Human Rights Syllabus.doc

Atty. Glenda Litong INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS LAW & INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW Session 1: I. What is international human rights law? 1.1 What are its history and philosophy  Hurst, Hannum, S. James Anaya & Dinah L. Shelton, International Human Rights: Problems of Law, Policy, and Practice (5th ed. 2011) Accessed at http://scholarship.law.gwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi? article=1238&context=faculty_publications  Kenneth Cmiel, The Recent History of Human Rights, The American Historical Review, Vo. 109, No. 1(Feb. 2004), pp.117-135. Accessed at http://clas.uiowa.edu/files/history/'Recent%20History%20of%20Human %20Rights'%20AHR%20Feb04.pdf  Jerome J. Shestack, The Philosophic Foundations of Human Rights, Human Rights Quarterly 20.2 (1998) 201-231. Accessed at –  http://books.google.com.ph/books?id=K8oRZgvG4kC&hl=de&pg=PA29&source=gbs_navlinks_s&redir_esc=y#v=onep age&q&f=false  https://muse.jhu.edu/login? auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/human_rights_quarterly/v020/ 20.2shestack.html  http://www.princeton.edu/~bsimpson/Human %20Rights/articles/Shestack,%20Philosophical%20Foundation%20of %20Human%20Rights.htm (link not working, can’t find another source)  Amartya Sen, Elements of a Theory of Human Rights, Philosophy & Public Affairs 32, no. 4 (Blackwell Publising, Inc., 2004). Accessed at http://www.mit.edu/~shaslang/mprg/asenETHR.pdf  

Sammy Adelman, Culture, Universality and Human Rights in the twenty-first century, PLJ, Volume 70, No. 2 December 1995. FILARTIGA v. PENA-IRALA CASE 630 f.2D 876 (2D Cir. 1980)

Assignment: Using the above as references, prepare a paper of not less than 2,000 words reflecting on the following article, to be submitted in the next session: Eric Posner, The Case Against Human Rights, The Guardian (4 December 2014). Accessed at http://www.theguardian.com/news/2014/dec/04/-sp-case-against-humanrights 1.2 Whare its institutions and structures?: The process of internationalization. 1.2.1 The United Nations and its Human Rights Treaty Bodies

Study these sites: http://www.un.org/en/aboutun/structure/index.shtml http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/Pages/HumanRightsBodies.aspx 1.2.1.1

What are the protection mechanisms addressing alleged human rights violation in the UN System?  Charter-based: Human Rights Council (Read: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/Pages/AboutCounc il.aspx  Universal Periodic Review (UPR) (Read: Report of the Working Group on the Philippines 2nd UPR, http://daccessddsny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G12/151/22/PDF/G1215122.pdf ?OpenElement) 

Special Procedures (Read: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/SP/Pages/Introduction.as px

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Complaint Procedure (Read: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/ComplaintProcedu re/Pages/HRCComplaintProcedureIndex.aspx)

1.2.1.1.1

Treaty Monitoring bodies http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/Pages/HumanRightsBodies.a spx http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CCPR/Pages/CCPRIntro.asp x

1.2.1.1.2

Mechanisms specific to marginalized groups

1.2.2 Regional Protection Mechanisms 1.2.2.1 Inter American HR System http://www.hrea.org/index.php?doc_id=413 European HR System http://www.hrea.org/index.php?doc_id=365 http://www.ihrc.ie/training/resources/humanrightsrefe.html 1.2.2.2 African HR System: http://www.achpr.org/about/african-hr-systemguide/ Session 2: 1.3 What are the normative instruments?  Amitai Etzioni, The Normativity of Human Rights is Self-evident, Human Rights Quarterly 32 (The John Hopkins University Press, 2010). Accessed at http://www2.gwu.edu/~ccps/etzioni/documents/Normativity%20of %20Human%20Rights.pdf

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1.3.1

Koh, Harold Hongju (1999) “How Is International Human Rights Law Enforced?,” Indiana Law Journal: Vol 74: Iss. 4, Article 9. Accessed at http://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/ilj/vol74/iss4/9 The UDHR, International Bill of Rights and the 8 Conventions Read the texts of the instruments, including Optional Protocols: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/CoreInstruments.aspx

1.3.2 Interpretations of Treaty-Monitoring Bodies  Dinah Shelton, The Legal Status of Normative Pronouncements of Human Rights Treaty Bodies, in 1 COEXISTENCE, COOPERATION AND SOLIDARITY 553-75 (Holger P. Hestermeyer et. al. Eds., 2011). Accessed at http://scholarship.law.gwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi? article=1387&context=faculty_publications Read the following General Comments:       

HRC GENERAL COMMENT 6 (1982) The right to life (article 6) HRC Draft General Comment No. 35 (2013) Liberty and security of person (Article 9) CESCR General Comment No. 4 (1991) the right to adequate housing CESCR General Comment No. 7 (1997) the right to adequate housing forced evictions (art.11.1) CESCR General Comment No. 12 (1999) the right to adequate food CEDAW General recommendations No. 12 (1989) & 19 (1992) on violence against women CRC General Comment No. 13 (2013) on Freedom froom all forms of violence