INTERNATIONAL INTERDISCIPLINARY CALL FOR PAPERS
HUMAN RIGHTS PROGRAMME
UNIVERSITY OF MALTA
The Human Rights Programme of the University of Malta invites submission of papers for a
conference on ‘The Role of Human Rights Bodies in Promoting a Human Rights Culture’ to
be held on Thursday 10th December 2015.
On the 10th of December 2014, the Maltese government proposed the establishment of a
Human Rights and Equality Commission (HREC) based on the Paris Principles. Following
public consultation, the government decided to draft a Human Rights and Equality
Commission Act, setting up a Human Rights Commission. The Bill was due to be proposed to
Parliament in the summer, with the aim that this piece of legislation would be adopted by
Parliament by the end of 2015.
This Conference will seek to present a diverse and interdisciplinary set of studies of the role
of National Human Rights Institutions (HNRIs) (or ‘Human Rights bodies’) in promoting a
human rights culture within a country.
Abstracts on all aspects of the role of human rights bodies are invited, particularly but not
exclusively those that explore issues relating to human rights commissions/commissioners.
Selected papers will be presented at the conference and will then be published in the
inaugural issue of The Mediterranean Human Rights Review, published by The Human
Rights Programme of the University of Malta.
Suggested Subjects or Themes
Possible topics might include, but are not limited to:• The main determinants of a “human rights culture”
• The Politics of a Human Rights Body
• A comparative analysis of human rights structures
• Legal frameworks for human rights institutions
• A comparative study of existing Human Rights Institutions/ Bodies/ Commissions/
Commissioners, including those attached to regional human rights bodies.
• How a Human Rights Institution fosters and strengthens human rights protection and
promotion – national and/or comparative perspectives
• The role, functions and powers of the HREC, as proposed for Malta
• Locus standi of human rights bodies/commissions/commissioners in court proceedings
• Access to justice and human rights bodies: What connection?
• How a National Human Rights Institution can contribute to democratic processes and
practices
Submission Instructions:
Abstracts are to be submitted electronically in .doc format to:
Mr. James Bonnici at james.bonnici@um.edu.mt by 30th September 2015.
Every submission is to include:
• An abstract of not more than 300 words
• A brief biographical note about the author/s
• A resume of the author/s
Abstracts submitted after the deadline mentioned may be considered at the sole and entire
discretion of the Human Rights Programme.
The Human Rights Programme will notify authors of the decision reached by the panel of
selection within two weeks of receipt of an Abstract..
If a proposal is selected, manuscripts should be approximately 6,000 to 8,000 words long
and be written in English. The deadline for submission of manuscripts is 15th November
2015. Manuscripts submitted after the deadline mentioned may be considered at the sole
and entire discretion of the Human Rights Programme.
The papers must not already have been published, nor be submitted to any other
publication while they are being considered by the Human Rights Programme. All sources
are to be cited in OSCOLA format or other format as most appropriate for the discipline
concerned.