V o lu m e 3 , I s su e 3
BULLETIN
Irish Centre for Human Rights
S e pt e m be r 2 0 0 3
Coming Events at
the Irish Centre for
Human Rights:
Conference
October 4, 2003
‘Global Trade and the
Implications for
Human Rights’
Please contact: Shane
Darcy:
shane.darcy@nuigalway.ie
Irish Centre for Human Rights:
www.nuigalway.ie/
human_rights
E m a i l :
humanrights@nuigalway.ie
Summer Schools 2003
June 9 - 15, 2003
Minority Rights: Africa
and Human Rights
July 19 - 26, 2003
International Criminal
Court
See pages 2 and 3
NELSON MANDELA MAKES HISTORIC
VISIT TO NUI, GALWAY
On 20th June 2003 Mr. Nelson Mandela,
former President of South Africa received
an Honorary Doctorate from the National
University of Ireland, Galway. The following are some excerpts from the address
given by Dr. Mandela at the conferring
ceremony.
Coming to Ireland is always a very pleasurable experience. Not only is this one of the
most beautiful countries I have had the
privilege of visiting; it is also inhabited by
people whose friendliness and hospitality
seem inborn and natural. In few other
places in the world is one made to feel so
immediately welcome and at home.
…
We remember with warm admiration from
our reading of Irish history the ancient traditions of scholarship and learning on this
island. When large parts of Europe were
still languishing in ignorance and backwardness there were centres of learning in
Ireland, attracting scholars from far and
wide.
…
The Irish rank with the Dutch and Scandinavians as the leading Western nations in
the anti-apartheid solidarity movement. We
cannot explain fully in simple words how
Nelson Mandela during the conferring ceremony of
his honorary doctorate from NUI, Galway, June 2003
much inspiration we drew from the support
of the Irish anti-apartheid movement.
It is for that reason that we take such special
pride in being honoured by an Irish institution of higher learning. We humbly accept
this award, also on behalf of the people of
South Africa who would wish me to convey
their thanks and appreciation for your support to our struggle at a time when it was not
fashionable to demonstrate such support in
the manner that you did.
We do this not only behalf of the masses of
South Africans that suffered so severely under the cruelty and injustice of apartheid. We
do so on behalf of all South Africans who
(Continued on page 3)
Dr. Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua
re-appointed as Bank of Ireland
Post-Doctoral Fellow for 2003 - 2004
The Irish Centre for Human Rights is delighted to announce that
Dr. Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua has been chosen to serve as Bank
of Ireland Post-doctoral Fellow at the Centre for a second year.
He will hold this fellowship for the academic year 2003-2004. Kwadwo has given many lectures and classes while at the Centre for the past year. He will continue his research on the
human rights reforms that have been introduced in the New Economic Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and on the need for a human rights-based approach to sustainable development in Africa.
Page 2
V o l u m e 3 , I ss u e 3
Conference on Global Trade and the Implications for
Human Rights, October 2003
“The various aspects of
trade liberalisation and
globalisation will be
critically examined and
discussed in the light of
their implications for
human rights”
The Irish Centre for Human Rights will host
a conference titled ‘Global Trade and the
Implications for Human Rights’ on Saturday 4th October 2003. The conference is
organised by Human Rights for Change, a
group recently formed by a number of doctoral students from the Irish Centre for Human Rights. The one-day conference is an
academic platform at which the various aspects of trade liberalisation and globalisation will be critically examined and discussed in the light of their implications for
human rights.
Confirmed speakers include Professor William Schabas, Director of the Irish Centre
for Human Rights, Angela Hegarty, University of Ulster, Dr. Eleanor Doyle, University College Cork, Daniel Aguirre, Doctoral Fellow at the Irish Centre for Human
Rights, Jim Loughran, Amnesty International and Dr. Su-ming Khoo, Department
of Political Science, NUI, Galway. The
conference is open to all and anyone interested in attending should contact:
humanrightsforchange@yahoo.com
President of the International
Criminal Court addresses
Irish Centre for Human
Rights Summer Course
Irish Centre for Human Rights:
www.nuigalway.ie/
human_rights
E m a i l :
humanrights@nuigalway.ie
‘...an essential
instrument that will be
of immense use in
the promotion of
the rule of law and
respect for human
rights as societies
emerge from conflict’
At this year’s third annual Summer Course
on the International Criminal Court, the
president of the recently created court, Mr.
