The SDC will be host of the International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights in Geneva to talk about its work in this field. The screening of a documentary film realized in Nepal will be followed by a panel discussion on the daily challenges faced by national human rights institutions. The SDC directly assists half a dozen such commissions around the world.
Respect for human rights is high on the list of SDC priorities – and essential for the development of the most underprivileged sections of society. In half a dozen countries, the SDC is helping to strengthen national institutions that were created to protect citizens from violations of their fundamental rights. In these countries, as in the rest of the world, the rule of law is the guarantor of greater social justice.
At a public event during the International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights in Geneva, the SDC will explain the ways in which it supports national human rights institutions. The screening of a documentary film on the work of the National Human Rights Commission of Nepal will be followed by a panel discussion on the challenges faced by national human rights institutions in their respective countries.
Too critical or not critical enough
These institutions are often confronted with an existential dilemma: if they are too critical of the government, they risk seeing their freedom of action curbed; if they are not critical enough, they risk losing credibility with the public and civil society.
Participants:
Mohna Ansari, member of the National Human Rights Commission of Nepal
Marc Limon, director of the Universal Rights Group (Geneva)
Jean-François Cuénod, deputy head of the South Cooperation Department, SDC
The discussion will be chaired by journalist Romaine Jean. Simultaneous translation will be provided from English into French.
Flyer (PDF, 2 Pages, 526.1 kB, English)
