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 Editorial
Geneva, April 2016
Dear friends of FES,
We are happy to introduce the latest version of the FES Geneva human rights newsletter. FES Geneva continues to serve as the hub for FES’ international activities in the field of human rights. Human rights work is therefore a central pillar of our activities. Our human rights programme that we are developing jointly with our partners at the UN and in the Geneva-based human rights community is implemented by a small but dedicated team comprised of Hannah Peters (hpeters@fes-geneva.org) and Noreen Eberle (neberle@fes-geneva.org).
In this issue, we will look at past and current events on issues of climate change and human rights taking stock of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP21) in Paris last December, report on the latest activities in the area of the Universal Periodic Review, outline key events and questions in the field of Business and Human Rights and inform about the training opportunities provided by FES and its Geneva based partner organisations.
For further information on the human rights work of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, please click on the human rights logo on the FES Geneva website or go to the human rights page of our headquarters in Berlin (http://www.fes.de/GPol/en/human_rights.htm).
We, again, hope you will find our selection useful and look forward to suggestions and feedback.
Hubert René Schillinger, Director FES Geneva
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 Tackling climate change through immediate and drastic emission reduction while mitigating the already apparent and future impacts of climate change is one of the most pressing challenges faced by the international community today.
At the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP21) the first legally binding environmental agreement applicable to all 195 States Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was adopted – the Paris Agreement.
State actors from developed, developing and emerging countries defined targets on carbon emission reduction, energy efficiency and adaptation and mitigation strategies to climate change.
Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung supports the process by strengthening the dialogue between social and political actors from industrialized, developing and emerging economies as well as civil society actors.
The following activities lie at the core of FES Geneva's Human Rights and Climate Change work:
- The Geneva Climate Change Concertation Group (GeCCco): As an informal roundtable for improved networking and coherence between NGOs working in the field of human rights and climate change, GeCCco was launched in 2014 by FES, Earthjustice and Ciel. This platform offers exchange opportunities on ongoing processes not only in relation to COP 21 and the ADP drafting process but also to the Human Rights Council and Special Procedures.
- Cooperation with UN Treaty Bodies and Special Rapporteurs to move debates on a human rights approach to climate change forward.
- Development of strategies for further anchoring the topic of climate change and related issues in the Human Rights Council, namely by organizing side events during the sessions.
Recent Geneva Human Rights and Climate Change events
Human Rights Council Side Event: After Paris – Continuing the conversation on climate change and the right to health
03 March 2016, 17:00 - 18:30, Room XXIV, Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland
This side event followed the High Level Panel Discussion on climate change and the right to health and the presentation of the reports by the Special Rapporteur on the environment to the Council in the morning and aimed to outline civil society perspectives. The impacts of climate change on the right to health, human rights obligations by state parties to effectively regulate pollutive industries as well as public health policies were addressed.
Speakers
- John Knox, Special Rapporteur on human rights and environment
- Palash Mondal, CARE Bangladesh - Impacts climate change on community health
- Yves Lador, Earthjustice – climate change impact on public health policies
- Budi Tjahjono, Franciscans International – Impact on communities
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More information on the Human Rights Council panel discussion on climate change and the right to health
Public event: Gender related dimensions of climate change and disaster risk reduction
29 February 2016, 18:00 - 20:00, Maison de la Paix, Geneva, Switzerland
In the aftermath of COP21, a debate on climate-resilient livelihoods and gender inequalities was particularly timely. Unequal distribution of rights, resources and power constrain many women’s’ capacitates to adapt to climate change and disaster. This public event, co-organized with CARE International, strived to identify next steps towards climate resilience and outlined the respective roles of civil society, states and UN human rights mechanisms in moving towards gender sensitive responses to the effects of climate change.
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More Information on the CEDAW Half Day of General Discussion
Side Event at COP21: Climate Change: one of the greatest human rights challenges of our time
10 December 2015, 11:30 - 13:00, Paris, France
Climate change is an issue of justice and inequality for those experiencing severe impacts of climate change. These impacts — as well as responses taken to address them — threaten internationally recognized human rights. In light of these threats, the Paris Agreement must take steps to address these harms. This side event at the United Nations conference on climate change COP21 thus lended support for the core human rights language in the operative text of the agreement . High-level state, UN and civil society representatives provided a unique perspective on why human rights protections are critically needed as part of the climate change agreement.
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The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique mechanism of the UN Human Rights Council, which consists of the review of human rights policy and practice of all 193 UN Member States, once every four and a half years. At the end of 2016 the second cycle will be finished. Despite the weaknesses of the process this mechanism is the sole opportunity to combine and evaluate information from government, civil society and UN treaty bodies.