Phillipe Kirsch, delivered a lecture to the
delegates on the history of the establishment of that body. Mr. Kirsch was elected
as a judge in February 2003 and as president of the court in March. He spoke at
length of the trials and tribulations of the
negotiating process in Rome in 1998 which
led to the eventual adoption of the Statute
of the International Criminal Court. The
Irish Centre for Human Rights was most
pleased to welcome President Kirsch to
Galway for his second visit to the Summer
Course.
Conference on
Applicable Law
c o nve ne s i n Ge n e va
From 16-18 June, an international conference was convened in Geneva by the United
States Institute of Peace, in partnership with
the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Irish Centre for Human
Rights. The conference brought together
ninety leading experts in the fields of peacekeeping and human rights, from 24 countries, to consult upon a series of model transitional codes for use in a post-conflict setting. The model codes were developed under the Applicable Law in Complex Peace-
Other speakers at the week-long course included Ambassador David Scheffer, United
States Ambassador to the United Nations
for War Crimes, Professor William Schabas, Director of the Irish Centre for Human
Rights and Daryl Mundis, Office of the
Prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.
keeping Situations project, undertaken by
the Irish Centre for Human Rights in August 2000.
Speaking at the opening of the conference,
the Acting High Commissioner for Human
Rights, Dr. Bertrand Ramcharan, stated the
draft legislation ‘represents a point of departure and the creation of an essential instrument that will be of immense use in the
promotion of the rule of law and respect for
human rights as societies emerge from conflict’. Currently, the various recommendations put forward in Geneva are being integrated into the model codes and work on
the project is expected to continue, under
the coordination of the Irish Centre for Human Rights, until August 2004.
Page 3
Vo l u m e 3 , I s s u e 3
Continued from Page 1
“The world is now
in greater need than
ever for men and
women of peace to
stand up and let
their voices be
heard and their
commitment felt”
Irish Centre for Human Rights:
www.nuigalway.ie/
human_rights
E m a i l :
humanrights@nuigalway.ie
now live in a non-racial and democratic
South Africa. The defeat of apartheid and
the transition to democracy could not have
been achieved in the manner it occurred
without the support of the international
community. All South Africans today share
in the fruits of your contribution and would
thank you for helping to achieve a nationhood that is inclusive and provides a place
for all its people.
…
The world is now in greater need than ever
for men and women of peace to stand up
and let their voices be heard and their commitment felt. One should not allow yourself
to fall too easily into alarmist readings of
any epoch or period; but there are worrying
signs of increasing unilateralism on the part
of some nations or groups of nations.
We have not heard any reasonable voice in
the world defending Saddam Hussein and
his regime. The chorus of protest against the
war in Iraq was directed towards the unilateral action taken and the disregard for the
organs of multilateral governance, particularly the United Nations.
Let us hope that as the League of Nations
and the United Nations Organisation grew
out of the urgent recognition for multilateralism after a period of destructive conflict,
sanity will once more prevail in the wake of
the war in Iraq. We cannot allow the world
to again degenerate into a place where the
will of the powerful dominates over all
other considerations. That will surely prove
to be a recipe for growing anarchy in world
affairs.
The war in Iraq has created a challenge to
the United Nations to reassert its role and
place in world governance. All men and
women of peace, all leaders committed to
the ideal of world peace, all governments
who seek democracy within and amongst
nations, should rededicate themselves to the
strengthening, and if needs be restructuring,
of our world body and other multilateral
organs.
We cherish our association with this nation
and its people. The Republic of Ireland
came out of great and often bloody struggle. It stands today as an example of a
country that has built a better life for its
people on the foundations of the peace and
stability that developed within the republic.
We thank you once more for the honour
you have done us today. Let us together
hope and work for a world in which there
where will be peace and on the basis of that
peace the building of a more prosperous life
for all the people of the world.
I thank you.
