Description：

Human rights protection is facing unprecedented and perennial obstacles because of contemporary and prevailing challenges to human security. As the world recuperates from the brunt of the pandemic, particularly on global public health and economy, armed conflict and systemic violence continue to threaten the lives of innocent women, men, and children. Despite significant strides made in terms of upholding democracy, guaranteeing pluralistic and open civic spaces, and strengthening international and domestic institutions and processes to ensure respect for the rule of law and principles of accountability, many States continue to struggle in carrying out their obligation to protect freedoms, to remove obstacles to economic, social, and cultural participation, and to protect people in accordance with human rights principles.

In this human rights climate, it is crucial to hold discussions and together search for ways forward. In celebration of the memoranda of understanding on research cooperation and on student exchange between the University of Essex and the College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the University of Tokyo, the two leading institutions in humanities are jointly organizing a symposium on human rights to highlight the intersections between human rights and specified topics on conflict, international law, bodily autonomy, and gender.

Are we witnessing a global ‘backsliding’ in human rights protection? How might this long-established norm continue to play a prominent role in modern global society? What challenges do the duty bearers of human rights face amidst various environments and circumstances? These general questions serve as the backdrop for the panel discussions in this symposium. Its objective is to reaffirm the importance of a human rights perspective in evaluating responses to global and local challenges, while also serving as a platform to advance discussions on how to move forward with upholding the rights of individuals and communities. 

Date：

23 July 2022 (9:00-17:30 Japan time, GMT+9) 

Venue：

Hybrid（In-person：Academic Affairs Hall, Administration Building 3F,

Komaba Campus, the University of Tokyo）

Registration necessary at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-1W6XaHuBg7UIGK4dTeqdNHOqF5kCVJGELAYtHHrEPk/edit

（In-person participation is limited to the first 79 participants due to infection control）