On 28 July 2026, the Geneva Refugee Convention turned 75. Its enduring relevance is particularly evident in light of the record numbers of people forcibly displaced worldwide.
Although the global fight against HIV/AIDS has made remarkable epidemiological and medical progress, its political, financial, and institutional foundations are coming under increas...
Article I(2) of the 1969 OAU Refugee Convention is the ‘most influential conceptual standard of refugee status apart from the [1951] Convention definition itself’.
On Sunday, 14 June 2026, Swiss voters and cantons delivered a clear verdict on the Swiss People's Party's (SVP) initiative to cap Switzerland's resident population at 10 million.
On 14 June, Switzerland will vote on the Swiss People’s Party’s (SVP) 10-million initiative. The SVP aims to strictly limit the population through this measure.
Under the theme “Reshaping global health: a shared responsibility,” the 79th World Health Assembly (WHA) of the World Health Organization (WHO) convened in Geneva from 18 to 23 May ...
Freedom, justice and solidarity are the basic principles underlying the work of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS). The KAS is a political foundation, closely associated with the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU).
Multipod: WHO macht Fortschritte bei internationalen Gesundheitsvorschriften
Die Covid-Pandemie hat auch auf internationaler Ebene Folgen. Erfahren Sie, wie die Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) und ihre Mitgliedstaaten sich besser für die Zukunft wappnen.
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Statement
Norbert Lammert on the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
"Human rights are not laws of nature. [...], they must be protected & defended by people who take the claim to the inviolability of human dignity seriously".
Multipod: Review of Germany in the UPR
Multipod: Human rights protection starts at home. Germany in the UPR
On 9th November 2023, the United Nation's Human Rights Council discussed the human rights situation in Germany
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Genfreise
Geneva Security Debate zum Krieg in der Ukraine
Prof. Dr. Lammert, Botschafter Dr. Heusgen und Botschafter Greminger zu den Auswirkungen des Krieges in der Ukraine auf den Multilateralismus und die Weltordnung
Delegationsreise
Dialogprogramm des Arbeitskreises Globale Gesundheit der Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in Genf
Erfahren Sie mehr über die Delegationsreise zu aktuellen Herausforderungen im Bereich Globale Gesundheit vom 7-9. Juni
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Current publications
UN Women/Sayed Habib Bidell
75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention: Insights from the UNHCR Global Trends report
The "Geneva Telegram" explores events in Geneva-based multilateral organizations on a current topic. This time, the focus is on the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, ...
Sarah Ultes
July 28, 2026
Geneva Telegram
U.S. Mission / Eric Bridiers / flickr / CC BY-ND 2.0
The global fight against HIV/AIDS amid financial pressures and an uncertain future for UNAIDS
The "Geneva Telegram" explores events in Geneva-based multilateral organizations on a current topic. This time, the focus is on HIV/AIDS.
Linde Buder
July 16, 2026
Geneva Telegram
Advancing Protection under Article I(2) of the 1969 OAU Refugee Convention
Interpretative clarity, operational support and pathways forward for African States Parties
Dr. Tamara Wood
June 26, 2026
Single title
EdvanKun
Analysis of the Swiss vote against capping the population at 10 million
Humanitarian aid contributions and recipients worldwide in 2025
Map of the Month 12/2025
The year 2025 was a defining year for humanitarian aid worldwide. A total of only USD 25.89 billion in funds was received. Although the United States remained the largest donor with nearly USD 3.7 billion (14.2% of all funds), it gave USD 10.5 billion less than at the same time last year. The other top 10 donors included the European Commission (12.3%), Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, Japan, Sweden and Canada. The 10 largest donors together contributed approximately USD 19 billion, which corresponds to almost 72% of the total amount. In addition to the US, other traditional top donor countries also cut their funding, including France, Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The drastic cuts forced humanitarian organisations to significantly reduce their aid to people in crisis situations. Programmes were suspended, offices closed and thousands of employees laid off. The majority of the funds went to the occupied Palestinian territories. Nevertheless, this only covered 61% of the corresponding needs, despite the officially declared famine. Other recipient countries in the top 10 included Syria, Sudan, Ukraine, Yemen, Afghanistan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Lebanon. The biggest humanitarian crisis in 2025 was in Sudan, where 30.4 million people (out of a total population of 46.8 million) needed humanitarian aid. Here too, famine was declared in parts of the country last year. However, due to funding cuts, only 39% of the humanitarian aid plan was covered.
