Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy

18 FEBRUARY 2025

The Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy is a major conference that shines a spotlight on urgent human rights situations that require global attention. It provides human rights heroes, activists and former political prisoners with a unique platform to testify about their personal struggles for democracy and freedom, while building an international community to take on dictatorships. The Summit is held around the main annual session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, when foreign ministers gather in Geneva, to place critical issues onto the international agenda. 

 

2024 Program

Morning Session

 

10:00 WELCOME

Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of United Nations Watch, on behalf of the 25 NGO co-sponsors of the Geneva Summit

 

10:10 OPENING ADDRESS

Manuel Valls, Former Prime Minister of France
 
 

10:20 BEYOND THE GREAT FIREWALL: BRAVE VOICES OF DISSENT IN CHINA

Moderator: Brandon Silver, Director of Policy and Projects, Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights
● Abduweli Ayup, Uyghur linguist, poet, founder of Uyghur Hjelp, former political prisoner
● Chemi Lhamo, Tibetan human rights advocate and community organizer
● Rei Xia, White Paper protester and former political prisoner 
 
 

11:00 IS CHANGE POSSIBLE IN ZIMBABWE?

Job Sikhala, Leader of Zimbabwean grassroots opposition, human rights lawyer, former political prisoner 
 
 

EASTERN EUROPE: ESCALATION OF OPPRESSION

11:10 RESISTING AGGRESSION: THE RESILIENCE OF UKRAINE  

Lisa Yasko, Member of Ukrainian Parliament
 
 

11:20 TRUTH TELLERS UNDER FIRE: THE ANTI-WAR STRUGGLE IN RUSSIA   

Aleksandra Garmazhapova, Russian journalist, human rights activist founder of Free Buryatia Foundation 
 
 

11:30 CHARTING THE PATH TO DEMOCRACY IN BELARUS

Veronica Tsepkalo, Chair of Belarus Women’s Foundation, opposition leader 
 
 

11:40 BEYOND BARS: A STORY OF DEFIANCE AND HOPE 

Trung Tien NguyenVietnamese pro-democracy activist, former political prisoner
 
 

11:50 MY FIGHT FOR A FREE CAMBODIA

Mu Sochua, President of Khmer Movement for Democracy, former Cambodian Minister of Women’s Affairs

 

11:55 THE LIFE OF THE DISABLED IN NORTH KOREA

Hyosim MaengNorth Korean defector and refugee 
 
 

12:05 INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S RIGHTS AWARD

Fatou Baldeh, Gambian women’s rights activist fighting to end FGM
 
 

Afternoon Session

 

14:30 COURAGEOUS JOURNEYS: DEFENDING HUMAN RIGHTS IN LATIN AMERICA 

Moderator: Pedro Pizano, Assistant Director for Democracy Programs, The McCain Institute
  • Carolina Barrero, Cuban art historian, writer, human rights activist
  • Victor Navarro, Venezuelan human rights activist, survivor of “El Helicoide” torture chamber
  • Toribia Lero Quispe, Bolivian indigenous leader and opposition politician
  • Lesther Aleman, Student leader imprisoned for 584 days, founder of Nicaraguan University Alliance
 
 

IRAN’S HUMAN RIGHTS CRISIS: STORIES OF CAPTIVITY, TORTURE, AND SUPPRESSION

15:10 TRAPPED IN TEHRAN: 804 DAYS IN EVIN PRISON

Kylie Moore-Gilbert, Australian academic imprisoned as diplomatic hostage

 

15:20 ABDUCTED, TORTURED, AND SENTENCED TO DEATH IN IRAN 

Gazelle Sharmahd, Daughter of Jamshid Sharmahd, journalist on death row in Iran 

 

15:30 COURAGE AWARD

Pouria Zeraati and Aliasghar Ramezanpour on behalf of Iran International

 

16:00 CLOSING REMARKS

 

16:15 END OF #GENEVASUMMIT2024

2025 Speakers

China

Sebastien Lai

Democracy activist and son of the pro-democracy media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai

FGM

Assita Kanko

Belgian Member of the European Parliament, writer, and women’s rights activist

FOR A LIMITED TIME: #fightlikeagirl hoodie

September 16 marked one year since the death of #MahsaAmini, the murder that sparked a revolution against the Islamic Republic.

In honour of Mahsa’s courage, we have restocked our #FightLikeAGirl hoodies but for a limited time only.

Honour Mahsa, stand with the women of Iran and support the people of Iran’s fight for freedom. Get your #FightLikeAGirl hoodies today while supply lasts. 

ORDER YOURS today!