“I am delighted to be embarking on my new role as head of the research team at the SHRI and I feel a great sense of motivation. Since my first internship with the organisation humanrights.ch ten years ago, the work of protecting and upholding human rights has been the linchpin of my educational, research and professional activities. I am committed to working on behalf of the SHRI to bring my interdisciplinary and international experience in the field of human rights to Switzerland.”  

A unique position employing a range of methods 

“The status of the SHRI – which is not part of the state, private or civil society sectors – means we’re in a unique position to raise issues that have previously been overlooked. We want to draw attention to developments in society that have not yet been recognised and establish connections where they’re currently lacking. This will be underpinned by comprehensive baseline research which will be the focus of our research activities for the first few months. 

“To address the key issues, we will use social science methods – expert and guided interviews, and evaluation and analysis of quantitative data – and combine these with methods from the field of legal studies.  

“In addition, we plan to organise exchanges with national and international organisations and institutions. We are especially keen to develop strong research partnerships with human rights institutions in the countries with which Switzerland has close ties through trade, investment and migration.” 

Baseline research to support specific interventions 

“One of our main objectives is to conduct baseline research. We intend to identify and raise awareness of the patterns in human rights protection and violations in the four priority areas. This work will concentrate on the systemic problems, the structural context and the deeper causes of human rights violations. 

“At the same time, we will use our research as the basis for interventions in political and legal processes. These interventions will focus on government entities and also companies and individuals who are in positions of power through which they can impact the human rights of others. We are planning a range of types of intervention, from policy briefings and amicus curiae briefs to hearings and consultations. It is also very important to us that we make our research available to the wider public, listen to criticism from interested parties and accept recommendations. To this end, in addition to regular public events, we are also planning collaborations with museums, film event organisers and educational institutions.  

“I am looking forward to working with SHRI Director Stefan Schlegel to assemble a team of two excellent and highly experienced researchers to start work on this exciting and challenging remit.”