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Geneva and un at 80
When the United Nations was born in 1945, the Human Rights held its first meetings in Geneva
world was exhausted by two global wars and under the leadership of Eleanor Roosevelt. Out
haunted by the devastation of the atomic bomb. of those deliberations emerged the Universal
The Charter of the new organisation promised to Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in
“save succeeding generations from the scourge of 1948, a milestone document that has since
war” and to build a world order based on peace, inspired constitutions and legal systems across
security, development, and human rights. While the globe.
New York became the UN’s political stage, Geneva
soon emerged as its operational heart: a place Geneva remains the home of the Office of the High
where global challenges were tackled through Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
treaties, programs, and daily humanitarian work. and the Human Rights Council, which reviews
the records of every member state through the
As the UN celebrates its 80th anniversary, Universal Periodic Review. Major conventions—
Geneva’s legacy is undeniable. For eight decades, against torture, against racial discrimination,
it has been the crossroads where diplomacy, and in support of civil and political rights—are
science, humanitarian relief, labour rights, trade monitored and advanced from Geneva.
rules, and disarmament have intersected. The
city is sometimes called the “Capital of Peace,” As former High Commissioner Mary Robinson
but more precisely, it has become the workshop once said: “Human rights are not a matter of
of multilateralism, where ideals are translated charity, they are a matter of duty. Geneva has
into action. been the compass guiding this work.”
The Birthplace of Modern Human Rights Humanitarian Geneva: Protecting the
One of Geneva’s proudest legacies is its central Displaced
role in shaping the modern human rights In 1950, the Office of the United Nations High
framework. In 1946, the UN Commission on Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was
w w w. d i va i n t e r n at i o n a l . c h
