Human Rights Centre to play key role in new digital platform

Essex Human Rights Centre is to play a central role in the intense debates surrounding human rights in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis, with technology being used to help plot the way ahead.

Our Human Rights Centre, which enjoys a uniquely influential role in the global rights debate, is to play a key role in a new digital platform, launching today.

RightOn is the name being given to a new series of free weekly webinars, bringing together global experts to discuss the key human rights questions being faced during the Covid-19 crisis.

In addition to the Human Rights Centre, supporters include the Permanent Missions of Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway to the United Nations (UN) in Geneva, Universal Rights Group, Geneva Academy, Geneva Rights Platform and Geneva Internet Platform.

Human Rights Centre Director Dr Andrew Fagan will participate in the opening debate, Fighting online hate speech and fake news in a global crisis.

Dr Fagan said: "Essex Human Rights Centre enjoys a global reputation for our continuous contribution to the theory and practice of human rights. As we engage with the many challenges which the Covid-19 pandemic raises for human rights now and in the future, we are developing a series of partnerships with universities and human rights organisations across the world. RightOn is the first of many future projects and initiatives we will be leading on."

The first online discussion will take place on Wednesday 8 April.

Dr Fagan will be joined on the panel by: Dr. Bahia Tahzib-Lie, Human Rights Ambassador of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; Mona Rishmawi, a human rights lawyer currently working for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); Simona Cruciani, Political Affairs Officer at the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect; and Paige Morrow, Senior Legal Officer at ARTICLE 19, a leading international human rights organisation which defends and promotes freedom of expression and freedom of information worldwide.

The discussion will be moderated by Marc Limon, Executive Director, Universal Rights Group and Prof. Jovan Kurbalija, Founding Director of DiploFoundation and Head of the Geneva Internet Platform.