Minority Rights
Summer School Success
“...Visiting speakers
included Professor
Gudmundur
Alfredsson, Raoul
Wallenberg Institute
of Human Rights and
Professor Patrick
Thornberry, Keele
University”
The annual Summer School on Minority
Rights organised by the Irish Centre for Human Rights attracted a record number of
delegates this June. This year’s course had
a particular focus on minority rights in Africa, as well as the issue of racial discrimination. Dr. Kwadwo Appiagei-Atua, Dr.
Vinodh Jaichand and Professor William
Schabas all spoke on the subject of minority
rights in Africa. Visiting speakers included
Professor Gudmundur Alfredsson of the
Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human
Rights and Professor Patrick Thornberry of
Keele University.
Pictured at this year’s Summer School were (l-r)
Jone Mugica Inciarte of the Human Rights Section of the European Commission, Antoine Martel, Summer School co-ordinator and LL.M candidate at the Irish Centre for Human Rights and
Dr. Vinodh Jaichand of the Irish Centre for Human Rights.
Centre’s Students to participate Specialisation Course in
International Criminal Law, Siracusa, Italy
Three doctoral students from the Irish Centre for Human Rights are to take part in a Specialisation Course in International Criminal Law being held in Siracusa this September. The
course is being run by the International Institute of Higher Studies in Criminal Sciences under the guidance of its president, Professor M. Cherif Bassiouni. The participating students
are Anthony Cullen, Vivienne O’Connor and Nicolaos Strapatsas. The Centre’s Director,
Professor William Schabas will also deliver a number of lectures during the course.
Page 4
V o l u m e 3 , I ss u e 3
Recent Visitors:
Professor David Kretzmer,
former member of the UN
Human Rights Committee
David Scheffer,
former United States
Ambassador for War Crimes
to the United Nations
VISITORS TO THE
IRISH CENTRE FOR
HUMAN RIGHTS
EU-CHINA HUMAN
RIGHTS NETWORK
MEET IN GALWAY
The Irish Centre for Human Rights is most
pleased to welcome Professor Juan Manuel
Portilla Gómez to the Centre for his sabbatical year. Professor Portilla comes from
Mexico City and lectures in public international law and diplomatic law at the National
University of Mexico. He intends to spend
this year researching in the areas of international criminal and humanitarian law and in
On 1st and 2nd September 2003 the EUChina Human Rights Network held a Network Seminar at the Irish Centre for Human
Rights. The specific theme of this meeting
was the issue of freedom of association in
China. The various discussion panels were
chaired by Professor William Schabas, Director, Irish Centre for Human Rights and
Professor Liu Hainian, Director, Center for
Human Rights Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Some of the topics discussed include the role
and function of civil society, NGOs and
trade unions and the protection afforded to
political and religious organisations under
international human rights law.
particular on the
legal
implications of his native
Mexico’s
involvement in
peacekeeping
operations.
Irish Centre for Human Rights
hosts Genocide Conference
Irish Centre for Human Rights:
www.nuigalway.ie/
human_rights
E m a i l :
humanrights@nuigalway.ie
The Irish Centre for
Human Rights Bulletin is
compiled and edited by
Shane Darcy.
In June of this year the Irish Centre for Human Rights hosted the Fifth Biennial Meeting of the International Association of Genocide Scholars. Over one hundred and sixty
delegates from all over the world attended
the conference. The keynote address at the
conference, delivered by Mr. Gerald Gahima, the Attorney General of Rwanda, examined the issue of accountability in postgenocide Rwanda. There were over fortyfive different panel discussions during the
four-day conference examining a vast range
of themes centred on the main subject of
genocide. Students from the Irish Centre for
Human Rights coordinated a book exhibit
which displayed over 100 recent titles relevant to genocide.
Pictured at the Fifth Biennial Meeting of the
International Association of Genocide Scholars
hosted by the Irish Centre for Human Rights are
(l-r) Gerald Gahima, Attorney General of
Rwanda, Joyce Apsel, President of IAGS, and
Professor William Schabas, Director of the
Irish Centre for Human Rights.
If you wish to sign up for any of the above activities or to receive information regarding the
work the Centre carries out, please to not hesitate to
contact us at:
Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway, Ireland.
Phone: +353-(0)91-750464,
Fax: +353-(0)91-750575,
Email: humanrights@nuigalway.ie
Website: www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights