Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law
Human Rights Month 2008:
This year, Human Rights Month will be organized according to three themes, with a series of panel discussions proposed for each. All events will be from 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. at American University Washington College of Law in Rm. 603 and will be simultaneously interpreted unless otherwise noted. They are as follows:
The Relationship between Human Rights and Humanitarian Law: Contemporary Issues
- Wednesday, May 28, 2008: The Role of Human Rights Supervisory Bodies in Applying Humanitarian Law: Benefits and Drawbacks
Invited Panelists:
Philip Sundel, Deputy Legal Advisor, International Committee of the Red Cross
Robert K. Goldman, Professor of Law, American University Washington College of Law
Leo Zwaak, Senior Researcher, Netherlands Institute of Human Rights (SIM)
Commentator: Elizabeth Andersen, Executive Director, American Society of International Law (ASIL)
- Thursday, May 29, 2008: The Duty to Prosecute and Punish and the Interaction between Human Rights and Humanitarian Law
Invited Panelists:
Douglass Cassel, Director, Center for Civil and Human Rights at the University of Notre Dame
Juan Méndez, President, International Center for Transitional Justice in New York
Rodrigo Uprimny, Director, Research Center for Law, Justice and Society (DeJuSticia), Colombia
Johan Vande Lanotte, Professor, Ghent University and former Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium
Commentator: Diane Orentlicher, Professor ofInternational Law, Washington College of Law
Third Annual Meeting on Human Rights: the Inter-American Human Rights System
- Friday, May 30, 2008: Current Status of the Inter-American Human Rights System: a Reflection on the “Reform Process”
Invited Panelists:
Carlos Ayala, Former President, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Robert K. Goldman, Professor of Law, American University Washington College of Law
Juan Méndez, President, International Center for Transitional Justice in New York
Commentator: Diego Rodríguez-Pinzón, Co-Director, Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law
- Monday, June 2, 2008: The Procedures of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights: a Debate on its Practices and Regulations
Invited Panelists:
Ernesto de la Jara, Founder, Legal Defense Institute in Peru
Francisco Quintana , Associate Director, Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL)
Margarita Rey, Human Rights Advisor, Colombian Mission to the Organization of American States
- Tuesday, June 3, 2008: Recent Jurisprudence of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights: Weighing the Impact and Scope of its Decisions
Invited Panelists:
Elizabeth Abi-Mershed, Principal Specialist, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Antônio Cançado Trindade, Ex-President, Inter-American Court of Human Rights
Rodrigo Durango Cordero, Attorney, Attorney General's Office, Ecuador
Commentator: Claudia Martin, Co-Director, Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law
The United Nations and the Challenges of Protecting Human Rights in the 21st Century
- Friday, June 6, 2008: UN Special Procedures: a Conversation with the Experts on the Future and Impact of these Mechanisms
Invited Panelists:
Santiago Corcuera, UN Rapporteur and Chair, Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances
Gay McDougall, UN Independent Expert on Minority Issues
Vitit Muntarbhorn, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
Manfred Nowak, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture
Commentator: Claudio Grossman, Dean, American University Washington College of Law
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Thursday, June 12, 2008: Human Rights and the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy: Hopes and Challenges
Co-Sponsored by: The Center on Global Counterterrorism Cooperation
Invited Panelists:
Santiago Cantón, Executive Secretary, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Steve Crawshaw, UN Advocacy Director, Human Rights Watch, New York
Ngonlardje Mbaidjol, Director, New York Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Eric Rosand, Senior Fellow, Center on Global Counterterrorism Cooperation
Martin Scheinin, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counter-Terrorism
Commentator: Robert K. Goldman, Professor of Law, American University Washington College of Law
