Matteo Mecacci, Italian Member of the European Parliament, elected official of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly, and former Chairperson of the Italian Parliamentary Intergroup for Tibet, addresses the 2nd Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks.
Full remarks
Italian MP, OSCE Rapporteur
Nimco Ali, British-Somali feminist and social rights activist who co-founded and directs Daughters of Eve, a survivor-led organization focused on ending female genital mutilation (FGM), addresses the 11th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy after receiving the Summit’s International Women’s Rights Award – see quotes below, followed by
José Gabriel Ramón Castillo, Cuban human rights activist, who was expelled from the University of the Orient in 1993 after founding the first human rights organization in the Eastern region of the island, and was arrested and tortured in the 1990s, addresses the 2nd Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights
Yavuz Aydin, Turkish judge purged by President Erdogan now living in exile, addresses the 12th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy — see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On the coup events and subsequent purge: “Even before this coup attempt was done, the High Council met
Nazanin Afshin-Jam, international human rights activist and President and co-founder of Stop Child Executions, addresses the 1st Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full remarks Nazanin Afshin-Jam: Good morning and welcome to the Geneva summit for Human Rights and Democracy. My
Ashraf El Hajouj, a Palestinian-Bulgarian medic who was the principal defendant in Libya’s so-called “HIV Trial,” addresses the 1st Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full remarks
Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of United Nations Watch, on behalf of 30 co-sponsoring NGOs, delivered the welcome address at the 18th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 18th, 2025. Full Prepared Remarks: Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, Welcome to the 18th annual Geneva Summit
John Suarez, Executive Director at the Center for a Free Cuba, adresses the 5th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full remarks John Suarez: Thank you Hillel and I just want to say thanks to UN Watch for making this possible
International lawyer, diplomat and Executive Director of UN Watch, Hillel Neuer delivers opening remarks at the 16th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy
Full Transcript Moderator: I want to ask you, you served as Afghanistan’s youngest female mayor. But what made you run for mayor in the first place? Zarifa Ghafari: Thank you so much. Actually, first of all, I think if you believe in yourself, if you believe you’re doing right, it doesn’t
Ensaf Haidar, wife of Raif Badawi, a Saudi blogger sentenced to ten years in prison and 1000 lashes for setting up an online platform for open debate, addresses the 8th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On Raif Badawi’s case:
A panel including Peter Yang, son of Guo Feixiong, imprisoned Chinese “barefoot lawyer” and civil rights activist; Dr. Gyal Lo, academic expert on China’s mass use of boarding schools to eradicate Tibetan identity and culture; Frances Hui, first Hong Kong activist granted political asylum in the US, Director of ‘We
Pakistani journalist and social media activist, Taha Siddiqui, who narrowly escaped a recent abduction attempt, addresses the 10th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On attacks on journalists in Pakistan: “To a visitor, it may seem that the media in
Luis Almagro, María-Alejandra Aristeguieta-Álvarez, Irwin Cotler and Antonio Ledezma address the 10th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy. Full Transcript María-Alejandra Aristeguieta-Álvarez: I’m going to translate a few things for Mr. Cotler and some other things for Antonio. In this section, I have six questions: three general questions, one
William Browder, founder and CEO of Hermitage Capital Management and the largest foreign investor in Russia until 2005, when he was denied entry to the country as a consequence of his campaigning against corporate corruption, addresses the 6th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks.
Fred and Cindy Warmbier, parents of Otto Warmbier who was tortured in North Korea, discuss with Hillel Neuer at the 10th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy. Full Transcript Hillel Neuer: I’m joined on the stage by Fred and Cindy Warmbier, and they’re here because of their son, Otto.
Chair of the Women’s Committee of the World Uyghur Congress, Zumretay Arkin, presents the 2022 Courage Award at the 14th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. Introducing Enes Kanter Freedom: “His work, and the work of human rights defenders in this
Luis Almagro, Secretary General of the Organization of American States and former Foreign Minister of Uruguay, addresses the 10th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On speaking out for human rights: “There is no gray area when it comes to fundamental freedoms.”
Nobel-nominated Uyghur activist and sister to imprisoned Uyghur doctor Gulshan Abbas, Rushan Abbas, addresses the 14th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On becoming an activist: “I am speaking today out of necessity. I’m a mother who had a fulfilling life
Rebecca Kabuo, Congolese human rights activist who has been arrested more than a dozen times during peaceful protests and, in 2015, was dubbed the youngest prisoner of conscience in the world, addresses the 12th Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy — see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks.
Wife of imprisoned Chinese human rights lawyer, Sophie Luo, speaks at the 14th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On the case of her husband, Ding Jiaxi: “I fell in love with Jiaxi the first time I met him. I’ll
Mutasim Ali, Sudanese human rights advocate and Legal Advisor at the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, addressed the 18th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy by video on February 18, 2026. Full Prepared Remarks: Hello everyone, I regret that I was unable to attend the Summit
Yang Jianli, President of Initiatives for China and former political prisoner, addresses the 15th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for his remarks. Full Remarks Good morning, dear friends. In 2016, on this very stage, I said, “Long live the troublemakers.” Today, I want to say, “Long
Bookseller Lam Wing-kee, abducted by Chinese authorities for selling politically sensitive books in Hong Kong, addresses the 10th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On Chinese persecution of Hong Kong booksellers: “From October to December 2015, shareholders and staff members
Yang Jianli, leading Chinese dissident and pro-democracy activist, addresses the 4th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full remarks Yang Jianli: Thank you Hillel. Good morning my friends and good day. I say good day because anytime friends join together to
Alfred Moses, Chairman of UN Watch, former U.S. Ambassador to Romania, Special Presidential Envoy for the Cyprus Conflict, and Special Counsel to President Jimmy Carter, delivers the concluding remarks for the 1st Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. Full remarks Nazanin