Human Rights Issues Are Front and Center in Study Trip to Geneva
From March 17 to 24, 2024, 14 Johns Hopkins SAIS students, one teaching assistant, and one faculty member traveled to the United Nations’ offices in Geneva, Switzerland, as part of the capstone course UN Human Rights System: Geneva Study Trip.
The course brought students to the seat of the universal human rights system to deepen their understanding of the intersection between technology, human rights, and policymaking, as well as their ability to critically evaluate various policy frameworks and instruments.
During the trip, students gained valuable insights into the ongoing efforts of the international community to address the challenges and opportunities arising from the proliferation of digital platforms, artificial intelligence, and biotechnologies. This experience also helped equip them with the information necessary to formulate recommendations for their final research projects, which focused on addressing the human rights implications of emerging technologies.
“The recognition and codification of human rights stand as one of the most significant legacies of the 20th century,” said Elayne Whyte, professor of practice at SAIS and the faculty lead for this course. Whyte formerly held multiple high-ranking positions in the Costa Rican government, including serving as the ambassador and permanent representative of Costa Rica to the United Nations in Geneva from 2014 to 2020.
“How this framework evolves to effectively address the challenges and opportunities presented by emerging technologies should be at the forefront of mainstream conversation today. This course provides a framework to engage in such a vital conversation,” she added.
During this experience, students had a great opportunity to engage with a diverse range of experts, including high-ranking diplomats, representatives from UN institutions, international organizations, academia, and civil society. Students also met with officials at the US and Greek permanent missions and international organizations including the World Health Organization, International Telecommunications Union, World Intellectual Property Organization, the International Trade Centre; the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research.
The participants also enjoyed visiting the UN’s historic library and documentation center, and meeting with experts on neuro-technologies, human rights, and the universal human rights system.
Several SAIS alumni based in Geneva played a vital role in the success of this study trip: Branka Bell, human rights team lead at the U.S. Permanent Mission; Sarah Creedon, senior advisor and multilateral team lead; Robert Skidmore, chief of Sector and Enterprise Competitiveness Section at the International Trade Centre; Jonathan Christ, Foreign Service officer at the U.S. Permanent Mission in Geneva, and Anis Chouchane, of the UN Human Rights Office.
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