Upcoming Geneva UPR Events
The UPR: A Human Rights Awareness-raising Process
19 - 20 April 2016, Geneva, Switzerland
The mechanism of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is widely acknowledged as mobilizing the attention of the media and the public of a country. The UPR thus offers a unique opportunity for outreach, information and a public debate on fundamental rights.
This workshop, jointly organized by FES and CIFEDHOP, aims to bring together actors from civil society and national human rights institutions and discuss various practices employed to use the UPR as a lever of understanding and dissemination of human rights. The workshop aims to draw up an initial inventory of these practices and to identify the challenges faced and thereby contribute to an understanding how the UPR can add to the understanding of fundamental rights in the public domain.
Participation is by invitation only
Recent Geneva UPR Events
Side Event on the UPR of Paraguay
20 January 2016, 12:30 - 14:30, Room XXII, Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland
On the occasion of the 24th UPR session, held between 18 and 29 January 2016, Paraguay was reviewed by the Human Rights Council. The aim of the side event was to present key concerns regarding the human rights situation in Paraguay, to analyse the recommendations received through the UPR and to discuss strategies for implementation at the national level. This event was co-organized by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Coordinadora Derechos Humanos Paraguay and the International Service for Human Rights.
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UPR Pre-Session of Paraguay
17 December 2015, 12:00 -12:30, CICG, Geneva, Switzerland
The Geneva based NGO UPR Info is organizing UPR pre-sessions to bring together Permanent Missions, National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to discuss the human rights situation of States one month prior to their review at the UPR Working Group. To the 12th round of the pre-sessions, FES Geneva invited a NGO representative from the Paraguayan human rights coalition Coordinadora Derechos Humanos Paraguay (CODEHUPY). He presented recommendations of the civil society report that was submitted to the Human Rights Council.
Public side event on the UPR of Lebanon
02 November 2015, 12:30 - 14:15, Palais des Nations, Room XXII, Geneva, Switzerland
Lebanon’s human rights records were reviewed during the 23rd Working Group session of the Universal Periodic Review, on November 2nd 2015. Civil society representatives from Lebanon invited to a panel discussion prior to Working Group session, to present their concerns on the human rights situation on the ground and on the implementation of the UPR recommendations in Lebanon.
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Public side event on the UPR of Nepal
04 November 2015, 10:00 - 12:00, Palais des Nations, Room XXIII, Geneva, Switzerland
On the occasion of the 23rd UPR session held between 02 – 13 November 2015, Nepal was reviewed by the Human Rights Council. t a public side event the panelists presented key topics of the civil society report that was submitted to the HRC as background information for the states participating in the review.
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Recent Geneva Business and Human Rights Events
Access to remedy: Roles and responsibilities of interested states in relation to cross-border business related human rights abuses
28 - 29 January, 25 February and 15 - 16 March 2016 Geneva, Switzerland
A series of workshops with government and civil society actors in support of OHCHR’s Accountability and Remedy Project. The workshop series was intended to explore current state approaches, attitudes and barriers to more effective action in the case of business related human rights abuses, as well as potential points of agreement that could help inform future practical and legal developments. The workshops were aimed to clarify roles and responsibilities between home, host and other interested states in such situations.
Participation was by invitation only
Utilizing the United Nations Guiding Principles (UNGPs) in the context of extractive industries – Benefits and challenges
18 November 2015, 15:00 - 16:30, Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland
This side event to the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights, co-organized with the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association, brought together business, civil society and UN representatives to analyze experiences of different stakeholders with the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The session particularly focused on the examination of current practice of states and business enterprises in the area of extractive industries andl outlined the potential and remaining challenges for the UNGPs in the context of stakeholder consultations. As such, the session aimed to contribute to the strengthening of multi-stakeholder dialogue and engagement among communities, corporates and governments.
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Report
Mining communities in post-conflict settings: New challenges and opportunities for peace keeping
17 November 2015, 13:30-15:00, UN Library, Building B, Floor 1, Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland
For a number of conflict regions, particularly in Africa, the current concepts designed to prevent or halt natural resource exploitation as funding sources for war and insurgencies appear to be outdated. Sanctions regimes to prevent natural resources from fuelling armed conflict, as devised by the United Nations, as well as due diligence schemes such advised by the OECD or made mandatory for US companies by the Dodd-Frank Act, appear to be behind the curve of the actual developments.
As part of the Geneva Peace Week this session, jointly organised with the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, aimed to analyse and update conceptions and unintended consequences on the ground.
