CfP: Human Rights and Justice

The Hague Institute for Global Justice: 8 – 10 June 2015. 4th joint conference, organised by:

  • Human Rights Section, International Studies Association (ISA)
  • Human Rights Section, American Political Science Association (APSA)
  • Human Rights Research Committee, International Political Science Association (IPSA)
  • Standing Group on Human Rights and Transitional Justice, European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR)

In association with:

  • The Hague Institute for Global Justice (THIGJ)
  • Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS)
  • International Human Rights Law Interest Group, European Society of International Law (ESIL)
  • Transitional Justice and Rule of Law Interest Group, American Society of International Law (ASIL)

The human rights sections of the International Studies Association , the American Political Science Association, the European Consortium for Political Research, the International Political Science Association are pleased to announce the fourth joint international conference on human rights, on the theme “Human Rights and Justice ” to take place 8-10 June 2015 at The Hague Institute for Global Justice. The conference will take place immediately before the annual meeting of the Academic Council on the United Nations System (11 – 13 June), also in The Hague.

Contemporary human rights research and promotion encompasses the application and implementation of international human rights norms, standards as well as legal and political binding treaties. Yet, this is only one side of the coin of what we often claim human rights to achieve: justice. Apart from being a complex concept based on human rights and the rule of law, justice is closely linked to the full development, promotion and fulfilment of human rights and people. It moreover depends on the procedures of good governance and equal access mechanisms installed that can realize justice on a daily basis. Justice is a general notion that can be achieved through, i.e. a human rights based approach or legal and political instruments and mechanism.

This joint conference will ask researchers and policymakers from academia, think tanks, IOs and NGOs to deal with various aspects of justice and human rights. Papers should highlight how and to what extent human rights in all aspects and levels of governance, law and decision making allow or deny access to justice. This may include questions regarding whether and to what extent the international human rights regime can address adequately the challenges of human rights implementation and justice, as well as how regional, national, and local mechanisms may address human rights challenges. Paper and panel proposals that also address the issues such as climate justice, transitional justice or cyber justice as well as access to justice and global distributive justice are welcome. Some of the questions to be addressed at the conference include:

  • Are human rights and justice always compatible?
  • How do we conceptualize the relationship between human rights and justice?
  • What role does global distributive justice play in advancing human rights?
  • How do we ensure that domestic justice systems address a wide range of human rights issues?
  • Are international justice institutions (e.g. International Criminal Court, European Court of Human Rights, Inter-American Court, African Court on Human and People’s Rights) adequate for addressing human rights issues?
  • How have norms regarding justice and human rights evolved?

The conference format will be a mixture of small panels with plenary keynote sessions. We hope that small panels will facilitate discussion and interchange among the participants, and the overall conference format will contribute to an intimate and relaxed experience.

Consideration will be given to publishing an edited volume with some of the papers from the conference.

Submissions will open shortly. Please note that proposals must relate to the theme of the conference in some manner to be considered. Each full panel proposal should include exactly 4 papers plus a chair and discussant. The deadline for submissions is 14 November 2014. Notification of acceptances will be sent by e-mail by 20 December 2014.

A link to the submission system will be found here by mid-September: http://global-human-rights.org/HRJ.html

This conference is being held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting of the Academic Council on the United Nations System, which will have as its theme “The United Nations at 70: Guaranteeing Security and Justice.” Individuals registering for one conference will be eligible for a 20% discount on registration for the other conference. More information will be provided.

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