Geneva Academy
27 August 2019
Ibrahim Salama is the Chief of the Human Rights Treaties Branch of the Office of the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights. As such he manages the functioning of the UN treaty body system which monitors states’ compliance with their human rights obligations through periodical reporting, visits, inquiries and individual petitions.
He just joined the Geneva Academy as Visiting Fellow and will stay with us until end of 2019.
I had close collaboration with the Geneva Academy through their work on the future of the UN treaty body system. This allowed me to further deepen my conviction that independent academic thinking can contribute immensely to providing solutions to complex multilateral challenges. Particularly in an era where the push back against human rights seems to become a worrying global phenomenon.
I will carry out research on the human rights role and responsibilities of religious actors, attempting to provide a draft human rights toolbox for human rights training for faith actors.
I believe that the human rights movement confronts a dilemma between secularism and the rising role of religions. Religious actors play both constructive and destructive roles in different parts of the world. Recognising and empowering faith actors in the area of human rights can bring great benefits in terms of peace, development, security and human rights.
I hope that this research will contribute to the emergence of a new powerful human rights actor.
I expect debates, fresh perspectives, methodological guidance and even potential collaboration if the results of my research are of interest to the Geneva Academy.
News
The 2025 Latsis Symposium on Science for Global Development and Humanitarian Action, organized by ETH for Development, gave prominent space to human rights issues.
FORTAJUS-DH
Via its DHRTTDs Directory, the Geneva Human Rights Platform provides a comprehensive list and description of such key tools and databases. But how to navigate them? Which tool should be used for what, and by whom? This interview helps us understand better the specificities of the current highlight of the directory: FORTAJUS-DH – Human Rights Monitoring System
Training
UN Photo / Jean-Marc Ferré
This training course will explore the origin and evolution of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and its functioning in Geneva and will focus on the nature of implementation of the UPR recommendations at the national level.
Project
Paolo Margari
This research aims at mainstreaming the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment and the protection it affords in the work of the UN Human Rights Council, its Special Procedures and Universal Periodic Review, as well as in the work of the UN General Assembly and UN treaty bodies.
Project
Adobe Stock
This project addresses the human rights implications stemming from the development of neurotechnology for commercial, non-therapeutic ends, and is based on a partnership between the Geneva Academy, the Geneva University Neurocentre and the UN Human Rights Council Advisory Committee.
Publication