SIM Newsletter Fall 2023, Issue 33
|
|
|
|
|
After another successful human rights summer school, in which we welcomed participants from across the globe to Utrecht, SIM colleagues and fellows have kicked of the new academic year in full force. I look with pride at the achievements of SIM staff and fellows, from prizes awarded for innovative research to impact on society, but most of all at the collegial and collaborative vibe that links them all. It is such drive that we need in a world that celebrates 75 years of the Universal Declaration this year, but in which human rights - and thus the dignity, equality and freedom of human beings - face ongoing and severe pressures. |
|
|
|
|
The UDHR may be universal but its legacy is also frail and needs to be promoted and secured time and again : no achievement is eternal. It is for that reason that we embark this autumn on a whole series of human rights events (see our agenda below), culminating in the launch of a special website on 75 years of the UDHR for a general audience, where research and art will meet. Feel welcome to join us for that and much more in the coming months!
Antoine Buyse, SIM director |
|
|
On the first of September, Matilda Radoš joined SIM as a lecturer and PhD candidate in international law and human rights. In the past two years, Matilda worked as a junior lecturer in international and European law at UU. Matilda’s research project focuses on the standard-setting role of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in Transitional Societies in Europe. It will explore the approach of the ECtHR to transitional justice tools adopted in States transitioning from dictatorial rule, countries transitioning from armed conflict and consolidated democracies in Europe.
|
|
|
|
In September, Leens van Kessel joined SIM in the role of SIM student assistant. She holds an LLM in Transnational Law from King’s College London and an LLB from Utrecht University. In September, she started the Legal Research Master program. As student assistant, Leens supports the SIM staff with their teaching and research tasks. She also compiles the newsletter. SIM offers Leens an environment to engage with inspiring human rights researchers and support their work. |
|
|
|
ESIL Collective Book Prize |
|
At the end of August, Jérôme de Hemptinne was awarded the ESIL Collective Book Prize for his book entitled ‘Animals in the International Law of Armed Conflict’ which he co-edited with Anne Peters and Robert Kolb and which was published in 2022 with Cambridge University Press. |
|
|
2023 World Human Rights Cities Forum Gwangju
|
|
Tina Stavrinaki participated in the 2023 World Human Rights Cities Forum that took place in Gwangju in South Korea. She gave a lecture on “Migrants’ right to health in international human rights law” on 6 October. On 7 October, she gave a lecture at the UNESCO Master Class Gwangju Series on “Youth Actions in Response to Inequalities”.
|
|
|
|
|
AHRI Conference in Bilbao |
|
On 8 September 2023, Brianne McGonigle Leyh and Antoine Buyse, participated in the annual conference of the Association of Human Rights Institutes (AHRI), which was hosted by Deusto University in Bilbao, Spain this year. The conference theme was human rights defenders. Brianne presented a paper on 'Universities and Digital Open-Source Investigation Labs: New Skills and Collaboration to advance Global Justice and Human Rights.' and Antoine delivered a keynote speech on 'Shrinking Space for Civil Society: barriers and drivers for the defense of human rights'. |
|
|
|
On 10th October, Katharine Fortin took part in the launch event for the book that she co-edited with Ezequiel Heffes, the Armed Groups and International Law: In the Shadowland of Legality and Illegality (Edward Elgar, 2023) at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. Professor Marco Sassòli, former Director of the Geneva Academy delivered the opening remarks and the discussion was chaired by Omar Ahmed Abenza, Head of East Africa Region, Geneva Call. The discussion participants were Katharine Fortin, Ezequiel Heffes and Gloria Gaggioli who contributed a chapter to the edited volume. (Photo courtesy of Geneva Academy)
|
|
|
|
|
Felisa Tibbitts, whose endowed Chair in Human Rights Education is supported by the Dutch Soroptimist, presented one of the keynotes at the Soroptimist International conference in Dublin on 28 July. Felisa shed light on the pressing need for education to address climate change, considering it as a vital tool in steering societies towards a sustainable path. Tibbitts urged the integration of ESD across curricula worldwide, advocating for elements such as critical analysis of one’s environment, dialogue and discussion, acquisition of new knowledge, development of agency and imagination, application of learning outside school, and self-reflection. |
|
|
|
