{"id":31941,"date":"2023-01-11T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-11T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/csw-yeo.1wp.site\/magazines\/bringing-our-expertise-at-the-united-nations-5911\/"},"modified":"2026-09-21T21:21:49","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T20:21:49","slug":"bringing-our-expertise-at-the-united-nations-5911","status":"publish","type":"magazines","link":"https:\/\/www.csw.org.uk\/zh\/magazines\/bringing-our-expertise-at-the-united-nations-5911\/","title":{"rendered":"Bringing our expertise at the United Nations"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Do you remember last January’s issue of Response? It featured an article called \u2018Four years at the UN\u2019, which unpacked how we\u2019d been making the most of our UN accreditation since gaining it in 2017. Now, another year on, we\u2019re still amplifying voices in this international arena. Our UN Officer Claire Denman reflects on some key moments from 2022.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018One of the biggest highlights for me has been the return to in-person meetings,\u2019 says Claire. \u2018Being face-to- face facilitates a depth of discussion that you may not otherwise have.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Claire was able to travel to Geneva for two sessions of the Human Rights Council, in March and September.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She contributed to numerous interactive dialogues on countries of concern; Iran, North Korea and Nicaragua, to name a few. Claire presented many oral statements, as she did throughout the pandemic, but much more of her work took place on the ground:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018This was immensely valuable because you\u2019re able to build a better rapport in person. I believe this year has strengthened our ability to equip policymakers and diplomats, as well as opening up opportunities to collaborate with civil society actors in our advocacy.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every interaction \u2013 whether in a meeting room or beyond \u2013 is an opportunity to raise the profile of CSW and the people we\u2019re working for. \u2018Even informal chats over lunch have helped invest in relationships, which can be beneficial for future advocacy initiatives. For example, when someone is arbitrarily detained and we need to mobilise swift action, we already have strong relationships and networks in place to help facilitate this.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bringing our expertise<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022 our specific expertise continued to set us apart at the UN, as one of the leading voices on the right to freedom of religion or belief in China; for example, we were invited to speak at several UN events as the expert panellist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CSW also provided the UN High Commissioner\u2019s office with information ahead of her visit to China in May, including places which could be visited and a set of benchmarks for freedom of religion or belief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these successes came some disappointments. In September, the Human Rights Council failed to enable a procedural debate on human rights in China\u2019s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) to take place in 2023. This debate would have facilitated some much- needed scrutiny of one of the most severe human rights crises in the world today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet we still recognise the good the UN can achieve when it works well. \u2018We remain determined to persist until justice is served for the people of the XUAR and across China as a whole,\u2019 says Claire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hopes for 2023<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022 saw the appointment of Professor Nazila Ghanea as the new Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief. \u2018Professor Ghanea has long been an advocate for the right to freedom of religion or belief, so we\u2019re looking forward to working with her,\u2019 says Claire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also our hope to see places like Tigray and Myanmar\/Burma receiving the international attention and intervention they urgently need. Benedict Rogers, our Senior Analyst for East Asia, described the situation in Myanmar as being like \u2018Ukraine in slow-motion, and yet almost no one is speaking about it.\u2019 The horrific war in Ukraine has rightly received a robust response from the UN, demonstrating that powerful countries like Russia are not above scrutiny. This gives us hope that concrete action can also be taken to stop the appalling human rights abuses in Myanmar, Tigray, China and elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we\u2019ve said before, government systems rarely change for the better overnight. Thanks to your support, Claire and our Advocacy team can keep calling the world to action through the mechanisms of the UN. Let\u2019s keep building momentum in 2023 as we pursue justice together!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pray for the next session of the UN Human Rights Council, 27 February\u201331 March 2023. Put it in your diary to pray for fruitful discussions about freedom of religion or belief for all.<\/b><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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