Sarah Ultes
December 31, 2025
Map of the Month
States supporting the holding of the 38th Special Session on the situation around El Fasher in Sudan
Map of the Month 11/2025
On 5 November, the United Kingdom, on behalf of 23 member states of the UN Human Rights Council and 31 observer states, requested a special session to discuss the human rights situation in and around El Fasher in connection with the ongoing conflict in Sudan. The map shows the countries that supported the special session either as members or as observers. During the 38th special session, held on 14 November, the Council adopted a resolution without a vote in which it strongly condemned the reports of atrocities, expressed alarm at the presence of famine conditions and requested the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) for the Sudan to conduct an urgent inquiry into the recent alleged violations of international law committed in and around El Fasher. In addition, the FFM was tasked to identify, where possible, all those for whom there are reasonable grounds to believe that they are responsible. The resolution also condemned all forms of external interference and reminded to respect the existing arms embargo to Darfur.
Sarah Ultes
November 14, 2025
Map of the Month
Support for global initiative for international humanitarian law (IHL), to upholding humanity in war
Map of the Month 10/2025
In September 2024, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) together with six founding states, namely Brazil, France, China, Jordan, Kazakhstan and South Africa launched a global initiative to galvanise political commitment to international humanitarian law (IHL) which shall culminate with a High-Level Meeting to Uphold Humanity in War in 2026. Following several rounds of global and regional consultations over the past year in which more than 130 states have participated, the ICRC on 16 October 2025 launched the initiative’s progress report in Geneva which summarises concrete proposals from the states on how to strengthen the respect for IHL, including by updated military training, stronger national accountability mechanisms or by identifying risk factors that heighten the likelihood of violations. As of end-October, 93 states have joined the initiative, including the six founding members and the 27 co-chairs for thematic work streams. As one of the co-chairs, Germany is helping to explore how national IHL committees can be bolstered to further support their governments to fulfil their IHL obligations.
Sarah Ultes
October 31, 2025
Map of the Month
Key results of the 60th UN Human Rights Council and new composition of the Council in 2026
Map of the Month 10/2025
During the 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council that convened in Geneva from 8 September to 8 October 2025, a total of 37 texts were adopted, 30 of them (81%) by consensus. These included, for the first time, the establishment of an Independent Investigative Mechanism for Afghanistan, which many observers considered long overdue. The mechanism was tasked with collecting, consolidating, preserving and analysing evidence of international crimes and violations of international law committed in Afghanistan, including against women and girls, as well as identifying perpetrators. Further resolutions were adopted on the Russian Federation, Sudan and Burundi, among others. More than 95 reports were considered during the session, including the latest report by the UN Secretary-General on reprisals and intimidation against individuals who cooperate or have cooperated with the UN, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights. On 14 October, the UN General Assembly also elected 11 new members and re-elected 3 members to the Council for the 2026-2028 term. This year’s elections have been the fifth, totally uncompetitive elections since the first HRC elections took place in 2007. Thus, all regional groups pre-selected the exact number of states for the vacant seats. As a result, five candidates (Egypt, India, Iraq, Pakistan and Vietnam) made it onto the Council, all of which were also mentioned in the UN Secretary-General's latest report on reprisals.
75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention: Insights from the UNHCR Global Trends report
On 28 July 2026, the Geneva Refugee Convention turned 75. Its enduring relevance is particularly evident in light of the record numbers of people forcibly displaced worldwide.