Speeches

Welcome with Hillel Neuer

Hillel Neuer, international lawyer, diplomat, activist and Executive Director of UN Watch, addresses the 8th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks.   Full remarks   TBC

Political Prisoners

Opening Speech: Political Prisoners and The Legacy of Nelson Mandela with Irwin Cotler

Irwin Cotler, Founder and Chair of the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, Emeritus Professor of Law at McGill University, former Member of Parliament, former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, and international human rights lawyer, addresses the 6th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes

Women's Rights

Women’s Rights and the Hope for Egypt with Dalia Ziada

Dalia Ziada, one of Egypt’s leading human rights activists and Executive Director of the Center for Middle East and East Mediterranean Studies, addresses the 6th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below for full prepared remarks.   Full Remarks   Dalia Ziada: Good morning. Thank you for the introduction,

Women's Rights

Gender Violence in Pakistan with Rakhshinda Perveen

Rakshinda Perveen, Pakistani survivor of gender violence, addresses the 6th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks.   Full Remarks   Rakshinda Perveen: Respected guests of honour, Human Rights heroes, ‘sheroes’, mentors, teachers, friends, colleagues. Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. I would begin by saying

Tibet

Fighting for Dignity in Tibet with Tenzin Dhardon Sharling

Tenzin Dhardon Sharling, the youngest member of the Tibetan Parliament in exile, addresses the 6th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks.   Full Remarks   Tenzin Dhardon Sharling: Good morning everyone.  First of all, a huge thanks to the UN watch for organizing

Women's Rights

Exposing Gaddafi’s Harem with Annick Cojean

Annick Cojean, special correspondent at Le Monde and the author of the internationally acclaimed Gaddafi’s Harem, addresses the 6th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks.   Full Remarks   Annik Cojean: Thank you, I’m sorry, I think I would speak in French, if you don’t mind. I can

Authoritarianism

Putin’s Propaganda with James Kirchick

James Kirchik, visiting fellow at the Center on the United States and Europe and the Project on International Order and Strategy at the Brookings Institution, addresses the 6th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks.   Full Remarks   James Kirchik: I turned on the

Authoritarianism

Finding the Truth in Iran with Potkin Azarmehr

Potkin Azarmehr, Iranian activist and blogger who left Iran for the UK after the revolution of 1979, since becoming a key activist resisting religious extremism and political intolerance in Iran, addresses the 6th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. Quotes: To Be

Human Rights

Geneva Summit 2014 Courage Award with Alfred Moses, Chen Guangcheng

Blind Chinese human rights lawyer Chen Guangcheng  recieves the 2014 Geneva Summit Courage Award and addresses the 6th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks.   Full Remarks   Hillel Neuer: As I said when we opened today’s summit, all of our speakers today

Corruption

Russia: Corruption, Torture, Murder with William Browder

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.

Political Prisoners

Imprisoned in Iran with Naghmeh Abedini

Naghmeh Abedini, wife of Iranian-American Christian Pastor, Saeed Abedini, who was sentenced to 8 years in Iran’s infamously brutal Evin Prison in 2012 for his faith, addresses the 6th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks.   Full Remarks   Naghmeh Abedini: Good afternoon, it’s

Modern Slavery

The Battle to End Slavery with Biram Dah Abeid

Biram Dah Abeid, “the Nelson Mandela of Mauritania,” founder of the Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement (IRA) and an antislavery campaigner, addresses the 6th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks.   Full Remarks   Biram Dah Abeid: I thank you, dear

Human Rights

The Fight for Fundamental Freedoms with Dang Xuong Hung

Dang Xuong Hung, a diplomat who defected from the Vietnamese Communist Party, addresses the 6th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks.   Full Remarks   Dang Xuong Hung: Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, my name is Dang Xuong Hung. I am the former consul

Human Rights

Resisting Authoritarianism with Damaris Moya Portieles

Cuban democracy leader and rights activist Damaris Moya Portieles addresses the 6th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks.   Full Remarks   Danaris Moya Portieles: First of all, I would like to thank UN Watch and the organisers and the sponsors of this Geneva

Human Rights

Defecting from the Hermit Kingdom with Ahn Myeong Chul

Ahn Myeong Chul, North Korean former prison guard turned defector and human rights activist, addresses the 6th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks.   Full Remarks   Ahn Myeong Chul: Good afternoon, my name is Ahn Myeong Chul. I would like to thank

Press Freedom

Covering An Uprising with Moayad Iskafe

  Moayad Iskafe, a Syrian journalist who played a central role at the start of the Syrian uprising by organizing a network of local journalists to break Assad’s media siege, addresses the 6th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks.   Full Remarks  

Human Rights

Virtual: Human Rights in Saudi Arabia with Ali Al Ahmed

Ali Al Ahmed, formerly Saudi Arabia’s youngest political prisoner, addresses the 6th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks.   Full Remarks   Thank you so much for having me. My name is Ali Al Ahmed, I’m calling you from Washington DC. I wanted

Human Rights

Mobilising the 98% with Taha Bawa

Taha Bawa, co-founder of Goodwall, the humanitarian and environmental social network that encourages people to actively contribute to society and seek to inspire others, addresses the 6th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks.   Full Remarks   My name is Taha, and I’m here

Long Live the Troublemakers with Yang Jianli

Yang Jianli, leading Chinese dissident and pro-democracy activist, addresses the 6th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full remarks Thank you. Hello.  “Long live troublemakers!”  I was just copying what Richard Gere said a little more than a year ago at a Tom

Human Rights

Taking Action: How Activists Can Make a Difference with Yang Jianli, Hillel Neuer, Jacob Mchangama, Mu Sochua

A panel including visiting Chinese dissident and former political prisoner, Dr. Yang Jianli; Danish lawyer and founder of a Copenhagen-based think-tank focussing on freedom of speech and the rule of law, Jacob Mchangama; outspoken activist and opposition politician from Cambodia, Mu Sochua; international lawyer and Executive Director of United Nations