Relevance of Human Rights

Transcription

1 October 17 th 18 th 2008 The Local Relevance of Human Rights Interdisciplinary conference at the occasion of the 60 th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Congress Centre Elzenveld Lange Gasthuisstraat 45 b-2000 Antwerp Belgium Tierra y liberdad, Frederik Hulstaert, 1981

2 On October 17 th 18 th 2008 the University Centre Saint- Ignatius Antwerp (ucsia) organizes the international conference The Local Relevance of Human Rights, in collaboration with the Law Faculty of the University of Antwerp and the European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation (eiuc). Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (udhr) on December 10 th 1948, numerous international documents have reaffirmed human rights as global norms. But do human rights offer real protection when disadvantaged groups invoke them at the local level in an attempt to improve their living conditions? This conference examines what factors determine whether appeals to human rights that emanate from the local level, are successful or not. In this context, the conference equally reviews whether the Universal Declaration adequately responds to threats as currently defined by relevant groups, or whether a revision of some of the ideas included in the udhr is needed in order to increase its contemporary relevance. The conference will discuss case studies from both developed and developing countries. In addition, difficulties relevant groups face in achieving human rights protection in Belgium will also be dealt with.

3 Conference Programme Friday October 17 th 2008 Lazarus Marcquis auditorium Congress Centre Elzenveld 08:30 Registration 09:15 Welcome Chris Timmerman Director Academic Affairs UCSIA 09:30 Introductory keynote speech Diego Garcia Sayán Judge at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights 10:00 Theme 1: Cultural Diversity, Migration and Human Rights Chair: Chris Timmerman, Director Academic Affairs UCSIA Stéphanie Lagoutte, Senior Researcher at the Danish Institute of Human Rights Dirk Vanheule, Professor and Academic Secretary of the Faculty of Law and Vice-director of the Centre for Migration and Intercultural Studies, University of Antwerp 11:10 Coffee break 11:40 Theme 2: Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Chair: George Ulrich, Secretary-General of EIUC Felipe Gómez, Professor of International Law, Institute of Human Rights, University of Deusto (Bilbao) Alicia E. Yamin, Fellow at the Harvard Law School Petrie Flom Centre and Faculty Member of Harvard School of Public Health 13:00 Lunch 14:00 Theme 3: Environmental Rights Chair: Wouter Vandenhole, Professor of Human Rights, University of Antwerp Christian Courtis, Legal Officer for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, International Commission of Jurists Olubayo Oluduro, Researcher at the Faculty of Law, Adekunle Ajasin University, Nigeria 15:30 Coffee Break 16:00 Theme 4: Armed Conflict, Human Rights and Peace Chair: Stephan Parmentier, Professor of Human Rights and Transitional Justice, KULeuven Antonio Papisca, Coordinator of the Jean Monnet Research Project, Director of the Interdepartmental Centre on Human Rights and the Rights of Peoples, University of Padua Shawan Jabarin, General Director of the Ramallah-based human rights organization, Al Haq (tbc) 17:30 Conclusion conference day 1 and View on the Future of UDHR Koen De Feyter, Professor and Spokesperson of the Law and Development Research Group, University of Antwerp 18:00 End of the conference

4 Workshop Programme Saturday October 18 th 2008 Rodrigues d Evorazaal Congress Centre Elzenveld 08:30 Registration 09:00 Plenary session on methodology Gaby Oré-Aguilar, Localizing human rights Project Consultant, University of Antwerp Koen De Feyter, Professor and Spokesperson of the Law and Development Research Group, University of Antwerp 09:30 Parallel workshop sessions First session (09:30 11:00) Indigenous people: a general approach The justiciability of and equal access to economic, social and cultural rights Second session (11:30 13:00) Legal strategies to defend indigenous peoples rights Environmental rights Cultural diversity and immigrants in an urban environment Third session (14:00 15:30) The local relevance of international humanitarian law Health and human rights: understanding the interface of human rights, HIV and AIDS in an African context 16:00 Conclusions 16:30 End of the day

5 practical information Conference (Friday October 17 th 2008) Please visit the conference website to download the registration form. The completed form should be submitted before Sunday September 20 th to Marijke Celis by or, alternatively, by fax or postal mail (address details mentioned on the registration form). The enrolment fee is 40 (cold lunch and conference map included). Students participation is 10. Details for payment are mentioned on the registration form. Workshop (Saturday October 18 th 2008) Whereas the conference on Friday October 17 th is open to all, the workshop programme on Saturday October 18 th is only accessible to the professional community. To participate in the workshops, please send a motivated request to Sara Mels, project coordinator of the University Centre Saint-Ignatius Antwerp (ucsia): sara.mels@ua.ac.be. Registration fee for the workshops is 20 (lunch and documentation map included). All lectures are in English. With the kind support of: Contact Marijke Celis ucsia Prinsstraat 14 b-2000 Antwerp Belgium t f e marijke.celis@ua.ac.be Responsible publisher: Walter Nonneman, Prinsstraat 13, b-2000 Antwerp Design: Frederik Hulstaert

6 location Congress Centre Elzenveld Lange Gasthuisstraat 45 b-2000 Antwerp Belgium