MINELRES: Birkbeck College International Protection of Minority Rights Summer Course

[MINELRES moderator]

Original sender: Lia Booth <lia_booth@hotmail.com>


UNIVERSITY OF LONDON, BIRKBECK
FACULTY OF CONTINUING EDUCATION

Academic Year   
2002-2003

Course Code             
F75X20

Course Title            
THE INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION OF MINORITY RIGHTS

Subject Area            
International and European Studies (Human Rights)

Type of Course          
One-term Accredited

Centre                  
Faculty of Continuing Education

Course venue            
London  School  of  Economics,
Houghton  Street,  Aldwych,  London WC2

First meeting           
Wednesday 30 April, 2003  6.30 p.m.

10 sessions on Weds 6.30 p.m. - 8.30 p.m.

Course taught by Bernard F. Hamilton, MA, LLM

Entry requirements:     
Students must be prepared to study
time-consuming texts out of class

Teaching and Learning:  
A combination of lectures, seminars and student presentations will be
used.

Aims and Outcomes: 
To explore whether and how minority rights exist, and are protected at
an international level.

Assessment: 
One typed double-spaced paper of approximately 1,000-1,500 words on any
aspect of the international protection of minority rights approved by
the course tutor together with class work and 75% attendance. A list of
suggested topics will be available.

Required Text: 
PHILLIPS A & ROSAS A, Universal Minority Rights (1995) Abo, Finland; Abo
Akademi University Institute for Human Rights.

Further Reading: 
Some of the basic instruments not contained in PHILLIPS & ROSAS are to
be found in GHANDI P. R., International Human Rights Documents 2nd
edition (2000) London; Blackstone Press Ltd.

Particularly useful are:        
THORNBERRY P, International Law and the Rights of  Minorities (1991)
Oxford; Clarendon Press.

The United Nations Guide for Minorities (2001) Geneva; Office of the
High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Most texts are available from The Economists� bookshop (Waterstone�s),
LSE, Clare Market, WC2.

A bibliography is available for students wishing to pursue areas in
greater depth.

COURSE OUTLINE

1. ORIGINS: 30-04-03

Course overview
The nature of International Law

2. HUMAN RIGHTS INVOLVEMENT: 07-05-03

The early protection of minorities
Responses to the Holocaust
Nuremberg
The UN�s emphasis on individual rights and "the fate of minorities"
Minorities, peoples, indigenous people and self-determination
The impact of definitions

There will be no class on 14-05-03 because of the Study trip to Geneva,
where the UN Working Group on Minorities and human rights treaty
monitoring committees are in session.

3. THE UN FAMILY OF PROTECTED GROUPS: 21-05-03

The groups protected by the Genocide, Refugee and Apartheid Conventions
The extent of the protections
UN Security Council
International Criminal Tribunals

4. UN TREATY MONITORING: 28-05-03

Major Conventions
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights - Article 27 
General Comment and cases
The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Discrimination
1993 Early Warning Procedure

5. UN DECLARATION ON MINORITY RIGHTS: 04-06-03

The legislative history
>From victory in New York to defeat at the Vienna Conference

6. UN CHARTER MECHANISMS: 11-06-03

The Commission on Human Rights
The Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of
Minorities
The UN Working Group on Minorities

7. COUNCIL OF EUROPE: 18-06-03

The European Convention on Human Rights jurisprudence
Minority rights as a criterion used to monitor eligibility for CoE
membership
The Charter for Regional or Minority Languages 1992
The Framework Convention for the Protection of Minorities 1995
The Venice Commission for local and regional authorities
Confidence building measures

8. OSCE: 25-06-03

Humanitarian and Security Baskets
The Moscow and Vienna Mechanisms
The High Commissioner on National Minorities
The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
Contact Point for the Roma and Sinti Issues
Monitoring the Implementation of Bi-lateral Treaties

9. EU: 02-07-03

Primary and Secondary Legislation
The European Court of Justice
Enlargement

10. CONCLUSIONS: 09-07-03

The OAS and AU jurisprudence
Moral and Economic Pressure
Judicial Enforcement
Conflict Prevention


Registration details from:      
Carol Watts             
Tel: 020 7631-6652
Birkbeck College
26 Russell Square
London WC1B 5DQ

Academic details from:          
Bernie Hamilton         
Tel: 020 7723 6062