Events
2006 Events
Rendition and Secret Detention: the Way Forward
On Wednesday December 6, 2006, the Center in conjunction with the U.K. All Party Parliamentary Group on Extraordinary Rendition, hosted an all-day high-level strategy meeting on Rendition and Secret Detention the Way Forward. This meeting brought together key actors from the U.S. and Europe, including NGOs, university groups, investigatory groups, parliamentarians, and leading lawyers for individual clients. Topics discussed included investigatory gaps and strategies; challenges in bringing legal claims on behalf of detainees, including the impact of the Military Commissions Act and the state secrets doctrine; legislative proposals for dealing with renditions; and strategies for enhanced collaboration. The meeting concluded with an agreement for participants to form Working Groups to move forward on the topics canvassed at the meeting. (More: Agenda, List of Participants)
Attributing Corporate Responsibility for Human Rights under International Law
On November 17, 2006 a workshop on "Attributing Corporate Responsibility for Human Rights under International Law" was co-convened at the NYU School of Law by CHRGJ and Realizing Rights: the Ethical Globalization Initiative . Philip Alston (Faculty Chair of CHRGJ) and Mary Robinson (President of Realizing Rights) were the joint chairs of the workshop, and there were 37 participants from a range of countries. The purpose of this workshop was to serve as a one-day brainstorming session to assist the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Human Rights and Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises to clarify one of the key legal issues raised by his mandate: what are the bases, if any, for attributing human rights responsibilities to corporations under international law? (More: Workshop Report)
Louise Arbour delivers lecture on "Economic and Social Justice for Societies in Transition"
In collaboration with the International Center for Transitional Justice, the Center hosts the Annual Transitional Justice Lecture, which provides a prominent platform for distinguished persons working on transitional justice issues to deliver a scholarly paper on important developments in the field. On October 25, 2006, Louise Arbour, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, delivered her lecture on "Economic and Social Justice for Societies in Transition." (More: Lecture Text and Podcast Recording of the Lecture)
Launch of the Handbook of Reparations
October 23, 2006, NYU School of Law
Archbishop Desmond Tutu spoke at the launch of the new Handbook of Reparations. Other speakers included Philip Alston, Professor, NYU School of Law, Center for Human Rights and Global Justice; Paul van Zyl, Program Director, International Center for Transitional Justice; Samuel Issacharoff, NYU School of Law Professor of Constitutional Law and contributing author, The Handbook of Reparations; and Pablo de Greiff, Director of Research, International Center for Transitional Justice and editor of The Handbook of Reparations.
International Human Rights Clinic and CHRGJ Submit Amicus on U.S. Rendition to Inter-American Commission
On October 20, 2006, the Center and the International Human Rights Clinic submitted an amicus brief to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights regarding the case of Hossein Alikhani. Mr. Alikhani had been transferred by the United States from the Bahamas without respecting extradition procedures. The brief argues that to allow states to rely upon informal methods of transfer, such as so-called "renditions to justice,"is to create a law-free zone in which they may apprehend, transfer and detain individuals at will. The brief contends that all transfers must respect the sovereignty of the state where the individual facing transfer is located and must respect the human rights of the individual facing transfer. (More: Amicus Brief)
Film Screening and Panel: Outlawed
September 20, 2006, NYU School of Law
On Wednesday September 20 2006, the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice and the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law held a screening of Outlawed at NYU School of Law, followed by a panel discussion on the rendition and secret detention system. In particular, the panel looked at the legal implications of all aspects of the system – from detention of U.S. citizens in Iraq, to foreign governments holding individuals at the behest of the U.S., to the invocation of the state secrets privilege in U.S. courts. The panelists were: Gillian Caldwell, Executive Director of WITNESS and Producer/Director of Outlawed; Aziz Huq, Director of the Liberty & National Security Project of the Brennan Center for Justice, NYU School of Law; Margaret Satterthwaite, Assistant Professor of Clinical Law, Faculty Director, Center for Human Rights and Global Justice, NYU School of Law; and Steven Watt, Staff Attorney, Human Rights Program, American Civil Liberties Union. The event was moderated by: Jayne Huckerby, Research Director, Center for Human Rights and Global Justice, NYU School of Law.
Internal Displacement Problems, Challenges and Perspectives
March 23, 2006, NYU School of Law
On March 23, the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice and Law Students for Human Rights jointly hosted a presentation by Dr. Walter Kälin, Representative of the Secretary-General on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons.
In his presentation, Dr. Kälin outlined the magnitude of the problem of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and their special needs and particular vulnerabilities. Dr. Kälin then turned to the specific challenges in addressing IDP issues, focusing on the need for: an appropriate legal framework; the political will of governments and the resources to implement that framework; and an international institutional framework to deal with IDP issues. On the legal framework, Dr. Kälin outlined the contents of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (E/CN.4/1998/53/Add.2, February 11, 1998) (the Principles) and discussed the importance of a manual to guide their implementation. With respect to the international institutional framework, Dr. Kälin discussed his mandate and mainstreaming the rights of IDPs in the United Nations (U.N.) system through the notion of “protection.” Dr. Kälin shared an IDP Protection Framework that combines human rights and humanitarian language to identify four basic rights of IDPs; the types of actions that can be taken to address those rights (responsive, remedial and environment); and the actors involved in addressing IDP issues. In discussing the institutional framework for IDPs protection, Dr. Kälin also mentioned that there will be a forthcoming Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between his mandate and the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR).
Inresponse to questions, Dr. Kälin discussed some of the basic aspects of the UNCHR MOU; outlined the way in which IDP issues arose in respect of Hurricane Katrina in the United States; identified some of the challenges that arise in interpreting Principle 6 (which prohibits arbitrary displacement for large-scale development projects which are not in the compelling and overriding public interest) of the Principles; and highlighted some of the challenges in advocating for a Convention on IDPs.