Flyer of the event
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FES Geneva offers 3 different types of trainings:
- Tr aining Course on the international Human Right System for representatives of National Human Rights Institutions: National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) are independent institutions of the State with a constitutional or legislative mandate to protect and promote human rights in line with the United Nations Paris Principles they maintain a significant role, distinct to the role of state parties or civil society actors. This training concept aims to further strengthen the capacity of NHRIs to protect and promote the respect of Human Rights in their respective countries.
- Human Rights Training Seminar for activists from the MENA region: Since several years FES Geneva organizes a one-week training seminar for Human Rights activits from the MENA region. The seminar is held in Arabic and focuses on the procedures and mechanisms of the international human rights system. Participants are selected by FES country offices.
- Individual Human Rights Training Courses: The individual Human Rights training courses are provided by our Geneva-based partner organizations Geneva for Human Rights, the Geneva Academy and the International Service for Human Rights.
Upcoming Training Courses
2016 Training Course for NHRIs on International Human Rights Mechanisms
02 - 06 May 2016, Geneva, Switzerland
The training, developed especially for staff of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) world-wide, aims to support participants in
• Expanding their knowledge of the functioning of UN human rights mechanisms;
• Identifying concrete opportunities for NHRIs' effective engagement;
• Identifying practical ways of effective engagement with the UN mechanisms, such as report writing and following up;
• Engaging with colleagues from the OHCHR and NGOs as well as with states; and
• Exchanging experiences and best practices with peer NHRIs participating in the training
Participation is by invitation only
2016 Arabic Speaking Training Course on International Human Rights Mechanisms
31 October – 4 November 2016
In cooperation with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Geneva Institute for Human Rights, FES Geneva organizes an advanced training course on human rights and the UN human rights system to participants of previous regional training courses. Topics include in-depth information on the Geneva-based human rights system as well as meetings with UN and NGO representatives.
Participation is by invitation only
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Recent Human Rights Events
Human Rights Council Side Event: Economic Inequality, Financial Crises and Human Rights
09 March 2016, 14:00 - 16:00, Room XXIII, Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland
This side event brought together experts to discuss the impacts of inequality in the current economic climate. Topics included economic inequality from a human rights perspective, the role that austerity measures play in fuelling inequalities that negatively impact social protection, how economic inequality relates to other types of inequality and what needs to be done to create more just societies.
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Statement by Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky (SR Foreign Debt)
50th Anniversary of the Human Rights Covenants: A Civil Society Perspective on Impact and Contemporary Challenges
01 March 2016, 12:00 - 14:00, Room XXIII, Palais des Nations, Geneva
50 years ago the General Assembly adopted the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). But what impact have the Covenants had on the situation of rights holders and what impact do recommendations from the relevant UN Committees have 'on the ground’?This side event strived to explore these questions and further identified current challenges for the Covenants’ implementation from a broad variety of perspectives. Against the backdrop of the universality and indivisibility of all human rights, this interactive discussion further emphasized the interdependence of the two Covenants.
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OHCHR Website on the 50th anniversary of the Human Rights Covenants
Public event: Gender related dimensions of climate change and disaster risk reduction
29 February 2016, 18:00 - 20:00, Maison de la Paix, Geneva, Switzerland
In the aftermath of COP21, a debate on climate-resilient livelihoods and gender inequalities was particularly timely. Unequal distribution of rights, resources and power constrain many women’s’ capacitates to adapt to climate change and disaster. This public event, co-organized with CARE International, strived to identify next steps towards climate resilience and outlined the respective roles of civil society, states and UN human rights mechanisms in moving towards gender sensitive responses to the effects of climate change.
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Click here for more Information on the CEDAW Half Day of General Discussion
Side-event at 10th WTO Ministerial Conference: A HUMAN RIGHTS PERSPECTIVE ON THE CFTA
17 December 2015, Nairobi, Kenya
Transparency and participation are key human rights principles and generally also good rules of thumb that can transform a trade negotiation from a secret, exclusive process to an open, inclusive one that is acceptable to a wide range of stakeholders. As the CFTA process moves forward and the negotiations begin, it will be useful to envision in advance a plan for transparent negotiations that is inclusive and participatory. By early 2016, a first scoping study of such an assessment will be published thanks to a joint project of OHCHR, UNECA and FES. At this side-event, some of the study’s analyses and recommendations were presented to the public for the first time.
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 Upcoming International Human Rights Events
25th Session of the UPR Working Group
02 - 13 May 2016, Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland
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