In June, Utrecht University hosted the 10th Annual Conference 2023 Berkeley Center On Comparative Equality & Anti-Discrimination Law (BCCE), which is a global network of experts on equality-related issues. The topic of the conference, co-organized by SIM’s Lorena Sosa, Alexandra Timmer and Franka van Hoof, together with Linda Senden (UU) and David Oppenheimer (Berkeley), was ‘Equality Law in Context: Illuminating Intersections in Search for Global Justice’. It was supported by UU’s Institutions for Open Societies (IOS), RENFORCE and UCERF. Julie Fraser moderated a key-note panel on climate-related inequalities. Tina Stavrinaki moderated a panel on racial discrimination. Marjolein van den Brink and Jet Tigchelaar presented on gender identity and registration. Naema Tahir discussed arranged marriages in migrant families. There were approximately 130 speakers in total. |
|
|
|
|
From 25 to 27 September 2023, Jérôme de Hemptinne was invited by the René Cassin Foundation to participate in the 14th Session of the Foundation in Dakar entitled “Armed Conflicts and Human Rights”. On this occasion, he delivered a complete course of international criminal law. The course was mainly addressed to judges, lawyers, diplomats, and journalists working in West Africa. |
|
|
|
On 21 September, Antoine Buyse participated in a conference on the role of the judiciary in the execution of the European Court of Human Rights in Riga, Latvia. The conference, which gathered high court judges from across Europe, including the president of the Dutch Hoge Raad, was organised jointly by the Constitutional and Supreme Courts of Latvia. Antoine delivered a contribution entitled 'Reopening domestic proceedings: legal irritant or safeguard for human rights?'. |
|
|
|
|
In July 2023, Katharine Fortin co-organised a joint blog symposium on the Al Hassan case in front of the International Criminal Court with Sean Watts and Diletta Marchesi. The blog symposium was hosted by the Articles of War Blog and the Armed Groups and International Law blog. The blog symposium included blog posts on rebel governance, conflict classification, the nexus requirement, detention by armed groups, trials by armed groups, sexual and gender based crimes, the application of Islamic law in Timbuktu and obtaining evidence for criminal trials. Katharine contributed the introductory post and a post on rebel governance and Julie Fraser contributed a post on the relevance of Islamic law to the trial. |
|
|
|
Neurotechnology and Human Rights |
|
The UN Human Rights Council's Advisory Committee is currently investigating the impact, opportunities and challenges of neurotechnology on human rights. SIM director Antoine Buyse and SIM fellow Naomi van de Pol were among a multidisciplinary group of researchers from four universities (Utrecht, Tilburg, VU Amsterdam and Oxford) who co-drafted a submission on what should be in their view the key considerations from a human rights perspective to deal with these new technological challenges. |
|
|
|
|
On 30 August, Julie Fraser participated in the annual conference of the European Society of International Law. She participated in the workshops of the interest group on feminism and presented a paper with PhD candidate Dona Anyona entitled: Fairness, Women, and the Climate Crisis. The paper examines how climate change disproportionately impacts women, while at the same time excluding them from relevant decision-making bodies. A case study on how the impacts of climate change are increasing the practice of female circumcision in Kenya.
|
|
|
|
On September 22-23, Javier Couso participated in a workshop of the "Research Project on Global Resistance to Autocratic Diffusion (GRAD project)", an initiative by a consortium of several academic institutions (Transnational Law Institute, Kings College London; Law School of FGV Sao Paulo, Brazil; and the Global Legal Studies Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison Project on Autocratic Legalism (PAL). This initiative aims to study domestic and international resistance strategies to authoritarian developments worldwide. |
|
|
|
|
Institutions for Conflict Resolution (COI) Conference |
|
The 2023 Institutions for Conflict Resolution (COI) Conference, entitled ‘Towards just institutional approaches to conflict prevention and resolution’ took place on 28 and 29 of September.
|
|
|
|
|
Julie Fraser co-organised a panel on reparations under international law and chaired a panel which included presentations by Lauren Kohn on corruption and state-capture in South Africa, and Carlos Santana Bareno on Colombia's Special Jurisdiction for Peace. Lorena Sosa and Marjolein van den Brink participated in the panel entitled Gender rights and violence. Lorena presented her paper entitled “Voices and echoes: Decision-making on controversial issues regarding children's bodies and identities”, a comparative study exploring whose voices and which legal principles inform decision-making in conflict-resolution mechanisms in The Netherlands and Argentina when children and their parents clash around issues on gender identity. Marjolein presented her paper “Equal but separate? Access to women-only spaces explored from a European and domestic non-discrimination perspective”, co-authored with Peter Dunne (Bristol University), in which they explore the role of law in the conflict between the rights for transgender individuals and women-only only spaces, such as restrooms, changing rooms and dormitories, and the possibilities for legal solutions that will respect human rights principles, as well as the various interests at stake in the best possible way.
