On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Faculty of Law, the University Centre Saint-Ignatius Antwerp (UCSIA) and the European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation (EIUC) organize the international conference The Local Relevance of Human Rights. 

Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10th 1948, numerous international documents have reaffirmed human rights as global norms. But do human rights offer real protection when disadvantaged groups invoke them at the local level in an attempt to improve their living conditions?

This conference examines what factors determine whether appeals to human rights that emanate from the local level, are successful or not. In this context, the conference equally reviews whether the Universal Declaration adequately responds to threats as currently defined by relevant groups, or whether a revision of some of the ideas included in the UDHR needed in order to increase its contemporary relevance. The conference will discuss case studies from both developed and developing countries. In addition, difficulties relevant groups face in achieving human rights protection in Belgium will also be dealt with.

Where: Congress Centre Elzenveld, Lange Gasthuisstraat 45
Organisation: Faculty of Law, UCSIA, EIUC
Contact: marijke.celis@ua.ac.be
See also: www.ucsia.org/humanrights
Programme.pdf