GENEVA: Under the campaign framework of ‘Tibet at the United Nations—Strengthening Advocacy for Human Rights in Tibet,’ the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) of Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) successfully concluded a two-day strategic planning meeting and training on Sunday in Geneva.

The strategic planning meeting that lasted for two days featured UN and Tibet experts: 14 representatives from across the spectrum—DIIR, Office of Tibet Geneva, International Campaign for Tibet, International Tibet Network,Tibet UN Advocacy Coalition, Europe Member of Tibetan Parliament in exile and Resident Expert on UN Politics and International Human Rights Machinery.

The strategy meeting assessed CTA’s past UN advocacy work and devised a strategic plan on profiling the pertinent human rights violations in Tibet using the UN Human Rights mechanisms and opportunities in the next five years.

The human rights issues discussed are: Crackdown on Human Rights Defenders through arbitrary arrest, unfair sentencing as in the case of late Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche and that of language rights advocate Tashi Wangchuk, Religious repression in Tibet as in the case of demolition and forced eviction of residents at Larung Gar, State interference in religious affairs, administration of monasteries, Case od enforced disappearance—the case of Panchen Lama, Monitoring and Surveillance—grid system, travel restrictions, passport confiscation and discriminatory practices in issuing passport.

The UN Advocacy Training led by Tibet UN Advocacy Coalition targeted 14 participants from Switzerland.

“This training proved to be very effective in empowering us as human rights defenders and educating us with a sense of purpose and direction in how to best make use of the UN mechanisms and its procedures to keep the issue of Tibet alve on the UN Human Rights agenda,” said Konchok, a participant from Zurich.

– Report filed by EU, UN and HR Desk, DIIR –