University News Last updated 14 July 2023
Miss Melisa Oleschuk, a Doctoral student at BCU, has participated in the prestigious 61st Graduate Study Programme organized by the United Nations in Geneva, with funding support from Midlands4Cities. This year's programme, titled "All Rights for All People: Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 75”, focuses on various human rights issues.
The intensive two-week programme offers an essential platform for graduate students worldwide to gain profound insights into human rights issues and the UN's vital role in addressing them.
Disarmament and Human Rights
Miss Oleschuk was assigned to the "disarmament and human rights" group, engaging with UN officials, diplomats and representatives of international organisations such as Carolyne Mélanie Régimbal, Chief of the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs, and Tania Bañuelos Mejía, Political Affairs Officer at the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs. Additionally, she interacted with other influential figures within the UN, including Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Tatiana Valovaya, Director General at the UN Office at Geneva.
The programme also plays a crucial role in establishing a global network of human rights advocates, fostering collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and collective action to amplify the impact of human rights efforts worldwide.
Miss Oleschuk said:
The Centre for Human Rights engages with the UN’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism by submitting reports to selected countries' UPR to promote and protect human rights through its UPR Project at BCU. As a Doctoral student at the Centre, Miss Oleschuk’s participation in the event fits within the Centre’s consultancy and research streams.