Emma Bapt

Emma Bapt is a Programme Officer at the Geneva Human Rights Hub leading a policy research project advancing structural discussions on the effective functioning of the UN human rights system, in particular by contributing to the future-proofing of the UN Human Rights Council in the context of the UN80 initiative. Emma also supports Eric Tistounet in the Lake Room Initiative, providing logistical and qualitative support for meetings which enable Ambassadors to discuss issues outside the UN related to the human rights system.

Prior to joining the Geneva Human Rights Hub, Emma was a Research Collaborator at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights supporting human rights and conflict prevention work, notably how the United Nations' human rights system can enhance its role in early warning and conflict prevention, including in authoritarian settings. She also collaborated with the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on an expert group meeting on ESCR and Armed Conflict and published research on the targeting and repression of sexual orientation and gender identity minorities in the Russian Federation.

She previously worked with United Nations University - Centre for Policy Research (UNU-CPR) Geneva and New York offices on peacebuilding and human rights, and peace and security dynamics in the Security Council, the General Assembly, the Peacebuilding Commission, and other UN bodies and policy processes. Her fieldwork in The Gambia (2024) and the DRC (2023) contributed directly to the 2024 Peacebuilding Fund Thematic Review on the Synergies between Human Rights and Peacebuilding, and 2025 PBF Thematic Review on Youth, Peace and Security. Other research includes the role of human rights in UN peace operations, the UN General Assembly’s peace and security role, and migration, including at the EU Delegation to the UN and other international organizations in Geneva.

Emma holds a BA in War Studies and History from King's College London and an MA in International Relations within the Conflict Management program at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). During her studies, Emma conducted research at the Global Public Policy Institute (GPPi) on the role of the Syrian Arab Air Force in the Syrian conflict, including attacks using chemical weapons in Syria since 2011.