Our New Visiting Fellow: Professor Claudia Martin

30 June 2023

Professor Claudia Martin is Co-Director of the Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law and a Professorial Lecturer in Residence at American University Washington College of Law. She specializes in international law, international and comparative human rights law, and Inter-American human rights law. She is also a founding member and serves in the Secretariat of GQUAL, a campaign to promote gender parity representation in international courts and organs.

She just started as Visiting Fellow at the Geneva Academy and will stay with us until 31 July 2023.

What motivated you to carry out a fellowship at the Geneva Academy?

The reason that motivated me to apply to the Geneva Academy is the prestige of this academic institution and the faculty involved in the research and programmes offered under its auspices. I believe that the Geneva Academy is at the forefront of human rights academic work in Geneva and attracts highly specialized professionals and activists to debate timely and innovative issues. There is no better place to spend time as an academic in Geneva than at this institution!

What will be the focus of your research during this fellowship?

The focus of my fellowship will be on drafting a paper entitled ‘Enhancing the avenues for redress and accountability in the Inter-American human rights case law: from “aggravated” international State Responsibility to the characterization of gross violations of human rights as international crimes’.

In addition, I intend to participate in the sessions of the United Nations Human Rights Council and other treaty bodies meetings in Geneva during the period that I will spend in Geneva. As a member of the Secretariat of the GQUAL Campaign, I treasure the opportunity to learn more about the dynamics of these international mechanisms and interact with officials, diplomats, and activists who will come to Geneva to participate in those meetings.

Why are these issues important?

The paper that I will complete during my time at the Geneva Academy intends to connect developments in the Inter-American (IA) Court human rights case law adopted to articulate responses to gross and systematic human rights violations perpetrated before the Rome Statute was approved. These principles that were crucial to support domestic prosecutions of perpetrators of international crimes continue to play a central role in regard to States in the region that have not ratified the Rome Statute (for example, Nicaragua) or those which are trying to implement transitional justice processes at the national level (for example, Colombia).

What will be the impact of this research?

I expect that the research and paper will provide a systematized analysis of the developments of the IA Court case law on this subject, allowing practitioners, activists, and state officials to reflect on the impact of these principles and the possibility of resorting to them at the domestic and regional level to shape policy and/or legal decisions.

What do you expect from your time at the Geneva Academy?

I expect to interact with faculty and researchers who share similar interests and explore opportunities for cooperation between the Geneva Academy and the institution that I co-Direct at American University Washington College of Law, in Washington DC.

MORE ON THIS THEMATIC AREA

ILGA World Logo News

In Highlight: ILGA World Database

28 March 2024

Via its DHRTTDs Directory, the Geneva Human Rights Platform provides a comprehensive list and description of such key tools and databases. But how to navigate them? Which tool should be used for what, and by whom? This interview helps us understand better the specificities of the March highlight of the directory: ILGA World Database.

Read more

neurotechnology graphics News

New Research Brief Discusses Current Legal and Ethical Concerns Around Neurotechnology

28 May 2024

Our latest Research Brief Between Science-Fact and Science-Fiction: Innovation and Ethics in Neurotechnology highlights the need for a robust regulatory framework around neurotechnology that can simultaneously foster innovation and protect human rights.

Read more

Garment workersto receive food from their factory during lunch time. This food is freely provided by their factory in order to ensure that workers eat healthy and hygienic food. Training

Business and Human Rights

2-6 September 2024

This training course will examine how the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights have been utilized to advance the concept of business respect for human rights throughout the UN system, the impact of the Guiding Principles on other international organizations, as well as the impact of standards and guidance developed by these different bodies.

Read more

Open dump Training

Protecting Human Rights and the Environment

2-20 September 2024

Participants in this training course, made of two modules, will examine the major international and regional instruments for the promotion of human rights and the environment, familiarizing themselves with the respective implementation and enforcement mechanisms.

Read more

Online folders Project

Digital Human Rights Tracking Tools and Databases

Started in March 2023

This initiative wishes to contribute to better and more coordinated implementation, reporting and follow-up of international human rights recommendations through a global study on digital human rights tracking tools and databases.

Read more

Sign: National Human Rights Commission of Nepal Project

Local Implementation of Global Human Rights

Started in May 2020

The Geneva Human Rights Platform collaborates with a series of actors to reflect on the implementation of international human rights norms at the local level and propose solutions to improve uptake of recommendations and decisions taken by Geneva-based human rights bodies at the local level.

Read more

Cover of the 2023 Geneva Academy Annual Report Publication

Annual Report 2023

published on July 2024

Read more