|
|
This year, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) will celebrate its 75th anniversary. As a kick-off to the Utrecht University's range of activities in that context, Studium Generale organises a series of three public events in TivoliVredenburg. On 2 October, Antoine Buyse delivered the first |
|
|
|
|
interactive lecture, looking back at the history of the UDHR and at it's relevance today, also within the Netherlands. In a sold out venue, an engaging discussion with the audience ensued. A video of the whole event (in Dutch) can be watched here. For more events in this series, see here. |
|
On 15 September, the international day of democracy, Antoine Buyse participated in the exchange with civil society of the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. This exchange was the first of its kind and was meant to explore and strengthen the voice of civil society within that European organization. Antoine was one of the representatives of the Expert Council of NGO Law in the exchange.
|
|
|
Human Rights Educator Podcast |
|
Human Rights Educators-USA is a network of human rights educators, co-founded by Felisa Tibbitts and now having over 800 members. HREUSA is broadcasting a podcast series “Human Rights Education Now!”, for which Felisa was interviewed. The results were released as Episodes 13 and 14: Human Rights Education Now! Podcast. Among other topics, she addressed the challenge of engaging and local and universal issues in HRE the relationship of HRE to social justice and connecting HRE to social problems via disciplinary approaches.
|
|
|
|
|
Tina Stavrinaki was re-elected for a second term with the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination from January 2024 to January 2028.
|
|
|
|
|
Consultation on the Right to Health
|
|
On 12 July 2023, Tina Stavrinaki organized, in her capacity as Rapporteur on the draft General Recommendation No. 37 on racial discrimination and the right to health, an online regional consultation in Francophone Africa with the participation of approximatively 50 civil society organisations, grassroots organisations, and National Human Rights Institutions from Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo Brazzaville, Cameroun, Togo, Mauritania, Morocco, Tchad, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Burundi, Madagascar.
|
|
|
|
State Commission against Discrimination and Racism |
|
Tina Stavrinaki was invited by the State Commission against Discrimination and Racism, in her capacity as Vice-Chair of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, to exchange views on the mandate of the Commission and issues related to the elimination of racial discrimination. The meetings took place on 10 October. (Photo courtesy of UNHCR/Yorgos Kyvernitis) |
|
|
|
SIM Teaching and Training |
|
The SIM Summer School course “Introduction to International Human Rights Law” took place on 3-7 July 2023 in Utrecht. The course was filled, with 29 participants from the following countries: Netherland (5), Indonesia (9), UK (2), Italy (2), Uganda, Turkey, Kenya, Bulgaria, Germany, Congo – Kinshasa, India, Australia, Spain, Poland, El Salvador. The learners included law students and practitioners, who evaluated the SIM faculty and course very highly (consistent with previous years). This course continues to be popular and well regarded, and SIM will be offering it again in 2024. |
|
|
|
On 26 September 2023, Antoine Buyse, Katharine Fortin and Hadeel Abu Hussein organized an international workshop on Exploring the Linkage between Rule of Law Backsliding and Human Rights. How to find the brakes on a slippery slope? The workshop was coordinated between SIM, Montaigne Centre for the Rule of Law and Netherlands Network for Human Rights Research. We had exciting, fruitful discussions on this significant topic of how to understand the linkage between the rule of law backsliding and international human rights law, Both conceptually and empirically. |
|
|
|
|
Parliamentary Governance in Kosovo Training |
|
On 23 June 2023, Kushtrim Istrefi gave a training to deputies and civil servants of the Kosovo Parliament on the Accession to the Council of Europe and the European Convention on Human Rights. The training was supported by the EU project “Improving Parliamentary Governance in Kosovo". |
|
|
|
Human Rights Education Seminar |
|
On 28 September, Felisa Tibbitts presented virtually for a Chilean seminar on human rights education, focusing on the international human rights education (HRE) movement and how existing HRE efforts in Chile might be strengthened in light of a renewed focus on past atrocities. |
|
|
|
|
Training on Anti-stereotyping for Jfudges |
|
On September 19th, Lorena Sosa and Alexandra Timmer participated in the third edition of the online training for practising lawyers and judges in Mexico on Stereotypes and the Judiciary, organized by the Mexican training and study centre for the judiciary. The course took place online and drew from their chapter on “Stereotypes in the case law of the European Court of Human Rights”, commissioned by the Mexican Supreme Court and published in Spanish in 2022, and recently translated into Portuguese for the Federal Justice Council in Brazil. |
|
|
|
Student Research on Linkages between Dutch law and slavery |
|
On 27 June, Julie Fraser and Brianne McGonigle Leyh participated in an event at UU to present the results of student research into the linkages between law and the Dutch history of racialized chattel slavery during the colonial period. Students performed research as part of their Bachelor or Master programmes on topics including apologies as reparation, legal liability for reparations, and how to incorporate slavery into the Dutch law curriculum. Pictured below is the opening presentation by Linda Nooitmeer, chair of the Dutch National Institute of Slavery History and Heritage (NiNSee). |
|
|
|
|
On July 6, Javier Couso was part of a PhD Tribunal at Leiden University. The thesis, called "Citizenship formation in Chilean universities: historical and institutional variations", was written by Francisca Infante, with the supervision of Prof. Patricio Silva (Leiden University). Other members of the Tribunal were Cris Kay (ISS /Erasmus) and Prof. Damian Pargas (Leiden University).
