The United Nations Office in Geneva is the second largest UN Centre, after New York. It is a focal point for multilateral diplomacy, human rights, labour, peace and security. The UN’s Human Rights Council and its human rights review mechanisms are based in Geneva, including the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), the Commission of the Rights of the Child (CRC), and the UN’s Refugee Agency, alongside the International Labour Organisation (ILO). For SI’s UN Representatives in Geneva, these human rights mechanisms offer a critical opportunity to provide recommendations to governments to ensure that actions are taken to promote gender equality and women’s and girls’ access to their human rights and fundamental freedoms.
SI’s current Representatives to the UN in Geneva are Berthe De Vos (Centre Contact), Stacy Ciulik and Donatella Benjamin. The thematic areas that SI’s UN Representatives focus on in Geneva include human rights, education, labour, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Lead Image linking page: UN Photo/Rick Bajornas
Our Voice at the UN
The United Nations Office in Geneva is a focal point for multilateral diplomacy in human rights, with the UN’s Human Rights Council and its review mechanisms, including the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Committee of the Rights of the Child (CRC), and
World Humanitarian Day
SI UN Representative, Berthe De Vos-Neven, blogs from World Humanitarian Day at UN Geneva – August 19, 2022. “The General Assembly of the UN has marked August 19th as “World Humanitarian Day” to create awareness around the problems aid workers and humanitarian helpers are daily facing in the crises and
International Girls in ICT Day
Stacy Ciulik, SI UN Representative in Geneva, blogs about the importance of empowering girls in Information and Communication Technology (ICT). “International Girls in ICT Day is an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) global initiative that takes place every year on the 4th Thursday of April. It aims to encourage young women
World Day against Child Labour
Blog by Berthe De Vos, SI Representative to the International Labour Organisation. “What is Child Labour? Child labour is work that harms the health of the child, endangers it, and it is a violation of international and/or national laws. It deprives children of education and/or puts a double burden on
Human Rights Council 50th Session
During the Human Rights Council 50th Session, the annual full-day discussion on the human rights of women was held on June 27, 2022. Donatella Benjamin, SI UN Representative in Geneva, reports on the panel exploring the nexus between climate change and violence against women and girls (VAWG). “In her opening
A Sustainable Economy For People and Planet
A blog by SI UN Representative, Berthe De Vos-Neven. "The International Labor Conference (ILC) is the highest decision-making body of the ILO. 187 tripartite delegations from governments, trade unions and workers meet every year to discuss priority matters related to the world of work. The 110th Session was held 27
End Sexual Violence in Conflict
Blog by Donatella Benjamin, SI UN Representative in Geneva. “The Global Survivors Fund (“GSF”), for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, was officially inaugurated on 9th March 2022 in Geneva, in the presence of its founders Dr. Denis Mukwege and Ms. Nadia Murad, co-laureates of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize. Why
Every State Needs a Femicide Watch
Donatella Benjamin, SI UN Representative, reports from the Regional Forum on Sustainable Development for the UNECE, held on 6-7 April 2022 in Geneva. "The Government of Spain and UN Women organised the side event “One femicide watch in every country to end the shadow pandemic”. Governments, women's rights advocates, feminists, academia
Rising concern for children’s rights
The Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is the body of 18 Independent experts that monitors State implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This monitoring process relies on each State's willingness to submit timely reports and reviews to the Committee. SI UN Representative, Berthe De
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