On the 23 and 24 November, we had the honour to welcome the 9th edition of the International Framework on the Human Rights of Women and Girls programme, a joint initiative by the Permanent Representation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Permanent Mission of Canada in Geneva, in collaboration with the Executive Education of the Geneva Graduate Institute.

This two-half-day course was delivered in English and French. It was designed for Geneva-based diplomats taking part in the work of the Human Rights Council to enhance their knowledge and understanding of women’s and girls’ human rights and gender issues. Thanks to the support of the Permanent Representation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Permanent Mission of Canada, the course was free of charge, and a maximum of two delegates per mission were invited to participate in the programme.

“2023 is a special year. It is the year when the global community celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 30th anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Platform for Action, where the civil society’s slogan ‘women and girls’ rights are human rights’ became a State-endorsed one. Yet 2023 is also the year where we have reached a level of conflict never attained until then, with women and girls being among the most vulnerable and affected ones. It is finally the year where, halfway through the Sustainable Development Agenda, progress on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls has only amounted to 15% of the set targets. The urgency to make the human rights of women and girls a reality has, therefore, never been felt more acutely, and the role of each global governance actor never more crucial, all the more so throughout the various fora dedicated to promoting and protecting these rights. With this in mind, this course was designed to provide thematic and institutional bridges and hands-on knowledge to support State delegates as they navigate these fora and engage in critical conversations and collaborations with each other and other relevant actors such as UN agencies or civil society to ensure that women and girls’ rights remain at the forefront of the future of global governance.”

Bérénice K. Schramm, Programme Director

“We were pleased to have supported the 9th edition of this important course on the International Framework on the Human Rights of Women and Girls for Geneva-based diplomats. Women’s and girls’ rights are human rights. This course is a great opportunity to learn more about the various legal documents and how the empowerment of women and girls is mainstreamed in the SDGs, plays a crucial role in the Human Rights Council and affects the realization of their economic, social and cultural rights. As an international community, we must do more to accelerate progress to meet SDG 5, and this course contributes to building our capacity and knowledge to meet this important target.”

Kim Peters, Permanent Representation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Krystyna Wojnarowicz, Permanent Mission of Canada.

The Graduate Institute’s Executive Education collaborates every year with multiple diplomatic missions in Geneva, providing tailored learning programmes on topics such as gender and human rights, disarmament, SDGs, and many other key subjects.

These programmes serve as learning and knowledge-sharing opportunities among permanent missions and create a safe space for debate and discussion delivered at the unique diplomacy platform offered by the Graduate Institute in Geneva.

More information on our customised approach on executive.graduateinstitute.ch/for-organisations