|
|
|
|
On 12th July, Katharine Fortin took part in the PhD defence of Sarah McGibbon at Maastricht Committee. Sarah’s PhD was on the international legal capacity and responsibility of non-State effective territorial entities. The PhD was supervised by Professor Jure Vidmar and Dr Wim Muller and the Examination Committee was made up of Katharine Fortin, Liesbeth Lijnzaad, Dire Tladi, Andrea Broderick and Jennifer Sellin. Congratulations, Sarah! |
|
On September 28, Alexandra Timmer was part of a PhD Tribunal at the University of the Basque Country in San Sebastian (Spain). The excellent thesis entitled ‘Feminismos, Interseccionalidad y Estereotipos en el Derecho Antidiscriminatorio’ was written by Alazne Irigoyen, under the supervision of Prof. Maggy Barrere. Alazne was previously a visiting scholar at Utrecht University.
|
|
|
|
|
Summer Course on Women, Gender and International Human Rights Law
|
|
Tina Stavrinaki gave a lecture on “Gender-based Discrimination and Hate Crimes” in the 2023 Summer Courses on “Women, Gender and International Human Rights Law” organized by the Koufa Foundation for the Promotion of International and Human Rights Law from Wednesday 28 June 2023 to Friday 7 July 2023 in Thessaloniki, Greece.
|
|
|
|
In August 2023, the Armed Groups and International Law blog hosted a student blog symposium in which the four best blog posts from the Capita Selecta on Armed Groups and International Law were published. This included posts by Daniela Ciobanu, Barbara Pavlovicova, Laura Pizzferrato and Insook Yoon on humanitarian access (see here and here), the role of religious leaders in the compliance of international humanitarian law (see here) and artificial intelligence (see here).
|
|
|
|
|
On 28 and 29 September, together with Elmin Omičević, Salvo Nicolosi presented their draft paper on ‘The Potential of Domestic Judicial Mechanisms in Determining and Allocating Responsibility for Human Rights Violations at the EU’s External Borders’ at the final conference of the SHARED Project (Shared Responsibility at the EU’s External Borders) hosted by the University of Barcelona. |
|
|
|
On 14 October at ICON-S Italy (the Italian chapter of the International Society of Public Law) hosted by Bocconi University in Milan, within a panel on the Rule of Law Backsliding at the Borders of the EU: Actors, Challenges, and Remedies, Salvo Nicolosi presented his draft paper on the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX) and the Limits to Effective Judicial Protection. |
|
|
|
|
National Human Rights Commission of Korea |
|
Tina Stavrinaki introduced the draft General Recommendation No. 37 on racial discrimination and the right to health in rich consultation with human rights defenders on migrants' rights at the National Commission for Human Rights co-organised by GongGam Human Rights Law Foundation on 4 October 2023 in Seoul. Tina also gave a lecture on “Racial discrimination and the right to health” at the Graduate School of Public Health of Seoul National University on 4 October 2023.
|
|
|
|
|
* 75 Years UDHR Series in TivoliVredenburg by Studium Generale/SIM/UGlobe
On 23 October, Fatima Denton and Tim Bleeker will speak on The Road to Climate Justice. On 29 November, Marjolein van den Brink will present on the human rights protection of transgender persons.
* Book launch: Emancipatory Human Rights and the University:
On 9 November, the book launch for Felisa Tibbitts and André Keet's new book will be held. Tina Stavrinaki will moderate the debate. |
|
|
|
* Seminar: ‘Property rights and gender: enabling women’s human rights’:
On 15 November, SIM and UCERF, sponsored by the (in)Equality Platform, will host the seminar 'Property rights and gender: enabling women’s human rights'. The programme includes discussions with Selin Dilli, Ans Merens, Elisabeth Alofs, José Alvarez, and Cees Flinterman. Lorena Sosa will chair the event. Spaces are limited, to register send an email to SecretariaatIERSBR@uu.nl.
