Conference primer - Human Rights Council: 2025 - HRC58

The Expert Mechanism consists of seven independent experts selected in accordance with the procedure established by the Human Rights Council in Resolutions 5/1 and 33/25.Learn more about the nomination, selection and appointment of experts.

Together with its Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers, it protects every person’s right to live in an environment adequate to his or her health and well-being. They are the only global legally binding global instruments on environmental democracy that put Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development in practice.

The UDHR is considered the foundation of international human rights law, and yet, much of its history and the diverse people and bodies who worked to draft it remain little-known.
This episode will explore the drafting process of the UDHR, highlight the diversity of actors who contributed to framing the Declaration, and examine the challenges that were overcome for its adoption. We'll also look at how the UDHR inspired pivotal human rights treaties, and why the Declaration remains a critical and relevant document in today’s evolving multilateral system. You'll also get the chance to see unique archival documents linked to the UDHR that are kept by the UN Library & Archives Geneva.
SPEAKERS:
- Chitralekha Massey, Chief of Partnerships and Constituency Building on Economic, Social and Development Issues, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
- Dr. Steven Jensen, Senior Researcher, Danish Institute for Human Rights.
- Danielle Hughes, Chief of the Records Management Unit, United Nations Library & Archives Geneva.
RESOURCES:
Explore the UN Archives Geneva platform here: https://archives.ungeneva.org/

Ask An Archivist here: https://ask.unog.ch/archives