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Maastricht Centre for Human Rights

The Maastricht Centre for Human Rights facilitates and supports research in the field of human rights at Maastricht University’s Faculty of Law. Research conducted at the centre is interdisciplinary, with a focus on public international law, criminal law, criminology and other relevant social sciences. The centre favours research themes that contribute to a better society within the context of the process of globalisation and that raise fundamental questions about human rights (as opposed to mere technicalities).

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Fast facts

  • focus on public international law, criminal law, criminology, and social sciences
  • close attention to gender issues
  • established in 1993 by prof. Theo van Boven, former director of UN Division for Human Rights, and prof. Cees Flinterman
  • all 25 members invest research capacity in human rights subjects, next to their teaching responsibilities
  • led by Prof. Fons Coomans

Research

The centre has two research programmes: Globalisation and Human Rights and Criminal Law and Criminology in an International Context. Research conducted within the centre takes a normative approach, reflecting an integrated view of economic, social and cultural rights on the one hand and civil and political rights on the other, with close attention being given to gender issues and rights of persons with disabilities.

 Visit MCfHR's research

MCfHR’s research mainly takes place
in the following Faculty research pillar:

1. Global Justice

Blogs

Maastricht Centre for Human Rights​ introduction

This short introduction tells about the interdisciplinary character of the centre for human rights​.
 

 

 

Events

Maastricht Centre for Human Rights past events

Read about the Maastricht Centre for Human Rights past key events:

  • Human Rights beyond borders conference
  • 30 years Limburg principles and migrationy
  • Theo van Boven lecture 2016

  • Human Rights beyond borders conference

    The etoconsortium.org, together with MCfHR and FIAN International organized a conference in September 2017. The meeting brought together 45 academics, representatives of human rights NGOs, civil society organisations and human rights practitioners. They analysed the human rights beyond border dimensions of issues in policy fields such as debt and austerity; climate and ecology; financial capture and land grabbing, the regulation of transnational corporations; investment and trade.

  • 30 years Limburg principles and migrationy

    Conference ESC rights and migration. In June 1986 a group of distinguished experts in int. (human rights) law convened in Maastricht, to deliberate the nature and scope of state parties’ obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). This meeting resulted in the agreement and adoption of the so-called Limburg Principles. In light of the 30th anniversary of these, MCfHR organised a conference in December 2016, in the area of ESC rights and migration. 
     More information on the ESC conference

  • Theo van Boven lecture 2016

    Each year, the Maastricht Centre for Human Rights organises a lecture to honour one of the centre's co-founders and former Director of the United Nations Division of Human Rights (1977-1982) Theo van Boven. This year's lecture was combined with the conference (1-2 December 2016) to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Limburg Principles. Prof. Philip Alston delivered a keynote speech on 1st December '16. 
     More information on the lecture

News

  • Law_portrait_dziurdz.jpg

    Appointment of Kasper Dziurdź as Professor of International Tax Law

    Thursday, May 19, 2022

    As of 1 September 2022, Dr. Kasper Dziurdź will succeed Prof. Rainer Prokisch who will retire in October 2022. Kasper currently works as a Senior Tax Manager at KPMG and he also teaches in the field of Tax Law at the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU Vienna).

    Read more
  • Law_finals ICCC 2022

    Faculty of Law UM runner-up in international finals ICCC 2022

    Tuesday, May 10, 2022

    The international finals of the International Client Consultation Competition took place from April 19 through 23. Host was Swansea University in Cardiff, Wales. Unfortunately, the competition was completely online. However, the Dutch team, consisting of first year (!!!) European Law School students Dylan Andrian and Vinca Poerawinata (see picture), did extremely well.

    Read more
  • Maarten Stremler

    Withholding EU subsidies is no panacea for Hungarian rule of law

    Tuesday, April 26, 2022

    Earlier this month, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced in the European Parliament that the Commission will launch a procedure to withhold EU subsidies to Hungary for violating the rule of law.

    Read more
  • goldberg

    Blaming the Addicted Brain

    Thursday, April 21, 2022

    PhD thesis written by Anna Goldberg.
    In this thesis, an overview of the different ways of conceptualising addiction is provided, before applying this knowledge onto both the legal framework of Dutch criminal law, and to more universal legal concepts. 

    Read more
  • facebook papers

    Terms and conditions of our future

    Tuesday, April 19, 2022

    The Facebook Papers, a series of documents leaked by whistleblower Frances Haugen, brim with revelations. The company appears to have been fully aware of its role in the dissemination of false information and anger-inducing content. Moral philosopher Katleen Gabriels and data protection lawyer Paolo Balboni discuss the problems and possible solutions.

    Read more

  • Helping highly educated refugees find work is a win-win situation

    Tuesday, April 12, 2022

    A screaming labour shortage or not, a job is often not an option for highly qualified status holders. In 2020, for example, only 16 percent of the highly educated Syrian refugees had a job (compared to 81 percent of the highly educated Dutch).

    Read more
  • Law jaarverslag Polen and EU flag

    Partial independence doesn’t exist: how will the EU get on with Poland?

    Tuesday, April 5, 2022

    The European rule of law is under siege in Poland. On October 7th, 2021, the Polish Constitutional Tribunal declared that the Polish Constitution is more important than any EU treaty. The rest of Europe is keeping a close eye on the situation; how is it going to develop? Is there any chance that the sovereignty of European law will be restored? And how did we get here?

    Read more

  • New brochure provides guidance for self-employment across the border

    Friday, March 25, 2022

    Cross-border business in the Euregio Maas-Rhine (EMR), i.e. business in the border area between Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, offers many opportunities. But what are the general requirements for starting up a business in the different countries? And what do I need to pay attention to as an entrepreneur? These types of questions and more are covered in the new brochure "Crossing borders as a self-employed professional between Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany".

    Read more

  • Recent developments in competition law and policy in China and the EU

    Thursday, March 24, 2022

    In this online seminar on recent developments in competition law and policy, speakers from China and the EU will present their ongoing or recently published research. It will take place on 7-8 April 2022.

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  • Research grant for Monica Claes and Maarten Stremler

    Tuesday, March 22, 2022

    Professor Monica Claes and assistant professor Maarten Stremler have received a grant from the Statesman Thorbecke Fund of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts & Sciences.

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The Subversives

Documentary about the life of one of the most important advocates of human rights. Theo van Boven, a former Director of the United Nations Division of Human Rights (1977-1982), was among the first to defend international human rights responsibilities with courage and openness. He came face-to-face with some of the most repressive regimes of the 20th century. This documentary details the dramatic journey of Theo van Boven and his team, and their struggle to bring justice and change to the UN.

 

The Subversives: Van Boven at the UN

Video: Trailer for The Subversives, a documentary about van Theo van Boven's time at the UN.

 

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