Human Rights Hub
The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom established a Human Rights Hub in Geneva. As a hub for the Foundation's human rights work, it strengthens respect for and compliance with human rights and promotes the rules-based international legal order. The hub will connect human rights defenders and civil society organizations with each other and with UN organizations in Geneva.
News
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A turning point for human rights?
The upcoming presidential elections in the USA are groundbreaking for liberal democracy and freedom, not only in the USA but also worldwide. The outcome of the election could even be a turning point for the future of human rights. A future President Kamala Harris would shape both the foreign and domestic policy agenda just as significantly as a potential President Donald Trump.
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Cambodian pro-democracy activists at the UN
Cambodia’s three decades of peace have not ushered the change that democrats had hoped for following the Paris Peace Agreement. The Human Rights Hub organized in Geneva a side-event with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights in Cambodia.
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Fight for freedom in Nicaragua and Venezuela at the UN
On September 18, FNF’s Human Rights Hub co-sponsored a widely attended side-event at the Palais des Nations to discuss the most recent developments and the findings of both special mandates: the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua and the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela.
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Global Digital Compact adopted by UN Member States
On Sunday, 22 September 2024, the Global Digital Compact was adopted as an annex to the Pact of the Future.
Withstanding a last minute attempt to derail its adoption, 143 countries effectively voted in favor, 7 against and 15 abstained from a vote to go ahead with the adoption of the Pact. -
Unpacking the Global Digital Compact
The United Nations Member States vision will be on display at the Summit of the Future 2024 in New York from September 21 to 25. The main outcome of the Summit will be the adoption of the ‘Pact of the Future’. The Pact also contains another document that is supposed to be adopted at the Summit: The Global Digital Compact. This article will unpack the raison d’être of the Compact and analyse how human rights are implied, before critically assessing the GDC from a human rights perspective.
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Human Rights Hub Opening Event with the German Minister of Justice
On July 10th, 2024, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation celebrated the inauguration of its Human Rights Hub in Geneva. At the heart of the Palais des Nations, the historic home of the United Nations in Geneva, the opening event brought together ambassadors, friends and partners of FNF to promote the rule of law as a core strategy to strengthen the agenda for freedom.
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Nicaragua vs. Germany: a political red herring
The hearing in Nicaragua's lawsuit against Germany begins today at the International Court of Justice. The accusation: Germany is aiding and abetting genocide by supporting Israel. However, the timing and background to this step raise questions. A look behind the scenes reveals a bleak picture of the human rights situation in Nicaragua and the questionable motives behind this legal move.
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Digital.Press.Freedom.
The Raif Badawi Talk 2024 at the Frankfurt Book Fair highlighted the threats to press freedom, particularly through digital surveillance. Experts warned against authoritarian abuses of power and called for more protection for journalists.
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Watching the Watchdogs
In 2024, the European Union enters a new era in the fight to protect journalists and press freedom from illegal spyware abuse. After months of debate and tense final negotiations, EU institutions reached a historic agreement on the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) in December 2023. Among multiple new rules, the provisional deal includes strengthened safeguards for journalists and their sources from coercive surveillance, including spyware like Pegasus.
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Time for a UN Special Rapporteur in Defense of Democracy
At the start of the 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) is the first German political foundation to join the call for the appointment of a UN Special Rapporteur on Democracy.
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South Africa vs. Israel
The International Court of Justice has issued an order in the proceedings between South Africa and Israel. The case is about the application of the Genocide Convention in the Gaza Strip. Although Israel does not have to stop its military operation, the ICJ demands provisional measures to prevent civilian casualties. The decision touches on sensitive issues of genocidal intent while ignoring aspects of international law. The proceedings, initiated by South Africa, also reflect domestic political motivations and warrant global attention.
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Maria Ressa: "2024 will tell if democracy survives"
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted 75 years ago, and the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders is celebrating its 25th anniversary. To mark these two milestones, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) and Reporters Without Borders Germany (RSF) hosted a high-profile conference in Berlin on December 7. At the event called "Journalists Defending Human Rights", journalists from Mexico, Russia and Afghanistan reported on their own experience, and Philippine journalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa spoke about technology as a threat to democracy.
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Resilience against Injustice
Lawyers as Heroes of Freedom: Their courage defies authoritarian regimes. In the new publication 'Resisting Injustice - Lawyers as Human Rights Defenders,' discover how they defend human rights and become targets of persecution. A glimpse into their challenging role in the battle for the rule-of-law.
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„Raif Badawi just moved from a small prison to a larger one”
As part of the 2023 Frankfurt Book Fair, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, in cooperation with the German Publishers and Booksellers Association, once again hosted the Raif Badawi Talk. With the talk, the Foundation not only commemorates the fate of the blogger Raif Badawi, but also wants to remind of the difficult situation for journalists worldwide. Under this year’s motto "Women.Press.Freedom." not only Ensaf Haidar, Raif Badawi's wife, but two strong female voices had their say on the panel - Nevsin Mengü (Turkish journalist), and Wazhma Tokhi (Afghan publicist and activist).
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Maria Ressa: "What I want is Action"
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Maria Ressa has been working on promoting freedom of press in the Philippines during her whole career. She returned to the Philippines in 1986 after her education abroad and started her work as a journalist after the People Power Revolution, eventually holding leadership positions in several local and international news organizations. In 2012, she established Rappler, a digital-only news site, dedicated to promoting truth and democracy in journalism. She became the target of lawfare and political harassment by the Duterte government.
