Annual Student Conference 2017
Annual Student Human Rights Conference 2017
LGBT+ Rights in the 21st Century: Free and Equal?
Saturday 25 March 2017
Recent years has seen increasing support for LGBT+ rights, both domestically and internationally. Since the establishment of the Yogyakarta Principles in 2006, LGBT+ rights have clearly gained momentum. However, progress has been uneven. The status of LGBT+ rights remains controversial. They have often been undermined and overlooked. Following the 10-year anniversary of the Principles, many states are yet to incorporate LGBT+ rights into their laws and give effect to them in practice. The HRLC's 18th Annual Student Human Rights Conference provides an excellent opportunity to explore the successes of LGBT+ rights whilst recognising the barriers and discussing future reforms.
The Conference explored the advancements made in the application of human rights law for LGBT+ people. It critically examined the progress made to ensure that all people, no matter who they are, are 'free and equal'. Keynote speakers presented their insights into LGBT+ rights from a variety of perspectives. Contributions were also made by student panellists and pertinent questions, such as 'What role can civil society play' or 'What are the root causes of LGBT+ discrimination' were addressed.
We were joined by:
- Professor Michael O'Flaherty, Director, EU Agency for Fundamental Rights
- Mr Arvind Narrain, Geneva Director, ARC International
- Professor Javaid Rehman, Professor of Law, Brunel University
- Ms Joanna Whiteman, Co-Director, Equal Rights Trust
As in previous years, attendees were able to attend student panels and hear postgraduate students present their research on the conference topic. This year we also introduced a more interactive aspect to the conference. The afternoon consisted of two workshops where attendees were able to put into practice what they have learnt from the day, to network with fellow guests and to learn about advocacy strategies from practitioners:
- Workshop 1 focused on LGBT+ advocacy and lobbying strategies at national and international level - it was lead by Mr Paul Dillane, Executive Director of Kaleidoscope Trust
- Workshop 2 focused on LGBT+ communication and awareness raising strategies – it was lead by Out in Education
You can download the 2017 Student Conference programme here