The (In)Effectiveness of Human Rights: Are Human Rights a Myth or a Lived Reality?

The adoption by the United Nations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 marked the beginning of the modern system of protection of human rights at the international level. Since that date, much has been said about the effectiveness or, rather, the ineffectiveness of human rights. This perceived ineffectiveness relates not only to institutional challenges at the international level but also to national implementation mechanisms and processes. In addition, questions have arisen as to whether individuals or groups of individuals actually benefit from the normative guarantees contained in human rights law and whether human rights can be effectively translated into practice in a meaningful way. A related issue is the question as to whether there are differences between various branches of law (such as international criminal law, international human rights law, administrative law, and private law) in making human rights norms effective either at the international or the national level, and to what extent are these issues relevant in domains other than law. In addition, one can question whether there are differences between civil and political rights, on the one hand, and economic, social and cultural rights, on the other hand, when it comes to effectiveness? Furthermore, what about the horizontal application of human rights norms in this respect?

In light of the above, the 2019 Toogdag of the Netherlands Network for Human Rights Research seeks to explore, from an interdisciplinary perspective, whether human rights are, in fact, a myth or a lived reality? The conference is structured around three sub-themes: i) The effectiveness of international law: institutions and processes; ii) The effectiveness of human rights monitoring and implementation at the domestic level; and iii) Human rights at the individual level: individual experiences and key actors.

ONLY FOR NNHRR MEMBERS

PROGRAMME

Thursday 20 June:

16:00-18:00   PhD workshop Culture and Communication
18:00-18:30   Break
18:30-21:00   Documentary for all members of the NNHRR, followed by drinks and finger-food

Friday 21 June 2019:

• 10:00-10:30  Registration & coffee
• 10:30-11:30  Welcome by Prof  Fons Coomans and (interdisciplinary) plenary roundtable (together with panel members from different backgrounds): Unpacking the concept of ‘effectiveness’
• 11:45-13:15  Parallel thematic panels (Panel 1: The effectiveness of international law: institutions and processes, Panel 2: The effectiveness of human rights monitoring and implementation at the domestic level)
• 13:15-14:15  Lunch break
• 14:30-16:00  Panel 3 (plenary):

  Human rights at the individual level: individual experiences and key actors

   

• 16:00-16:15  Coffee break
• 16:15-17:00  Closing keynote speech
• 17:00-18:00  Drinks

Extra content info

CALL FOR PAPERS

Call for Papers INFO

The organisers are looking for papers that fall clearly within the following themes:

• The effectiveness of international law: institutions and processes;
• The effectiveness of human rights monitoring and implementation at the domestic level;
• Human rights at the individual level: individual experiences and key actors.

INFO:

• Please send an ABSTRACT of no more than 300 words to BOTH: claire.boost@maastrichtuniversity.nl and c.deschrijver@student.maastrichtuniversity.nl by 25 March 2019.
• The SUBJECT LINE of the email should read “Abstract submission: Annual Toogdag 2019”.
• The abstract should state very clearly which sub-theme your paper relates to and why.
• At the top of the abstract, please indicate the title of your paper, your name, institutional affiliation, and e-mail address.
• Please provide a 100-word BIOGRAPHY (in a separate document), indicating your professional background and qualifications.

Please note that the conference organisers will select the most suitable abstracts for presentation at the 2019 Annual Research Day. Selected participants will be requested to submit a 5,000-word CONFERENCE PAPER by 7 June 2019. After the conference, the organisers will compile a booklet of conference proceedings  to be published in the Maastricht Law Series by Boom/Eleven Publishers.

ACCOMMODATION

nearby the Law Faculty:

• Hotel Au Quartier
• Hotel Les Charmes
• Hotel Botticelli
• Hotel Mabi
• Youth hostel Stay Okay

nearby Maastricht train station:

• Hotel Kaboom
• Hotel Townhouse
• Hotel The Dutch