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Programme
Introduction
- Marta Altolaguirre, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Opening Panel 1:
Implementation of International Human Rights Obligations and Respect For International
Standards: An Overview of the Issues, Problems and Challenges
Panel will provide a historical, legal and political context for the conference and outline some of the main issues, problems and challenges in implementing international human rights commitments, including an overview of previous OAS initiatives on this topic.
Panelists:
- Juan Méndez, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
- Pedro Nikken, former Judge and President, Inter-American Court of Human Rights
- Mariclaire Acosta, Special Ambassador for Human Rights and Democracy, Government of Mexico
- Professor Leo Zwaak, Netherlands Institute of Human Rights, Utrecht University
Panel 2:
Implementation through Legislative, Administrative and Policy Mechanisms
Panel will provide an overview of the variety of legislative, administrative and policy avenues available to implement human rights obligations, including past experiences as well as new approaches and suggestions.
Moderator: Roberto Cuéllar, Executive Director, Inter-American Institute of Human Rights
Panelists:
- Marcela Briceño Donn, Director, Office of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Colombia
- Jorge Taiana, Secretary for Human Rights, Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Carlos Ayala, Professor of Constitutional and International Law, former Member and President, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Panel 3:
Implementation through Judicial, Quasi-judicial and Other Supervisory
Mechanisms
Panel will provide an overview of the manner in which courts and other human rights supervisory bodies may give effect to implement international human rights obligations.
Moderators: Assistant Magistrate Rodrígo Uprimny, Constitutional Court of Colombia
Panelists:
- Penny White, former Justice, Tennessee Supreme Court, USA
- Hon. Sir C.M. Dennis Byron, Chief Justice, Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal
- Hon. Abdullai Conteh, Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Belize
- Dr. Leopoldo Héctor Schiffrin, Vice-President, Chamber II, Federal Court of Appeal of La Plata, Argentina
Panel 4:
Implementation through Intrastate Levels of Government, including Federal,
State/Provincial and Municipal Jurisdictions
Panel will provide an overview of the political and legal complications arising from divisions of responsibility within (e.g. interdepartmental) and between (e.g. federal-state) levels of government that affect the implementation of international human rights protections.
Moderator: Clare Roberts, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Panelists:
- Katherine Gorove, Office of the Legal Adviser, US Department of State
- Flávia Piovesan, Professor, Faculty of Law, PUC, São Paulo, Brazil
- Lucie Lamarche, Professor, Faculty of Juridical Science, University of Quebec at Montreal
Closing
- José Zalaquett, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Reception
