The Development of the UN Human Rights Council: Substance or Ritualism?

Hosted by: AIIA ACT Branch

The event will start on: Wednesday, 22 September 2010 5:45 PM

And will end on: Wednesday, 22 September 2010 7:00 PM

At Stephen House, Canberra

32 Thesiger Court, Deakin , Canberra ACT

(02) 6232 4978     act.branch@aiia.asn.au

Posted by: act   

A sophisticated system of human rights standards has developed internationally since 1948. The challenge for the international legal system is making these standards effective. Eighty per cent of states have ratified four or more of the human rights treaties but the principles in them are regularly sidelined or ignored by many signatory countries.

The UN Human Rights Council was established in 2006 to replace the much criticised UN Commission on Human Rights. Does the Council offer better prospects than its predecessor for an effective international human rights framework? Is it a step forward in substance or another exercise in ritualism?

Professor Charlesworth was made an AIIA fellow in 2009. The ACT Branch of the AIIA is pleased to host her fellowship address on the development of the UN Human Rights Council.

Hilary Charlesworth was educated at the University of Melbourne and then received her Doctorate of Juridical Science from Harvard Law School. She has held an ARC Federation Fellowship (2005-10) and has recently been awarded an ARC Laureate Fellowship to be held in the Regulatory Institutions Network at the ANU. She has been Director of the School of Regulation, Justice and Diplomacy in the College of Asia and the Pacific, ANU (2008-10), the inaugural President of the Australian and New Zealand Society of International Law (1997-2001) and co-editor of the Australian Yearbook of International Law (1996-2006). She is a member of the Executive Council of the Asian Society of International Law. The winner of numerous awards, Professor Charlesworth has worked with governments and NGOs on implementing human rights standards. She is Patron of the ACT Women's Legal Service, the Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture and Lawyers without Borders.

Admission is free for AIIA members, $10 for guests, payable at the door.

Please RSVP by 21 September by registering on the events page at www.aiia.asn.au, by emailing act.branch@aiia.asn.au or by calling 6232 4978