Accountability now!
Conference Accountability now! Social and environmental dimensions of human rights in the UN summit year 2015 Friday, June 12, 2015, 3:30 to 8:30 pm Heinrich Böll Foundation, Schumannstr. 8, D-10117 Berlin, Germany A cooperation of the Heinrich Böll Foundation and the German Institute for Human Rights. Human rights have gained considerable ground in the second half of the 20th century. More than seventy conventions and resolutions of the United Nations spell out basic and far-reaching standards for human rights that are more than ever defining environmental, social and human rights agendas as a comprehensive fabric. Yet despite the efforts of the United Nations to set standards, striking challenges remain: human rights continue to be violated and must be guaranteed against resistance in everyday political life; economic and social inequality are growing and the planetary boundaries are being exceeded dramatically. The responses to these complex issues in international law remain inadequate. This has a variety of reasons: Many problems are not adequately covered by multilateral agreements and existing agreements have not been implemented satisfactorily. Some areas of international law are better equipped in terms of enforcement than others. Furthermore, globalization processes are showing nation states the limits of their regulatory powers. And while nation states are losing in ability to enforce standards, comparable enforcement instruments at the international level have not emerged to make up for that loss in most cases. The resulting responsibility and accountability gaps of governments, corporations and supranational organizations – and thus the question of how these gaps can be closed – remain a key challenge. This issue is of particular importance in 2015: with the Sustainable Development Goals and Post-2015 Development Agenda, new normative and concrete targets for tackling the global environmental and poverty crises are to be established under the auspices of the UN. In addition, the global agenda for women’s rights – the Beijing Platform for Action – is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and a new climate agreement is set to be adopted in Paris within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Heinrich Böll Foundation and the German Institute for Human Rights therefore want to examine the responsibility and accountability of states, corporations and supranational organizations for the implementation of universal human rights and international agreements. Conference languages are German and English. Simultaneous interpreting will be provided. A live stream of the event will be available at http://www.boell.de/stream. Conference Accountability now! Social and environmental dimensions of human rights in the UN summit year 2015 Berlin, June 12, 2015 Program Friday, June 12, 2015, 3:30 to 8:30 pm 3:30 pm Registration 4:00 pm Welcome and introduction Barbara Unmüßig, President, Heinrich Böll Foundation, Berlin Michael Windfuhr, Deputy Director, German Institute for Human Rights, Berlin 4:30 pm Keynote Responsibility for human rights in a complex world – the nexus of environmental sustainability, justice and human rights Jochen von Bernstorff, Professor of Constitutional Law, International Law and Human Rights Law, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen 5:00 pm Panel discussion 1 Accountability for human rights at the national level – a question of governance, participation and access to rights • Anja Mihr, Associate Professor, Netherlands Institute of Human Rights (SIM), University of Utrecht • Maina Kiai, Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations, Nairobi/Geneva • Désiré Assogbavi, Head of Oxfam International Liaison Office with the African Un- • Claudia Roth MP, Alliance 90/the Greens, Vice President of the German Bundes- ion, Addis Ababa tag, Berlin Chair: Barbara Unmüßig, President, Heinrich Böll Foundation, Berlin 6:30 pm Coffee and snack break 7:00 pm Panel discussion 2 Thinking human rights globally: on accountability at the international level • Rachel Davis, Managing Director, Shift, New York • Sigrun Skogly, Professor of Human Rights Law, Lancaster University, United Kingdom • Cândido Grzybowski, Director of the Brazilian Institute of Social and Economic Analyses (IBASE), Rio de Janeiro • Stephen Leonard, President, Climate Justice Program, Australia Chair: Michael Windfuhr, Deputy Director, German Institute for Human Rights, Berlin 8:30 pm Conclusion and end of conference Conference Accountability now! Social and environmental dimensions of human rights in the UN summit year 2015 Berlin, June 12, 2015 Information Date and location Friday, June 12, 2015, 3:30 to 8:30 pm Heinrich Böll Foundation, Beletage; Schumannstrasse 8, D-10117 Berlin Public transport Bus 147 Deutsches Theater (barrier-free, 150m walk) S-Bahn S1, 2, 25, 5, 7, 75, 9 Friedrichstrasse (Albrechtstr. exit, not barrier-free, 250m walk/ Friedrichstr. exit, barrier-free, 750m walk or Bus 147) U-Bahn U6, Oranienburger Tor (500m walk) Tram M1, M6, 12, Oranienburger Tor (500-600m walk) From the main station (Hauptbahnhof), Bus 147 > Ostbahnhof to Deutsches Theater Note Please note that photography, video and audio recording for TV broadcasting, as well as for public and private purposes, may be taking place during the conference. Live stream A live stream of the conference will be available on our website: http://www.boell.de/stream Conference languages Conference languages are German and English. Simultaneous interpreting will be provided. Accessibility An induction loop is provided. If you require sign language interpretation, please indicate this when registering no later than June 8. Registration: Please register by June 8, 2015 at http://calendar.boell.de/de/event/verantwortung-einfordern or by fax (+49-30-285 34-109). Contact Ulrike Seidel, Project Management, Democracy and Peace, Heinrich Böll Foundation E-mail: seidel@boell.de, Tel. +49-30-285 34-330 Free admission Conference Accountability now! Social and environmental dimensions of human rights in the UN summit year 2015 Berlin, June 12, 2015
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