Conference: Citizenship in an enlarged Europe: the contribution of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

2008-02-22T04:28:00Z

This Conference, organized in partnership with ACEVO (United Kingdom), Order of the Architects (Portugal) and Microcredit Observatory (Bologna/Italy), is part of the strategy and mission of the Centre to raise the profile of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights through fostering the debate and innovative thinking, and pursuing research, lobbying and advocacy on pivotal ESCR issues.

Aims at involving Civil Society organizations in the promotion and realization of ESCR, supporting them in a better understanding and use of the mechanisms and tools which already exist at a national, regional and international level, for their operacionalization.

Therefore, to achieve this goal we intend to:

Acknowledge the content of some economic, social and cultural rights
Identify their content, their full dimensions, their implications, and the obstacles to their effective application and realization.
Point out some solutions and good practices to overcome the difficulties and ensure the implementations of the rights.

Below you may consult the draft programme of the conference. Find here the registration form.

Draft Programme

Conference Commissioners

Catarina de Albuquerque – President of the Working Group for an Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Virgínia Brás Gomes – Member of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

10th April 2008

9.30 Opening Session

Jorge Lacão – Secretary of State for the Presidency of the Counsel of Ministers, in representation of the Portuguese Prime Minister, José Sócrates

António Rendas – Rector, New University of Lisbon

Graça Almeida Rodrigues – Executive Director, CIDESC

10.00 Keynote Address*

Jorge Sampaio - Former President of Portugal and United Nations High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations

“Realization of ESCR as a tool towards achieving equal opportunities for all”

10.45 – Coffee Break

11.00 – I. Economic and Social Rights

Moderator: Virgínia Brás Gomes

Indicators, Benchmarks, Scoping and Assessment – Eibe Riedel (Vice President UN Committee ESCR)

The right to Housing. Challenges to its implementation and realization – Miloon Kothari (United Nations Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing)
Extraterritorial Obligations in Human Rights Law: the right to housing – Malcolm Langford (University of Oslo)
Equality of opportunities in the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights for persons with disabilities – Simon Walker (Disability Adviser, OHCHR)

13.00 - Lunch

14.30 – II. The fulfillment of ESCR in Europe *

Moderator: Fernando Fernandez-Arias Minuesa

Maria João Rodrigues (Special Advisor to the Prime Minister for the European Union Presidency)
Günter Nooke (Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid at the German Federal Foreign Office)
Arjan Hamburger (Human Rights Ambassador at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

16.15 - Coffee Break

16.30 – III. ESCR & International Development Aid: Challenges, Obstacles and Good Practice

Moderator: Korinna Horta

Regine Richter (Urgewald, Germany)
A Human Rights Based Approach to Development – João José Fernandes (Oikos)
Ibrahim Salama (UN Chief of the Treaties and Council Branch)*

17:45 – Coffe Break

18.00 – III. Book Launching: Disrespect Today, Conflict Tomorrow

in collaboration with Professor Bernard McGuirck - Centre for the Study of Postconflict Cultures, University of Nottingham

11th April 2008

9.30 - Keynote Address

José Pinto Ribeiro – Minister for Culture, Portugal*

10.00 – IV. Cultural Rights

Moderator: Susana Sardo

Samuel Araújo (Professor – Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)*
Lieve Meersschaert (Cultural Association Moinho da Juventude, Cova da Moura, Portugal)
Maria Cardeira da Silva (Professor, New University of Lisbon)

11.30 - Coffee Break

11.45 – V. Civil Society voices in the Promotion of ESCR

Moderator: Graça Almeida Rodrigues

Places/spaces of celebration and protest: citizenship, civic conversations and the promotion of Economic, Social & Cultural Rights - Bryan Massam (Emeritus Professor - York University Toronto, Canada) and Brian Hracs (PhD student, University of Toronto, Canada)
The conditions for civil society participation to urban renewal - Roselyne de Villanova (IPRAUS UMR CNRS)
Civil society in promoting housing rights in Portugal - Helena Roseta (Platform on Housing Rights)
The Role of Micro-Credit in Poverty Reduction - Luisa Brunori (University of Bologna)

13.15 - Lunch

15.00 – VI. Democracy, Citizenship and Participatory Governance

Moderator: Rosa Matos

ESCR and multi-stakeholder governance - Alejandro Litovsky (AccountAbility)
ESCR and Participated Governance - Lia Vasconcelos (New University of Lisbon)
Mariano Aguirre (Fundación para las Relaciones Internacionales y el Diálogo Exterior, Madrid)
Michel Doucin (Ambassador for Human Rights of France)

16.30 – VII. Movie Session: “SAAL Operations”, directed by João Dias

12th April 2008

9.30 - Keynote Address

Alfredo Bruto da Costa - European Committee of Social Rights, Council of Europe*

10.30 - VIII. Operacionalization and vindication of ESCR

Moderator: Catarina Albuquerque

Interdependence, indivisibility and interconnection between ESCR and CPR. UN “case-law” - Martin Scheinin (Åbo Akademi University)

National Mechanisms for ESCR vindication: good practices – Christian Courtis (International Commission of Jurists)
European Court of Human Rights and promotion of ESCR – Giorgio Manliverni (European Court of Human Rights)
UN mechanisms and its potential in ESCR protection – Markus Schmidt (OHCHR)

12.15 - IX. Closing Session

Graça Almeida Rodrigues – CIDESC, Executive Director

Conclusions – Virgínia Brás Gomes (member of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights) and Catarina de Albuquerque (President of the Working Group for an Optional Protocol to the ICESCR)

Closing Address - Manuel Lobo Antunes (Secretary of State Assistant and for European Affairs)*

* - To be confirmed

Source: http://www.esc-rights.org/

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Conference: Citizenship in an enlarged Europe: the contribution of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights