Human Rights in Tibet and Regions under China: Jagannath Panda was a panelist at the Geneva Forum 2026
February 18, 2026: Dr. Jagannath Panda, Head of the Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs, was a panelist at the Geneva Forum 2026. The theme of the 2026 Geneva Forum was “Repression and Resilience: Human Rights in Tibet and Regions under China”. Dr. Panda spoke in a panel titled “Endangering the Roof of the World: Environmental Exploitation and Displacement in Tibet”. The other panellists were Dr. Ute Wallenbock and Dr. Tsewang Dorjee. This panel was moderated by Ms. Merce Monje Cano, Secretary General of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisations (UNPO).
The forum commenced with a welcome address by Ms. Thinlay Chukki, Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the Office of Tibet in Geneva. She underscored the moral and spiritual foundations of the Tibetan struggle, emphasizing non-violence, dialogue, and the preservation of Tibetan identity, culture, and religious freedom. Her remarks framed Tibet not merely as a regional concern but as a matter of global conscience tied to universal human rights principles. Subsequent addresses by parliamentarians from Switzerland, Mexico, the Czech Republic, and Germany demonstrated cross-continental political engagement. MP Laurence Fehlmann Rielle highlighted Switzerland’s historical humanitarian tradition and the importance of sustaining parliamentary advocacy on Tibet within European institutions. Hon. MP Paloma Domínguez Ugarte brought a Latin American perspective, linking Tibet’s situation to broader global struggles for indigenous rights, democratic values, and international solidarity. The keynote address by Sikyong Penpa Tsering, President of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), provided strategic depth to the session.