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New Resource on Accessing Global and Regional Human Rights and Criminal Justice Mechanisms

By humanrightsathome

by JoAnn Kamuf Ward & Connie de la Vega

Human rights institutions provide critical venues for accountability and redress.  Yet, the complex web of procedures, which are often opaque and vary depending on the forum, can serve as barriers to access.   As civil society spaces close at the national level, the UN, regional systems, and the ICC play an even more essential role in elevating and protecting the rights of vulnerable populations and human rights defenders.

The forthcoming resource, A Practical Guide to Using International Human Rights and Criminal Law Procedures, seeks to demystify critical aspects of engagement with global and regional human rights mechanisms, distill key advocacy considerations, and ultimately lower the barriers to entry for advocates seeking accountability, so that human rights institutions can achieve their stated missions.

The Guide offers an overview of the advocacy opportunities and possible outcomes across UN mechanisms, the Inter-American and European Human Rights Systems.  It includes critical information on the International Criminal Court.  For each mechanism, the guide draws from practice to emphasize how to best leverage the unique benefits of each modality to achieve positive impact.  

Oriented towards practice, this resource concludes by distilling some of the most effective avenues advance the common aims of (a) norm development and (b) redress for specific human rights violations within regional and global systems.

The book has global reach, and draws from insights gleaned by US academics and advocates.  It is by USF Professor Connie de la Vega and Alen Mirza, with contributions from Columbia Law School’s JoAnn Kamuf Ward, as well as former counsel for the ICTY, and practitioners focused on refugee and asylum, as well as migrants and indigenous peoples. 

You can pre-order a copy today:  https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/a-practical-guide-to-using-international-human-rights-and-criminal-law-procedures.  (NB-you are eligible for a discount through 2019- just use the code VEGA35 with your order).