Federal President Joachim Gauck was in Geneva, Switzerland, on 25 and 26 February 2013 to visit the international human rights institutions located there. With this trip, the Federal President is underscoring the central importance of human rights, civil rights and humanity towards others.

He began his visit with a speech to the United Nations Human Rights Council. Germany was elected to serve on this key human rights body from 1 January 2013. During his trip, the Federal President also met with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, a group of human rights defenders from various countries and the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

With students from the German School Geneva, he discussed the importance of personal commitment to human rights. Finally, Federal President Gauck visited the grave of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ludwig Quidde. Quidde, who received the prize in 1927, was an early strong advocate of the peace movement in Germany. An opponent of the National Socialists, he died in exile in Geneva.

The visit to Geneva was the first in a series of events with which the Federal President intends to focus on human rights over the course of the year.