Conference
Accountability now!
Social and environmental dimensions of human rights in the UN summit year 2015
Friday, June 12, 2015, 3:30 to 8:30 pm
Heinrich Böll Foundation, Schumannstr. 8, D-10117 Berlin, Germany
A cooperation of the Heinrich Böll Foundation and the German Institute for Human Rights.
Human rights have gained considerable ground in the second half of the 20th century. More than seventy
conventions and resolutions of the United Nations spell out basic and far-reaching standards for human rights
that are more than ever defining environmental, social and human rights agendas as a comprehensive fabric.
Yet despite the efforts of the United Nations to set standards, striking challenges remain: human rights continue to be violated and must be guaranteed against resistance in everyday political life; economic and social
inequality are growing and the planetary boundaries are being exceeded dramatically. The responses to these
complex issues in international law remain inadequate.
This has a variety of reasons: Many problems are not adequately covered by multilateral agreements and
existing agreements have not been implemented satisfactorily. Some areas of international law are better
equipped in terms of enforcement than others. Furthermore, globalization processes are showing nation states
the limits of their regulatory powers. And while nation states are losing in ability to enforce standards, comparable enforcement instruments at the international level have not emerged to make up for that loss in most
cases.
The resulting responsibility and accountability gaps of governments, corporations and supranational organizations – and thus the question of how these gaps can be closed – remain a key challenge.
This issue is of particular importance in 2015: with the Sustainable Development Goals and Post-2015 Development Agenda, new normative and concrete targets for tackling the global environmental and poverty crises
are to be established under the auspices of the UN. In addition, the global agenda for women’s rights – the
Beijing Platform for Action – is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and a new climate agreement is set to be
adopted in Paris within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The Heinrich Böll Foundation and the German Institute for Human Rights therefore want to examine the responsibility and accountability of states, corporations and supranational organizations for the implementation
of universal human rights and international agreements.
Conference languages are German and English. Simultaneous interpreting will be provided.
A live stream of the event will be available at http://www.boell.de/stream.
Conference
Accountability now! Social and environmental dimensions of human rights in the UN summit year 2015
Berlin, June 12, 2015
Program
Friday, June 12, 2015, 3:30 to 8:30 pm
3:30 pm
Registration
4:00 pm
Welcome and introduction
Barbara Unmüßig, President, Heinrich Böll Foundation, Berlin
Michael Windfuhr, Deputy Director, German Institute for Human Rights, Berlin
4:30 pm
Keynote
Responsibility for human rights in a complex world – the nexus of environmental sustainability, justice and human rights
Jochen von Bernstorff, Professor of Constitutional Law, International Law and Human
Rights Law, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen
5:00 pm
Panel discussion 1
Accountability for human rights at the national level – a question of governance, participation and access to rights
•
Anja Mihr, Associate Professor, Netherlands Institute of Human Rights (SIM), University of Utrecht
•
Maina Kiai, Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations, Nairobi/Geneva
•
Désiré Assogbavi, Head of Oxfam International Liaison Office with the African Un-
•
Claudia Roth MP, Alliance 90/the Greens, Vice President of the German Bundes-
ion, Addis Ababa
tag, Berlin
Chair: Barbara Unmüßig, President, Heinrich Böll Foundation, Berlin
6:30 pm
Coffee and snack break
7:00 pm
Panel discussion 2
Thinking human rights globally: on accountability at the international level
•
Rachel Davis, Managing Director, Shift, New York
•
Sigrun Skogly, Professor of Human Rights Law, Lancaster University, United Kingdom
•
Cândido Grzybowski, Director of the Brazilian Institute of Social and Economic
Analyses (IBASE), Rio de Janeiro
•
Stephen Leonard, President, Climate Justice Program, Australia
Chair: Michael Windfuhr, Deputy Director, German Institute for Human Rights, Berlin
8:30 pm
Conclusion and end of conference
Conference
Accountability now! Social and environmental dimensions of human rights in the UN summit year 2015
Berlin, June 12, 2015
Information
Date and location
Friday, June 12, 2015, 3:30 to 8:30 pm
Heinrich Böll Foundation, Beletage; Schumannstrasse 8, D-10117 Berlin
Public transport
Bus 147 Deutsches Theater (barrier-free, 150m walk)
S-Bahn S1, 2, 25, 5, 7, 75, 9 Friedrichstrasse
(Albrechtstr. exit, not barrier-free, 250m walk/
Friedrichstr. exit, barrier-free, 750m walk or Bus 147)
U-Bahn U6, Oranienburger Tor (500m walk)
Tram M1, M6, 12, Oranienburger Tor (500-600m walk)
From the main station (Hauptbahnhof), Bus 147 > Ostbahnhof to Deutsches Theater
Note
Please note that photography, video and audio recording for TV broadcasting, as well as for public and private
purposes, may be taking place during the conference.
Live stream
A live stream of the conference will be available on our website: http://www.boell.de/stream
Conference languages
Conference languages are German and English. Simultaneous interpreting will be provided.
Accessibility
An induction loop is provided. If you require sign language interpretation, please indicate this when registering
no later than June 8.
Registration:
Please register by June 8, 2015 at http://calendar.boell.de/de/event/verantwortung-einfordern
or by fax (+49-30-285 34-109).
Contact
Ulrike Seidel, Project Management, Democracy and Peace, Heinrich Böll Foundation
E-mail: [email protected], Tel. +49-30-285 34-330
Free admission
Conference
Accountability now! Social and environmental dimensions of human rights in the UN summit year 2015
Berlin, June 12, 2015