The Commonwealth, Universal Rights Group and the Bingham Centre, in cooperation with the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, are pleased to invite you to a roundtable discussion and publication launch:

The global human rights implementation agenda:
the key role of national parliaments and civil society

Wednesday 21st November 2018, 11h00 - 13h00
Commonwealth Small States Office,
Rue du Pré-de-la-Bichette 1, Geneva

The meeting will provide an open forum for States, parliamentarians, international organisations and NGOs to discuss: 

• The key role of parliaments in supporting and overseeing the national implementation, by States, of international human rights obligations and commitments.
• The importance of civil society engagement with parliaments, as a key contribution to parliamentary oversight of State implementation 
• A new policy brief by the Commonwealth and the Universal Rights Group exploring the above issues. 

Draft programme

Welcome and introduction  
Mr Steve Onwuasoanya, Human Rights Adviser, Human Rights Unit, Commonwealth Secretariat

The global human rights implementation agenda: the role of national parliaments
Mr Marc Limon, Executive Director, Universal Rights Group
Mr Rogier Huizenga, Manager, Human Rights Programme, IPU
Mr Murray Hunt, Director, Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law

Parliamentary oversight of the implementation of human rights obligations and commitments: engaging with UN mechanisms and civil society
Mr Gianni Magazzeni, Head of the UPR Branch, OHCHR
Lord Fusitu'a, Lord Member of Parliament of the Niuas, Legislative Assembly of Tonga
Ms Mina Mensah, Head of Africa Office, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative

Open discusion 

 

Copies of the Commonwealth-URG policy brief will be made available to participants.

This event will also be live streamed here.