The Comparative Human Rights & Practice Series held in the spring of 2010 was organized by the Buffalo Human Rights Center and the Baldy Center for Law & Social Policy at SUNY Buffalo Law School. All events were free and open to the general public.
"The International Politics of Civilian Protection" held March 1, 2010.
Speaker: Professor Don Hubert, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Ottawa
The talk traced the evolution and convergence of two century long trends seeking to address intentional attacks on civilian populations: the nascent doctrine of humanitarian intervention first articulated in the late 19th century has been transformed over the last decade into the doctrine of the Responsibility to Protect; the legal norm of civilian immunity in war also first codified in the late 19th century has been complemented since the mid 1990s to the protection of civilians in situations of armed conflict with emphasis on practical measures to provide for the physical security of populations at risk. The talk concluded with an assessment of where these two converging agendas now stand and their future prospects.
"Sex trafficking in the United States" held March 22, 2010.
Rachel Lloyd spoke about the serious problem of sex trafficking in the United States. GEMS is one of the largest organizations in the nation dealing specifically with American children being trafficked within U.S. borders. As an expert on child sex trafficking in America, Ms. Lloyd has spoken around the nation and before the United Nations on this issue. She was directly involved in getting New York's Safe Harbor Act passed in 2008, which provides that any child under 16 who is charged with prostitution in New York is to be presumed a severely trafficked person.
"Indigenous Rights in the Americas: Recent Developments in Human Rights Law" held March 29, 2010
Indigenous rights have reached a historic development in international law. Approximately 18 years after the International Labor Organization updated Convention 107(the first international instrument addressing indigenous rights, adopted in 1957) with Convention 169 (on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, adopted 1989), the UN General Assembly adopted the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples on September 13, 2007. There is a similar Proposed American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Populations in the making, spearheaded by the Organization of American States Working Group and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. In addition, indigenous claims have been increasing within the Inter-American system, and have progressively found traction within this ambient. The presentation discussed this background, and recent developments in indigenous claims and appeals to international law within the Inter-American System.
"Refugee and Asylum Law: Incorporating a Gender and Human Rights Perspective" held April 21, 2010
Speaker:Pamela Goldberg, Protection Officer, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Regional Office Washington, D.C.
The presentation addressed gender-based human rights violations as a basis for refugee and asylum protection in the international context. It focused on the role of UNHCR in shaping the law.
