3rd July 2017 Geneva, Switzerland
The Council came to a hot and weary end last Friday with some good results on the issues that mattered. Most importantly the EU and the African Group reached agreement on an investigation into reports of serious violations in the DRC. The Council also passed strong resolutions on violence against women, discrimination against women, child […]
20th June 2017 Geneva, Switzerland
One of the more amusing oddities that comes with going to the UN is having meetings interrupted by the screams of the peacocks that wander freely outside. It often seems like the vicarious expression of the feelings of those of us trapped inside for hours on end, arguing over any number of things that really […]
12th June 2017 Geneva, Switzerland
Growing up in Manchester, we used to say that if you couldn’t see the clouds approaching on the nearby Pennines it meant that it was already raining. I feel much the same way about sessions of the Human Rights Council – if there isn’t one around the corner, you’re probably already in one. The latest […]
15th May 2017 Geneva, Switzerland
In less than two weeks the world will come together to choose a new leader for the international agency responsible for global health issues, from eradicating polio to fighting Ebola. The World Health Assembly, which represents all the nations of the world, will meet at the end of May to elect a new Director General […]
4th April 2017 Geneva, Switzerland
Over the last few days a lot of people have asked me whether triggering Article 50 changes anything here in Geneva. The short answer is: no, it doesn’t. During the next two years the United Kingdom will remain a full member of the European Union, with all that that entails in terms of rights and […]
27th March 2017 Geneva, Switzerland
My last blog worried some of you enough that you offered to send biscuits to my children in adult-proof containers. I’d like to offer some reassurance that my kids have started hiding their chocolate almost forgiven me for my thievery and that I am now receiving professional support for my wafer addiction. My wife has […]
20th March 2017 Geneva, Switzerland
I’m in big trouble. For the second Sunday running I’ve single-handedly, polished off a 26-pack of chocolate wafer biscuits which were supposed to be carefully rationed for the kids over the weeks ahead. I know it’s not going to do me much good come the morning as I try and squeeze into my suit, but […]
13th March 2017 Geneva, Switzerland
While there haven’t exactly been howls of protest about my online silence these last few weeks, the number of people asking what I’ve been up to rose to three on Friday (excluding my last boss who is clearly still keeping tabs on me from afar), so I feel a little sheepish and neglectful. The main reason […]
8th March 2017 Geneva, Switzerland
The March session of the Human Rights Council is the most significant event in the UN human rights calendar. Well over a hundred ministers were in Geneva for the first week, last week. So now is a good time to take stock of the significance of this body and why it matters. To some it […]
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20th February 2017 Geneva, Switzerland
Any day now, something called the Trade Facilitation Agreement will enter into force. There will be no meeting of Presidents, no gala summit. World leaders are unlikely to give speeches. And yet it will unlock economic opportunities for millions of people around the world, reduce poverty and spur economic development. It is estimated that the […]