Enforcement of International Human Rights Law through the Mechanism of UN Special Rapporteurs

The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies

Bologna, Italy

March 3-4, 2014

Remarks by Dr. Mohamed Y. Mattar

On behalf of The Protection Project at The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, I would like to welcome all of our distinguished guests to this symposium.

It is a tradition of The Protection Project to come here every year or every two years and to say hi to our colleagues here, Professor Erik Jones and Professor Justin.

And this is the fifth time that we come here.

I started this back in 2006, where we addressed omissions and gaps from the United Nations Protocol and European Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.

In 2008, we covered the Arab Charter on Human Rights and compared it to the European Convention on Human Rights.

In 2011, our issue was Islam and Europe: Religion, Law and Identity.

And this last year, we examined comparative models of constitutionalism in the Arab World following what is called the Arab Spring.

However, this is a special time.

It is special because we are holding this symposium in collaboration with the SAIS Program on International Law and Organizations.

I want to take this opportunity to thank Professor Ruth Wedgwood for her valuable contribution in shaping this program.

It is also special because our issue this year is Special Rapporteurs. The idea came to my mind because of the good work of Ms. Joy Ezeilo, the Special Rapporteur on Human Trafficking. I had the privilege of participating in many of her consultations that she successfully held to carry out her mandate.

Please allow me to recognize Ms. Joy Ezeilo.

I would also like to recognize Mr. Kishore Singh, the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education,

And Ms. Gulnara Shahinian, the Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery,

And Mr. Surya Subedi, the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Cambodia.

I would also like to thank our international experts who are joining us today to say a few words, hopefully good words, on the enforcement of international human rights law through the mechanism of the UN Special Rapporteurs.

I would like to thank two of our own Julia Braunmiller and Anna Koppel who made this event possible.

Thank you.

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