Maastricht Centre for Human Rights
The Maastricht Centre for Human Rights (MCHR) is based at Maastricht University’s Faculty of Law in the Netherlands. The Centre brings together researchers from law and other disciplines to conduct cutting-edge human rights research, ranging from doctrinal analysis to empirical and policy-oriented work. Our mission is to generate rigorous scholarship that informs courts, policymakers, civil society, academia, and the wider public.
MCHR plays a central role in standard-setting through guidelines and principles developed in collaboration with relevant stakeholders. We organise student-focused events on a broad range of human rights issues and contribute to teaching and supervision at Bachelor’s, Master’s, and doctoral levels. The Centre serves as a hub for research that is doctrinal and applied, and often interdisciplinary in nature, engaging regional and international institutions, NGOs, and professional networks. Through publications, public engagement, and partnerships, MCHR supports scholarship that addresses contemporary human rights challenges.
Research
Currently the MCHR focuses on the following three areas of research:
- Regional human rights systems & comparative human rights law (we compare how courts and UN bodies interpret rights and how domestic, regional, and international jurisprudence cross-fertilise);
- Human rights, non-discrimination & inclusion (we address unjustified differential treatment, focusing on disability participation, women’s rights, socio-economic rights, and intersectional equality across national, EU, and international levels); and
- Human rights, conflict & transitional justice (we study IHL, international criminal law, use of force, prosecutions, and victim remedies to advance accountability, reconciliation, and prevention).
The Maastricht Centre for Human Rights organizes the following types of events to support and advance research in human rights and international law: Theo van Boven Annual Lecture; Ambassador Lecture Series; Pick Our Brains Series; International Law Discussion Group (ILDG); Live Streams and Discussions of International Court Hearings; Conferences, Workshops, and Talks.
Visit our events page to learn more about the details of our various types of events.
MCHR’s research mainly takes place in the following faculty research streams:
- Values
- Institutions
- Digitalisation
Upcoming Events
News
- Researchers
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Save the dates - Pick Our Brains Sessions Fall 2026
- Researchers
Leading Cases in UN Human Rights Law: Novelty, Harmonisation and Contestation
