During March 26-30, 2012, three professors of the Department of International Law, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, underwent a study tour at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in frames of the Human Rights Orientation Programme. This training was organized for the professors with the aim of familiarizing them with the practical issues of the OHCHR activities, so that the obtained knowledge and skills could be incorporated in corresponding courses read in frames of the Human Rights Masters Programme. The teachers, who took part in the study tour, are Dr. E.S.Alisievitch (‘Promotion and protection of rights of the vulnerable persons’, ‘European system of human rights protection’), Dr. E.V.Kiseleva (‘International legal regulation of migration’, ‘Discrimination and gender issues in current international law’), Dr. A.M.Solntsev (‘African system of human rights protection’, ‘Human rights and environment’).
In frames of the study course, 20 OHCHR officials presented lectures and answered different questions, the presenters were Jakhongir Azizkhodjaev, Europe and Central Asia Section, FOTCD; Gianni Magazzeni, Chief Americas, Europe & Central Asia Branch, Field Operations and Technical Cooperation Division (FOTCD); Dimiter Chalev, Chief, Europe and Central Asia Section, FOTCD; Michael Wiener, Human Rights Officer, Europe and Central Asia Section, FOTCD; Vladlen Stefanov, Chief, National Institutions and Regional Mechanisms Section, FOTCD; Mona Rishmawi, Chief, Rule of Law, Equality and Non-discrimination Branch, Research and Right to Development Division, RRDD; Yury Boychenko, Chief, Anti-Discrimination Section, RRDD; Ayuush Bat-Erdene, Chief, Right to Development Section, Development and Economic and Social Issues Branch, RRDD; Elena Ippoliti, Human Rights Officer, Methodology, Education and Training Section, RRDD; Juan Fernando Nunez, Human Rights Officer, Methodology, Education and Training Section, RRDD; Nicolas Fasel, Human Rights Officer, Right to Development Section, RRDD; Simon Walker, Chief, Civil, Political, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Section, Human Rights Treaties Division (HRTD); Christina Meinecke, Programme Management Officer, HRTD; Anton Nikiforov, Executive Assistant to the High Commissioner, Executive Office (EO); Lidiya Grigoreva, NGO Liaison Officer, Civil Society Section, EO; Alexandra Swetzer, Human Rights Officer, Human Rights Council and Special Procedures Division (HRCSPD); Ugo Cedrangolo, Human Rights Officer, Civil and Political Rights Section, Special Procedures Branch, HRCSPD; Thibaut Guillet, Consultant, Civil and Political Rights Section, Special Procedures Branch, HRCSPD; Anita Trimaylova , Human Rights Officer, Petitions Unit, HRTD; Lilian Durnescu, Human Rights Officer, Petitions Unit, HRTD.
There was also a meeting with the officials of the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva, where foreign policy of Russia in the field of human rights was touhed upon. Another meeting was organized with the head of the Geneva Academy of Humanitarian Law and Human Rights in order to discuss the prospects of cooperation between the Department of International Law and Geneva Academy, and the results of the discussion seems to be promising.
