan political prisoner
• Sarah Brooks - International Service for Human Rights
• Vincent Metten - International Campaign for Tibet
• Dolkun Isa - World Uyghur Congress
• Padma Dolma - Tibet Advocacy Coalition 

Monday 12 October

1.15pm - 2.30pm

UN HQ Conference Room 7, New York

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Co-organised by the Permanent Missions of Germany, Afghanistan, Australia, Chile, Ghana and Morocco in New York and the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) at the margins of the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly.

In Defense of Life | Conclusions of the Mission of International Civil Society Observers about the situation of human rights defenders in Mexico 2015

En Defensa de la Vida | Conclusiones de la Misión de Observación Civil sobre la situación de las personas defensoras en México 2015

Tuesday 29 September
15.30 - 17.30
Palais des Nations, Room XXII

Organised by Comisión Mexicana de Defensa y Promoción de los Derechos Humanos, Asociación Civil and ISHR. 

A Mission of International Observers visited Mexico in November 2015 to examine the situation for human rights defenders in the country. The Mission will present its conclusions and recommendations to the Mexican Government within the framework of the 30th session of the Human Rights Council.

Panelists:

• Rosario Figari Layús - Researcher in the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research on Conflict and Violence (IKG) at the University of Bielefeld, Germany.
• Carola Hausotter - Coordinador of the German Network for Human Rights in Mexico (Deutschen Menschenrechtskoordination Mexiko)
• Ben Leather - Advocacy, Training and Communications Manager of the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
• Olga Guzmán Vergara - Advocary Director of the Mexican Commission for the Defense and Promotion of Human Rights (CMDPDH)
• Ambassador Jorge Lomónaco Tonda - Permanent Representative of Mexico to the UN in Geneva (TBC)
• Christina Kokkinakis - Head of Human Rights section from the Permanent Delegation of the European Union to the UN in Geneva

Dowload the flyer here.

Monday, 7 September 2015
11:00am - 12.30pm
Australian Permanent Mission, Chemin des Fins 2, Geneva

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“The Univeral Periodic Review is breaking new ground; now we must make sure it never becomes simply a rote exercise…Facing human rights problems is the first step, acting to fix them moves us forward on the path of progress.”
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

As we move towards the end of the second cycle of the UPR, it is clear that States and civil society can play complementary roles at every stage of the UPR process and must do so if progress is to be made.

ISHR, UPR Info and the permanent missions of Australia, Paraguay and Namibia are pleased to invite you to a discussion on the opportunities for and benefits of collaboration and cooperation between States and civil society in the UPR process.

Marking the launch of the new book Human Rights and the Universal Periodic Review: Rituals and Ritualism, edited by Professor Hilary Charlesworth and Dr Emma Larking, and a comprehensive guide by UPR Info on the role of “Recommending States”, this discusison will also provide an opportunity to identify challenges to effective NGO participation and collaboration with States and to consider possible solutions.

Panelists:

• Professor Hilary Charlesworth, Editor, Human Rights and the Universal Periodic Review: Rituals and Ritualism
• H.E. Mr Juan Esteban Aguirre Martínez, Permanent Representative of Paraguay
• Ms Shahrzad Tadjbakhsh, Chief, UPR Branch, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
• Mr Miloon Kothari, President, UPR Info

Moderator: 

• H.E. Mr John Quinn, Permanent Representative of Australia

A light lunch will be served following the panel discussion.

RSVP essential by 1 September to [email protected]

Thumbnail photo: iStock

Wednesday 15 July 10 am - 12.30 pm
ECOSOC Chamber, UN Conference Building
New York 

Read and watch our post-event coverage here.

In advance of the Human Rights Council elections that will take place this fall, Amnesty International and the International Service for Human Rights, with the co-sponsorship of the Permanent Missions of Botswana, Brazil and the Netherlands, invite you to a presentation and discussion of the pledges and commitments made by candidates for the term starting 2016. 

Candidates will have an opportunity to present their vision of membership on the Council and respond to questions on how they would realize the pledges they have made in seeking election.

Participating candidates:

• Belgium
• Georgia
• Germany
• Kyrgyzstan
• Panama
• Republic of Korea
• Slovenia
• Switzerland

Moderator:

• Mr Charles Radcliffe, Chief of the Global Issues Section and Officer-in-Charge of the New York office of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

We also invite you to follow the event on Twitter through @ISHRGlobal and @AmnestyUN, and via the hashtag #HRCpledging.

If you require a UN Ground Pass to attend the event, please RSVP by 9 July to [email protected].

Download the event flyer here.

12:30pm - 14:30pm | 14 July | London

We welcome you to this high-level event on the relationship between business and human rights defenders, convened jointly by the International Service for Human Rights and the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. The discussion will focus on the threats and risks many defenders face, and the responsibility of States and corporations in supporting and protecting their work.

Panelists:

• Alejandra Ancheita, Director of ProDESC in Mexico and winner of the 2014 Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders
• Julie Broome, Director of Programmes with Sigrid Rausing Trust
• Nicolas Patrick, Partner and Head of Pro Bono and Corporate Responsibilitty with DLA Piper
• Owen Larter, UK Government Affairs Manager with Microsoft
• Stephen Lowe, Head of Business and Human Rights/Freedom of Expression Team, Human Rights and Democracy Department, UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Moderator:

• Phil Bloomer, Director of the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre

For those unable to attend, we invite you to follow the event on Twitter through @ISHRGlobal and @BHRRC via the hashtag #BizHRDs

We kindly request that you RSVP via this link by Friday 10 July.

Venue: Room XXII, Palais des Nations

Date: 23 June 2015, 12:00-13:30 

The UN Human Rights Council has taken laudible steps since 2011 to establish a stronger normative framework safeguarding against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Yet, the High Commissioner for Human Rights' recent report expresses concern that systematic violations against people based on their sexual orientation and gender identity persist and is getting worse. In particular, LGBTI human rights defenders and civil society organizations continue to face a wide range of threats, harassment and intimidation to undermine their legitimate activities. 

This event will provide an important opportunity to discuss effective strategies to create and sustain an enabling environment for LGBTI civil society groups. The panel will also provide a civil society view on the implementation of recommendations identified by OHCHR in its report as well as on how the Human Rights Council needs to build on its initiatives taken so far. 

Panelists:

• Kenita Placide - CariFlags, St Lucia
• Joshua Sehoole - Iranti-Org, South Africa
• Natasha Jimenez - Mulabi, Costa Rica
• Zhan Chiam - ILGA

Moderator:

Pooja Patel - ISHR

Photo: Thomas Bower 

Date:

25 June 2015, 11:30-13:00

Venue: 

Room IX, at the HRC in Geneva

Speakers: 

• Ms. Yara Badr, Director of Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM)
• Ms. Angela Alaliaoui, Independent Iraqi Human Rights Activist
• Mr. Philip Lynch, Director, International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) 
• Ms. Lucie Morillon, Director of the program, Reporters without Borders (RSF)

Moderator: 

Mr. Khalid Ibrahim, Co-Director, Gulf Center for Human Rights (GCHR) 

Download the event flyer here