Other Conferences and Workshops
The Human Rights Law Centre often hosts other high-profile conference events for academics and practitioners, in addition to its regular programmes.
These have included:
18th - 19th September 2009
Partnerships and Reform for Human Rights Protection: 10th Annual AHRI Conference
From September 17th to 19th 2009, the Human Rights Law Centre hosted the 10th Annual Conference of the Association of Human Rights Institutes (AHRI). With a membership of 25 human rights research centres from 20 European countries, AHRI is the largest consortium of its kind in the world.
This high-profile conference, Partnerships and Reform for Human Rights Protection, brought together more than 100 participants from national human rights institutions, UN bodies, academic research institutes and NGO’s from around the world.
A number of leading human rights experts addressed the conference, including:
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Mary Robinson, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (1990 - 1997)
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Thomas Hammarberg, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights
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Professor Monica McWilliams, Chief Commissioner, Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
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Marcia Kran, Director of the Research and Right to Development Division, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (representing the High Commissioner)
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Ambassador Jan Nordlander, Swedish Presidency of the European Union
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Bertrand Ramcharan, former Acting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
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Lisa Horner, Head of Research and Policy, Global Partners
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Professor Wouter Vandenhole, University of Antwerp and Chair in Human Rights - UNICEF Chair in Children's Rights
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Professor Manfred Nowak, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture
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Professor Michael O'Flaherty, UN Human Rights Committee
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Professor Wolfgang Benedek, Director of the European Training and Research Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, University of Graz
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Dr George Ulrich, Former Secretary General, European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation
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Professor Therese Murphy, School of Law, University of Nottingham
Conference activities also included plenary panel discussions and intensive working group discussion and debate sessions.
The Conference programme is available here.
COST Action IS0702: The Role of the EU in UN Human Rights Reform
The conference launches a four-year network programme, funded by COST. The award holder is the Association of Human Rights Institutes (AHRI) and the Action is chaired by Professor Manfred Nowak and the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute at the University of Vienna. The Action aims to increase and consolidate knowledge of the ongoing process of institutional, structural, and procedural reforms of the UN human rights system.
For more information on the Action, including its Management Committee, Action Fact Sheet and Memorandum of Understanding, please visit the website.
Working Groups
Participants joined one of three interdisciplinary working groups on Day 2 of the conference. Chaired by leading experts in each of the themes, the Working Groups will meet throughout the four years of the COST Action.
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Reform of UN Human Rights Mechanisms
Chair: Professor Manfred Nowak, University of Vienna and UN Special Rapporteur on Torture
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Strengthening Systems for Human Rights Based Development
Chair: Professor Wouter Vandenhole, University of Antwerp and UNICEF Chair in Children's Rights
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New Perspectives on Human Rights Partnerships
Chair: Professor Wolfgang Benedek, Director of the European Training and Research Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (ETC), University of Graz
PhD Poster Session
PhD students played an active role in the conference by showcasing their research work in two poster sessions during the conference.
30-31 January 2009
A high-level expert workshop on Human Rights Diplomacy was convened in the Monastery of San Nicolò Venice–Lido by the HRLC, the European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation (EIUC), and the Adam Mickiewicz University Poznan. The project directors are Professor Michael O'Flaherty (Nottingham), Professor Dzidek Kedzia (Poznan) and Dr George Ulrich (EIUC, Venice).
Purpose
The main purpose of the high-level workshop was to explore the notion, dimensions and means of human rights diplomacy by States and IGOs with a view to better understanding the sector and promoting good practice.
Participants
The workshop brought together diplomats, academics, civil society actors, ‘special procedures’ mandate-holders, UN Treaty Body members, senior personnel of intergovernmental organisations and current and former high diplomatic office holders. A full list of participants can be found in the comprehensive workshop report.
Activities
The workshop addressed the long-standing practice of bilateral and multilateral human rights diplomacy by States and IGOs, its development following the Vienna World Conference on Human Rights (1993) and the advent of diplomatic office-holders tasked specifically with human rights responsibilities, in particular, the post of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and regional high level posts, such as the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The workshop concluded by considering future opportunities and challenges for human rights diplomacy.
Outputs
A report of the expert workshop was produced with further exploration of the key issues and results outlined in this report in a planned edited volume on human rights diplomacy.
11-12 February 2006
Following the 2005 Plan of Action on UN Treaty Monitoring Body Reform of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, HRLC produced a series of background papers for the High Commissioner, on proposals for reform, leading to the convening of an expert workshop in February 2006. The workshop benefited from the generous financial support of the Irish and United Kingdom Governments and was convened under the direction of Professor Michael O’Flaherty, with assistance from Dr James Harrison.
Purpose
Its primary purpose was to consider strategies and pathways towards further reform of the TMB system, in light of the High Commissioner's proposal and other current reform initiatives.
Participants
The workshop brought together TMB experts, diplomats, civil society representatives, academics and personnel of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Discussion took place in a series of plenary debates, introduced by comments from selected panels of participants, and three break-out sessions. Chatham House Rules applied.
Outputs
A report of the expert workshop was produced and widely disseminated, Expert Workshop on Reform of United Nations Human Rights Treaty Monitoring Bodies, and is commonly referred to as the Nottingham Report.
For more information about the other project elements, please see our projects page.