Good morning, this is Michelle. Last month, Kosovo celebrated 15 years since declaring independence from Serbia. But as a recent flare-up in tensions and failed negotiations between the two showed, peace and stability in the Balkan region remain fragile.
An international military contingency that includes Switzerland has been tasked with keeping the status quo for more than 20 years.
On this week's news agenda, the Human Rights Council meets for the second week while a film festival focused on human rights kicks off and the saga of WHO work scandals continues. |
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A barricade separates the ethnic Serbian community in the northern part of Mitrovica from the Kosovo Albanian people residing in the south of the city in northern Kosovo, on 10 February 2023. (Peter Kenny/Geneva Solutions)
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Swiss eye on security as Kosovo turns 15.
Fifteen years after breaking away from Serbia, Europe's newest state is still seeking full global recognition. As tensions between Pristina and Belgrade persist, an international military force, including Switzerland, is tasked with maintaining peace.
Geneva Solutions (EN)
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👀 What to watch this week
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The Human Rights Council
enters its second week of debates, with situations in Eritrea, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Myanmar and Nicaragua to be discussed today. UN human rights chief Volker Türk is expected to give his global update on the state of human rights across the world on Tuesday. Observers will be paying attention to his tone towards sensitive issues such as Xinjiang.
OHCHR (EN)
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WHO’s executive board
is set to meet on Monday and Tuesday behind closed doors to decide on the fate of Takeshi Kasai, regional director of WHO’s Western Pacific Regional Office, who stands accused of racism and harassment against staff. WHO member states from the Asian Pacific region reportedly voted last week to remove him from his post.
Health Policy Watch (EN)
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Also on the agenda
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📌 8 March | Celebrating women human rights defenders – heroes of modern times.
To mark women’s day this year, women activists from Iran, Russia, Chad, Colombia and Tunisia share their stories in a panel discussion with Ruth Dreifuss, the first woman president of the Swiss Confederation, and Hina Jilani, lawyer of Pakistan’s Supreme Court and president of the World Organisation Against Torture.
OMCT (EN)
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📌 10-19 March | 21st International Festival and Forum on Human Rights.
Geneva’s human rights festival opens on Friday, with more than 50 talks, exhibitions and films covering the crises of environment, migration and conflict. They tell the story of global struggles for human rights, from the Afghan journalists who covered the Taliban takeover to the lawyer who successfully sued Shell and the Dutch state for environmental abuse.
Geneva Solutions (EN)
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For more events, visit the Genève Internationale website.
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