The Program on Humanitarian Policy and Conflict Research at Harvard University is hosting a live web seminar on Thursday, 1/26/12, entitled Regulating the Conduct of Military Personnel in Peace Operations. Registration is required, but participation is free. From their website:
(Register)
Date and time:
Thursday, January 26, 2012 9:30 am
Eastern Standard Time (New York, GMT-05:00)
Europe Time (Paris, GMT+01:00)
Thursday, January 26, 2012 6:30 pm
Arabian Time (Abu Dhabi, Muscat, GMT+04:00)
Thursday, January 26, 2012 10:30 pm
Singapore Time (Singapore, GMT+08:00)
Program:
Live Seminar Series
Duration:
1 hour 30 minutes
Description:
Intergovernmental organizations have established an increasing number of diverse international peace operations, ranging from standard peacekeeping deployments to multifaceted peace-making and peace-enforcement operations. Despite rising political support for the strategic use of military presence and force to strengthen the protection of civilians, important aspects of the legal frameworks regulating peace operations remain unclear. This lack of clarity has raised significant concerns about impunity for abuses committed in the course of peace operations, especially those established under Status of Forces Agreements conferring immunity on foreign military personnel.
Against the backdrop of recent disagreement about the applicability of international humanitarian law and international human rights law to members of peace operations, this Live Web Seminar will address a range of questions, including:
- What are the legal obligations of members of peace operations under human rights law and IHL?
- Who is responsible for the application and enforcement of these obligations? How might immunity granted under Status of Forces Agreements affect impunity?
- What mechanisms are available to victims of abuse by peace operations personnel, and what is the likelihood that those abusers will be brought to justice?
These questions will be answered by reference not only to situations of armed conflict but also to situations short of armed conflict, where the issue of (extraterritorial) human rights obligations of peace operations personnel is increasingly prominent.
Moderated by:
Claude Bruderlein (Director, HPCR)
Panelists include:
Aurel Sari (University of Exeter)
Kjetil Mujezinovic Larsen (Norwegian Centre for Human Rights)
Bruce Oswald (University of Melbourne)
Post-event Professional Forum:
This month's Live Web Seminar will be directly followed by a Professional Forum on the same topic, organized by HPCR's partner organization, the International Association of Professionals in Humanitarian Assistance and Protection (PHAP). There is no need to register separately for the two events. For more information, please visit www.phapinternational.org.
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