IPSA HUMAN RIGHTS RESEARCH COMMITTEE RUSSIAN POLITICAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION HUMAN RIGHTS RESEARCH COMMITTEE and NATIONAL RESEARCH UNIVERSITY HIGHER SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS, CITY OF SAINT-PETERSBURG

Cordially invite you to submit proposals for a conference on “PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS: INSTITUTIONS AND PRACTICES” to be held in Saint –Petersburg, Russia in June 13-14, 2013

Since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was promulgated in 1948, an international human rights regime has gradually come into existence be it through UN mechanisms or regional systems like, inter alia, the European Court of Human Rights or the Commission and Court of the inter-American human rights scheme. Despite their indisputable contribution to the advancement of human rights, it is still impossible to argue that a just global order has been achieved through the existing transnational legal and political institutions. Consequently, the only solution is to integrate human rights values into the nation-state system.

According to Mitch Avila, “global justice is better understood as achieved through the ongoing reform of the nation-state, a process that results in the formation of liberal and decent peoples who possess a moral character and are politically stable”. He calls this process “taming the nation-state”. It is self-evident that, from this perspective, nation-states present different characteristics, depending on their respective levels of democratization. They differ not only in terms of legislation, but also human rights institutions and practices.

This conference intends to bring together scholars and practicioners with a view to analyze and compare governmental and non-governmental human rights protection mechanisms within stable and “young” democracies. Topics to be explored may include, but would not be limited to, the activities of these institutions, their interaction –among themselves, with government officials and with international human rights organizations-, the factors that improve/hinder their effectiveness, their role in human rights education and legislation. Participation from countries currently experiencing a transition towards democracy is particularly encouraged while there will be a special emphasis on “post-communist” societies. Abstracts (in English, around 250 words) should be submitted to the following all three members of the program committee by January 15, 2013. Acceptance notices will be sent no later than March 1st.

- Alexander Sungurov at asungurov@mail.ru - Sonia Cardenas at Sonia.Cardenas@trincoll.edu - Katharine Gelber at k.gelber@uq.edu.au

The conference will be held at the historical site “Tsarskoye Selo” outside Saint-Petersburg, during the spectacular “white nights” period.