• it
  • it
May 2, 2015
in News EN

Last week, April 20-24, IIMA and VIDES participated in the third session of the intergovernmental working group on the Declaration of the Right to Peace. This is the last session before the text of the Declaration is presented before the Human Rights Council, so it was in everyone’s interest to come to a consensus by Friday night, though it is unclear what will actually be the final version until the Human Rights Council meets. Led by Chairperson Christian Guillermet-Fernandez, Ambassador of Costa Rica, the Working Group took various forms, sometimes formal debate, other times through informal negotiations and consultations. The...

May 1, 2015
in News EN

On Wednesday, April 22, IIMA and VIDES attended the “Women of Power” book launch and panel, which featured Torild Skard (Norwegian politician and author), Elayne Whyte Gomez (Ambassador of Costa Rica), Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda (world leader of Young Women Christian Association), and Sigrun Habermann (moderator). It was held in the UNOG library, directly in front of “The Dream of Peace” fresco by Norwegian painter Henrik Sørensen. First, Ms Skard spoke about the artist Sørensen, since he was a family friend. Then, she turned to her book, Women of Power, spanning the political...

April 17, 2015
in News EN

UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture Expert Panelists The discussion on the use of the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture took place on April 16, 2015. The Director of the Human Rights Treaties Division, Ibrahim Salama, opened the discussion by reminding everyone that the Fund has existed for 30 years and has raised more than US$160 million since its inception, and introduced the panel of experts, representing different sectors of victim support. They were Felicitas Treue, CCTI, Mexico; Suzanne Jabbour, RESTART, Lebanon; Adam Bodnar, on the Board of...

April 8, 2015
in #youth, News EN

On the occasion of the 28th Session of Human Rights Council, IIMA addressed once again the topic of Youth Empowerment, by delivering and oral statement co-sponsored by VIDES International, Salesian Missions, Inc and VIS along with the support of Comitato per la promozione e protezione dei diritti umani, Don Bosco Network, Fundación Jovenes y Desarrollo, Misiones Salesianas and VIA Don Bosco BELGIUM. IIMA urged the  Council to address major challenges that youth are facing in regards to the full enjoyment of their rights. The statement highlighted the current inadequate political and...

April 6, 2015
in News EN

During the 28th session of the UN Human Rights Council (March 2nd to 27th, 2015) IIMA and VIDES contributed to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Italy and El Salvador with a Joint Oral Statement for each country during item 6 (UPR - consideration of outcomes). Other NGOs, including local NGOs, supported both statements. IIMA and VIDES took the opportunity to express satisfaction in seeing that both countries accepted most of the recommendations relating to the protection of children’s rights, young people and women; especially those in most vulnerable situations (migrants, Roma, unaccompanied minors, and children/youth living/working in the...

April 5, 2015
in News EN

On Tuesday February 24th of 2015 the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy was carried out at the International Conference Center of Geneva with a successful outcome. Throughout the day, different discussion panels took place featuring human rights advocates and victims of human rights violations. Among them we can highlight the participation of Tamara Suju, Venezuelan Human Rights lawyer, Yeon-Mi Park, a 21 year old North Korean defector, Saa, a Nigerian schoolgirl who escaped from Boko Haram, Pierre Torres, a French journalist held hostage by ISIS for 10 months,...

April 4, 2015
in News EN

On Wednesday February 18th, the Graduate Institute of Geneva hosted the screening of the movie “Difret”. Produced by Angelina Jolie, this award-winning film tells the story of a female Ethiopian lawyer who defends a 14 year old girl charged with killing a man who, claiming to follow traditions; abducted, raped, and intended to force her into forced marriage. The film was screened after brief welcome remarks by Philippe Burrin, Director of the Graduate Institute, and Michael Møller, Acting Director General of the United Nations Office at Geneva. A debate followed the screening...

April 2, 2015
in News EN

The panel discussion entitled “Silent Victims of War: Cultural Heritage at Risk in Conflicts and Crises: the case of Syria seen through UNOSAT satellite imagery analysis" was held at UNOG Library on February 5, 2015. The discussion moderated by Francesco Pisano Director of Research and Technology Application Knowledge Systems at UNITAR, featured the participation of prominent speakers: Einar Bjørgo Director of UNOSAT, Vittorio Mainetti from the University of Geneva, Blandine Blukacz -Louisfert Chief of the Institutional Memory Section at the UNOG Library, Giovanni Boccardi Head of Unit for Preparedness and Emergency...

April 2, 2015
in News EN

On Friday, January 30th, IIMA attended the Informal Consultation with the Chairperson-rapporteur, Christian Guillermet-Fernandéz, of the Open-ended Intergovernmental Working Group on the Right to Peace.  The Human Rights Council decided in its resolution 20/15 of July 5, 2012, to establish this working group with the mandate of progressively negotiating a Draft United Nation declaration on the Right to Peace. This informal meeting took place exactlybefore the third session of the Working Group occurring next April 20. The session collected current opinions of States and NGOs in order to find out...

January 30, 2015
in News EN

Buddhists, Jews and Muslims joined Christians to pray and reflect on Pope Francis’ message for the world day for peace 2015 titled “No longer slaves, but brothers and sisters” at an interreligious service, held at Saint Nicolas de Flüe Church in Geneva this past January 19th. A warm message from Mgr. Richard Gyhra (First Secretary of the Permanent Mission of the Holy See in Geneva) commenced the ceremony that welcomed the representatives of the distinct faiths and guests to reflect about the negative connotations that slavery denotes, as well as...

Route de Veyrier, 243
1255 Veyrier | Geneva | Switzerland
Email | info@iimageneva.org
Tel | 0041 22 552 43 34

Website by Brandlift.ch