* Official Launch 75 Years UDHR Project:
On 10 December, SIM will launch its official 75 UDHR project at 17:00 in Utrecht Public Library Neude. More information will follow on SIM's socials (X, Facebook, LinkedIn and website).
|
|
|
|
Netherlands Quarterly of Human Rights |
| September 2023, Vol. 41. No. 3
|
|
|
|
|
Brianne McGonigle Leyh, ‘Unable to See the Forest for the Trees: Transitional Justice in the United States of America’, in Tine Destrooper et al. (eds), Transitional Justice in Aparadigmatic Contexts (Routledge, 2023)
Ai Kihara-Hunt and Róisín Burke, 'An Alternative Approach: The African Union’s SEA Regulatory Framework', in Gilder et al. (eds), Multidisciplinary Futures of UN Peace Operations (Palgrave Macmillan, 2023)
Brianne McGonigle Leyh, ‘Transitional Justice and International Criminal Justice’, in Cheryl Lawther and Luke Moffett (eds), Handbook on Transitional Justice (Edward Elgar, 2023)
Brianne McGonigle Leyh, Deborah Nidel, and Masha Fedorova, ‘The Rise of Universal Jurisdiction Cases in Europe and the Appeal of Joint Investigation Teams’, in Michiel Luchtman et al. (eds), Of swords and shields: due process and crime control in times of globalization : Liber amicorum prof. dr. J.A.E. Vervaele (Eleven, 2023) |
|
|
|
|
Yiokasti Mouratidi and Kushtrim Istrefi, 'Territorial Jurisdiction During the Active Phase of Hostilities: Shavlokhova v Georgia', European Human Rights Law Review 4 (2023)
Javier Couso, 'Overcoming a Clash of Absolutes: The Conflicting Ethical Demands Posed by Access to Medicines Litigation Confronted by Latin American Judges', Legal Ethics (2023)
Martijn Huisman, Tessa Diphoorn, Susanne Knittel, Brianne McGonigle Leyh and Merel van Gogh, ‘Traveling Concepts in the Classroom: Experiences in Interdisciplinary Education’, Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies in Education 12(1) (2023)
|
|
|
|
Katharine Fortin, 'Mapping Calamities: Capturing the Competing Legalities of Spaces under the Control of Armed Non State Actors without Erasing Everyday Civilian Life', Social Sciences & Humanities Open (2023)
Charlotte Hahn and Kushtrim Istrefi, 'Uncharted Waters: Solidarity with Migrants at Sea and the Freedom of Expression', German Law Journal 24(5) (2023)
Tessa Diphoorn and Brianne McGonigle Leyh, ‘Travelling in the Classroom: Podcasting as an Active-Learning Tool for Interdisciplinarity’, Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies in Education 12(1) (2023)
|
|
|
|
|
Julie Fraser, Articles of War blog symposium on Al Hassan case before ICC: “Islam Itself Is Not on Trial”: Culture and Religion in Al Hassan: Articles of War blog symposium on Al Hassan case before ICC, 31 July 2023 (Articles of War Blog) |
|
|
|
Kushtrim Istrefi, Kovačević v Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the saga of the Dayton Peace Agreement’s incompatibility with the European Convention on Human Rights, 4 September 2023 (EJIL: Talk!) |
|
|
|
|
Antoine Buyse et al., Human Rights: A Core Interest in the Current Geopolitical Context (Advisory Council for International Affairs 2022) [English translation now available]
Julie Fraser et al., Hague Courts Dialogue Series podcast - International Criminal Court arrest warrants for President Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova: What are the legal and political implications? (Hague Courts Dialogue Series 2023) |
|
|
|
Felisa Tibbitts, Sam Loni, Amanda Abrom and Gabriela Ugarte, From Commitment to Action: Integrating Sustainable Development into National Education Priorities: A Practical Guide for Policymakers, Practitioners and Researchers (New York: Sustainable Development Solutions Network 2023)
Julie Fraser, Mara Yerkes, Muca Bayrak, and Rianka Rijnhout. Podcast: Focused on the Future: What role do communities play in societal changes for the long-term benefit? (Springcast 2023) Springcast |
|
|
|
|
|
For more info and other events:
Follow us! |
|
|
|
|
