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Course 10E08: The United Nations Human Rights System Instructor: Gerd Oberleitner The aim of the course is to provide information on the United Nations (UN) human rights system by looking at the work and outcome of the Human Rights Council. The course is scheduled parallel to the regular session of the Human Rights Council. By making extensive use of the Council’s website -- which contains legal documents, press releases, and audio and video files on the session, and is updated daily -- course participants will be able to learn about the UN’s human rights activities as they present themselves to the world: in real-time, with immediate access to the original material, live and uncut, and with all the dramatic twists and turns a session of the Council offers. The course will expose students to the real world of human rights in the making and offer them a glimpse into the world of human rights diplomacy on the highest possible level. An experienced course instructor will guide the participants through the Council’s session so as to ensure a learning experience on a high academic level. The course will provide a brief introduction to the UN human rights system, the core UN human rights standards and supervisory machineries, the charter- and treaty-based system of human rights protection, the role of the current Human Rights Council, the old UN Commission on Human Rights, the Subcommission on the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights, ECOSOC, General Assembly and Security Council. Special focus will be put on the history, mandate and composition of the Council, its legal and political characteristics, the role of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN reform process. This will enable students to follow the deliberations of the Council and understand the events as they unfold. Relevant on-line teaching material to this end will be provided. During the four weeks of the Council's session, participants will be asked to follow the meetings of the Council, focus on specific issues, read the relevant materials as they appear on the website and as recommended by the course facilitator (press releases, reports of Special Rapporteurs, resolutions, statements by dignitaries, etc.), analyse the performance of the actors and stakeholders in the session, evaluate the voting procedure, and form their own opinion on the work of the Human Rights Council. The course is intended to provide participants with the necessary skills to understand in-depth how multi-lateral human rights bodies function in their manifold capacity as law-making institutions, fora for discussions and reflection, and adjucators of states’ human rights performance. Participants will learn how law, policy and diplomacy come together and interact in the field of human rights. The course instructor will provide information in form of on-line material and "mini-lectures" in the first four weeks of the course preceding the Council’s session. He will guide participants through the session, recommend readings and will comment on the events. During the course NGO-staff, staff of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and staff of diplomatic missions will be available to participants in Q&A sessions or Internet-chats. The course involves approximately 60 hours of reading, on-line working groups, interaction among students and instructors, and assignments, and is offered over a 12-week period beginning on 11 February 2008. The course will integrate active and participatory learning approaches within activities and assignments, with an emphasis on reflective and collaborative learning. Participants will do the required reading, prepare interim and final project assignments and participate in group discussions. The maximum number of course participants is 25. Students who successfully complete the course will receive a Certificate of Participation. It is also possible to audit the course. Course outline [tentative] Week 1. Introduction to the course About the instructor Dr. Gerd Oberleitner is lecturer at the Institute of International Law and International Relations of the University of Graz, Austria, and Visiting Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Human Rights of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). An international lawyer by training, his main research interest is international human rights law. From 1998 to 1999 he served as legal adviser in the human rights department of the Austrian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and has in subsequent years joined the Austrian governmental delegation to sessions of the UN Human Rights Commission. From 1999 to 2002 he worked as Executive Secretary of the European Training and Research Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (ETC) in Graz, where he is now member of the Executive Board. From 2002 to 2004 he was Lecturer in Human Rights at the London School of Economics. For more than ten years, he has taught international human rights law in various programmes at the LSE, at the universities of Graz, Bologna and Prishtina and at various other institutions. He has been an instructor for HREA distance learning courses since 2003. Who should apply
The course is aimed at university students of international law, international relations, politics and other areas, NGO staff members and other practitioners who want to improve their knowledge on the UN human rights system. Participants should have at least basic knowledge on human rights. Participants should have a good written command of English and have high competence and comfort with computer and Internet use. The number of participants is limited to 25 per course. HREA aims to ensure equal gender and geographical distribution across the selected participants. It also possible to audit the course. Costs The course tuition fee is € 525 for residents of OECD countries* and € 200 for permanent residents of non-OECD countries. Tuition for auditors is € 200 for residents of OECD countries and € 70 for permanent residents of non-OECD countries. There are no scholarships available for this course. * Current member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) are: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States. Application The deadline for applications is 1 December 2007. Applications received after that day unfortunately cannot be accepted. Successful applicants will be notified by 15 December 2007. Full tuition payment for accepted participants is due on 15 January 2008. Application forms Application
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