Participation in the International Conference "Human Rights in Times of Contestation"

 

The International Nuremberg Principles Academy was invited to participate in a conference organized by the Centre for Human Rights Erlangen-Nürnberg (CHREN) of Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, the City of Nuremberg and the Nuremberg Human Rights Centre (NMRZ). The event was held at the Historic Council Chamber of the Nuremberg City Hall, on 27 and 28 June 2019.

The conference overall focused on the current situation of the field of human rights facing political contestation at the international and national level. Kate Gilmore, United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, delivered the keynote address and tackled a variety of topics, inter alia, religious freedom, gender equality, migration, and the future of the field. Moreover, she advocated for a new narrative for the field and the necessity of the protection of human rights defenders.

On 28 June, Eduardo Toledo, Senior Officer for International Criminal Law, moderated a panel titled "Part of the Problem or Part of the Solution? Business and Human Rights". The speakers of the panel were Prof. Michael Addo (University of Notre Dame), Prof. Anita Ramasastry (UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights), and Dr. Claire Methven O'Brien (Danish Institute for Human Rights). Panelists discussed the tensions between the human rights movement and economic activities, the necessity of national engagement in the protection of human dignity, and the importance of social movements for the advancement of the international legal framework.